Men’s Basketball: TCU Opens Conference Play Against Texas Tech

The TCU males’s basketball group begins Massive 12 Convention play towards Texas Tech on Saturday, December 31. The sport might be televised on ESPNU at 11am.

Texas Tech holds a 14-6 sequence lead since TCU joined the Massive 12 in 2012-13 and an 86-53 edge general. Every group gained the house sport final 12 months.

The No. 18 Horned Frogs enter the match up with a 11-1 report and have gained 9 straight video games. TCU’s newest triumph got here on Wednesday in a 103-57 beatdown of Central Arkansas. It was the most important margin of victory below head coach Jamie Dixon.

TCU shot 52% from the sphere whereas holding the Sugar Bears to 29%. Junior guard Mike Miles led all scorers with 21 factors whereas senior ahead Emanuel Miller had 20 factors and 10 rebounds.

Miles, the Massive 12 Preseason Participant of the Yr, averages 18.1 factors per sport and desires 22 factors to achieve 1,000 profession factors. He would turn out to be the 39^th participant in program historical past to achieve the mark after Desmond Bane in 2019.

Miller and senior guard Damion Baugh additionally put up over 10 factors per sport. Miller provides six rebounds per sport, second on the group behind Eddie Lampkin’s 7.3 boards.

Junior guard Micah Peavy missed the Central Arkansas sport with an ankle damage. Lacking key gamers is nothing new for the Horned Frogs this season. Accidents, a suspension, and diseases compelled TCU to make use of seven beginning lineups within the first seven video games.

The Horned Frogs hit full power in time for a win over defending Massive East champion Windfall on Nov. 30. TCU’s different notable non-conference victory got here towards Utah, 75-71, on Dec. 21. Staying at or close to full power might be key to competing for a prime spot within the Massive 12.

Texas Tech (10-2) beat South Carolina State 110-71 earlier this week. Senior ahead Kevin Obanor scored 24 factors whereas redshirt sophomore Daniel Batcho added 17 factors and grabbed seven rebounds. All 5 starters, who’re every averaging 10 or extra factors per sport, hit double-digits and performed 26 minutes or much less.

The win additionally marked the Pink Raiders’ third consecutive 100-point outing.

Obanor normally spearheads the convention’s second-best scoring assault (81 factors). He averages 16.6 factors per sport on 54% taking pictures and ranks second on the group in rebounding. Batcho chips in 13.3 factors, a team-high 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per contest.

Texas Tech, a traditionally stout defensive group, permits 62 factors per sport on 39.6% taking pictures and has a +19.3-scoring margin. The Horned Frogs’ protection is producing an nearly similar stat line (38.6% taking pictures, 61.3 factors allowed, +17.8 margin).

These numbers would possibly come down throughout Massive 12 play, as each groups non-conference schedules rank in 300s out of 363 groups, in response to Kenpom.com.

The Pink Raiders missed out on potential marquee non-conference wins on the Maui Jim Invitational, falling to No. 10 Creighton, 76-65, and Ohio State, 80-73. 

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