Things aren’t exactly easy in the Big 12 for the Horned Frogs of TCU. They only won two conference games in 2013 and currently sit at 0-6 in the Big 12 (9-9 overall) heading into tonight’s home game against No. 8 Kansas (14-4, 5-0).
Of course, that doesn’t mean a Bill Self team couldn’t go down to Fort Worth, Texas, and lose at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. [It happened last season, when TCU won, 62-55,][1] on its home floor.
Pulling off a second massive upset of Kansas seems unlikely. TCU is 10th (last) in the Big 12 in scoring offense (66.1 points), scoring margin (-2.6), field goal percentage (41.3), three-point field goal percentage (31.2), rebounding (32.7), rebound margin (-5.3) and offensive rebounds.
The Horned Frogs opened conference play this season with home losses to West Virginia (by 15 points), Kansas State (by 18) and Texas Tech (by 11), and road losses at Baylor (by 26), Oklahoma State (by 32) and Oklahoma (by eight).
TCU nearly rid itself of the zero in its conference win column on Wednesday, but ultimately lost, 77-69, to the Sooners.
[As reported by Stefan Stevenson][2] of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TCU coach Trent Johnson felt good about his team’s play at Oklahoma. The Horned Frogs tied the game with less than four minutes to play.
> “That’s probably as well as we’ve
> played in league play,” TCU coach
> Trent Johnson said. “We’re a lot
> better team than what we’ve shown in
> the previous five league games. So
> hopefully this will give us some
> confidence the remainder of the year
> so we can play better basketball.”
Here are the five Horned Frogs the Jayhawks will have to worry about as they try to keep TCU winless in the Big 12.
Kyan Anderson, No. 5
——————–
*5-11, 175, jr. guard*
If anyone from TCU is capable of getting hot, it’s Anderson. He averages 15.1 points and 4.6 assists, and has scored in double figures 13 times this season. He scored 23 earlier this week at OU.
Anderson’s 104 free-throw attempts lead the team by far, and he hits 81.7 percent at the foul line. He also makes 36.8 percent of his threes (21-for-57) to lead TCU. Overall, Anderson shoots 47.4 percent from the floor.
His 1.5 steals a game are the third-best average in the Big 12, and he plays 33.5 minutes a game, second overall in the conference.
Amric Fields, No. 4
——————-
*6-9, 220, jr. forward*
TCU missed Fields most of last season, when he only played three games due to a knee injury, and he has only played in 11 games this season, due in part to a broken hand he suffered during non-conference play.
But when he is on the floor, he makes things happen for TCU. Fields averages 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds. Despite the time he has missed, he is third on the team with 12 tree-pointers made (on 35 attempts, 34.3 percent).
Brandon Parrish, No. 11
———————–
*6-6, 185, fr. guard*
His 24 three-pointers lead the Horned Frogs, and he averages 10.2 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Though just a freshman, he has started every game, scored double digits 11 times and scored a career high 18 vs. West Virginia.
Parrish was the first player to commit to second-year coach Johnson, who is still in the early stages of a major project.
Karviar Shepherd, No. 1
———————–
*6-10, 225, fr. center*
The Star-Telegram’s Stevenson recently wrote about how the freshman big man, to whom KU actually offered a scholarship, is [starting to make a bigger impact on offense][3].
Shepherd averaged 14.0 points against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. He followed that up with 12 points (and 11 rebounds) at Oklahoma. Compare that to his first three Big 12 games, when he attempted a total of 14 shots.
> “He’s got a better understanding now
> of good shot/bad shot,” TCU coach
> Trent Johnson said. “I think he’s
> making strides offensively.”
On the season, Shepherd averages 8.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.
Jarvis Ray, No. 22
——————
*6-6, 195, sr. forward*
The only senior in Johnson’s rotation, and a steady No. 5 option in the starting lineup, Ray averages 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds.
He swipes 1.28 steals a game, sixth in the Big 12. Plus, Ray is third on TCU with 21 offensive rebounds.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/jan/25/ku-men-return-tcu-mindful-last-years-loss/
[2]: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/01/22/5506813/no-25-oklahoma-holds-on-against.html
[3]: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/01/20/5499470/tcu-notes-points-starting-to-flock.html?rh=1