Drew’s Desk: Freshman show potential for TCU Men’s Basketball

Diallo, Punch, Posey, Manning, and Robinson all played well for the Frogs this week.

TCU Men’s Basketball went 1-1 this past week with a blowout loss on the road to Texas Tech by a score of 71-57 and a solid win at home over Colorado by a score of 68-57, snapping a three-game losing streak. It was a solid week for TCU basketball as Texas Tech is one of the hottest teams in college basketball, and any win in the Big 12 conference is a good win. TCU is now 11-10 on the year, 4-6 in conference play, and tied for ninth place in the Big 12.

Freshman Leading the Way

TCU is one of the youngest teams in the Big 12 and in college basketball as a whole which has resulted in some growing pains this season. However as the season has progressed, the freshmen have shown significant growth and improvement and this past week was no different. Malick Diallo has seen more playing time in the past few games and showcased solid rebounding, footwork in the post, and mobility. Diallo put up eight points and six rebounds in just 16 minutes on the road against Texas Tech, providing the Frogs with solid scoring and physicality off the bench. Diallo was originally going to redshirt this season but was moved into the rotation to give TCU more size and he has shown the potential to become one of the better centers in the Big 12. Fellow true freshman David Punch is getting more comfortable and confident with the ball in his hands scoring eight points against Texas Tech and a career-high 19 points against Colorado. The most encouraging part of the game against Colorado from Punch was the offensive versatility he showcased, knocking down three of three attempts from deep while also being effective in attacking the basket. Punch also played well on the defensive end of the floor, collecting two blocks and a steal against Colorado. Jace Posey and Isaiah Manning are both getting more aggressive when given the chance as they scored nine and five points against Colorado respectively. The young pieces are in place for TCU to take a step forward next year.

Trapping the Short Corner

Early in conference play, TCU added a defensive wrinkle by aggressively trapping the player with the ball when it was passed into the short corner. Against Houston and Kansas State, this resulted in a few extra turnovers by the opposing teams and was effective in limiting Houston’s star J’Wan Roberts to just 12 points. Teams have now seen this wrinkle on film and are prepared with counters for it when TCU runs the play against them. Texas Tech was able to exploit this defensive strategy for wide-open threes from the opposite corner. Trapping the short corner against Colorado resulted in the Buffaloes getting wide-open layups and dunks. Trapping the short corner was an effective defensive wrinkle for a few games but teams are now ready for it. The Frogs need to readjust and stop trapping the short corner nearly as often and only use it for certain matchups (when the opposing team has a dominant post player in the short corner).

Shooting Struggles

Against Texas Tech, the Frogs shot 35.1% from the field, 27.8% from three, and 54.5% from the free throw line on their way to just 57 points. TCU had 14 offensive rebounds, turned the ball over three fewer times than Tech, attempted more field goals, attempted more free throws, and still lost by 14 points. At some point, TCU just has to knock down shots. The Frogs are a solid defensive team, they rebound the ball well, and they are generating open looks on offense but cannot knock down shots. TCU ranks 331st in the nation in team field goal percentage and 337th in three-point percentage according to ESPN stats. The Frogs have to shoot the ball better to compete with the top teams in the Big 12.

Highlight of the Week

A great move and assist from Vasean Allete to Punch for the dunk.

Looking Ahead

The Frogs have a tough week ahead of them as West Virginia will travel to Fort Worth for a game on Wednesday at 7:00 pm before TCU will make the trip to Ames, Iowa where College Gameday will be for the matchup against the Cyclones on Saturday at 11:00 am.