Frogs answer defensive questions, earn first 10-0 start
The first thing Trent Johnson wanted to talk about after TCU’s 68-50 win over McNeese State — the victory that made the Frogs 10-0 for the first time and himself 10-0 for the first time as a head coach — was defense.
“It was a lot better than last time,” he said.
No doubt about that. The Horned Frogs blocked 11 shots and allowed just 29.8 percent shooting, eventually pulling away at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center against an athletic, aggressive McNeese State squad that itself blocked six shots.
Four days earlier, after a victory against Furman, Johnson said the Frogs “were not very good” on defense.
They must have gotten the message.
“They always have the message, but let’s not split hairs here — it’s hard to be good all the time,” Johnson said. “We had a good two days of practice. These guys want to play well. They want to guard; they want to rebound.
“Sometimes, it’s not like that every day. If it was like that every game, everybody would be undefeated. It’s not about getting the message. It’s about them coming back out, being better. And they were that tonight.”
Chris Washburn and Kenrich Williams each had three blocks, Karviar Shepherd and Trey Zeigler each had two, and Amric Fields added another for the Frogs.
Brandon Parrish had two steals, including one in transition in the game’s opening minutes when McNeese State (4-3) — led by Austin Lewis’ three first-half blocks — was matching TCU athlete-for-athlete.
“We had a lot of respect for McNeese State,” Johnson said. “You look at them on tape, obviously they’re undersized. But they’re explosive and quick and can cause problems for you.”
After leading 29-20 at halftime, TCU shot 50 percent in the second half. Zeigler’s layup and Shepherd’s putback for the Frogs were the first baskets of the second half. Devonta Abron added a basket and a free throw off the bench for a 40-26 lead, and the Frogs weren’t threatened again.
So with a 10-0 start, the best 10-game start in school history, can the Frogs start thinking about a Top 25 ranking?
Johnson sat stone-faced.
“No,” he said. “Because I don’t talk about it. No.”
Instead, what he is talking to his players about is getting their finals in this week and getting their rest. They don’t have another game until Saturday night against UT San Antonio. After that, only two games remain until the Big 12 opener against West Virginia.
“Finals, rest, then basketball,” Johnson said. “Rankings? It means nothing. The only one who’s been there in that locker room is me and maybe one other assistant. Bottom line is, where are you at the end of the year? Where are you when you play somebody who is ranked? What’s your mindset? What’s your aggressiveness?”
The Frogs answered him once already this week. Next week, they’ll need to have more answers ready.
Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7760
This story was originally published December 13, 2014 at 10:27 PM with the headline "Frogs answer defensive questions, earn first 10-0 start."