Men’s Basketball: TCU debuts improved shotmaking in lopsided win over Florida A&M

The Horned Frogs made 14-of-30 three-pointers against the Rattlers to open the season.

The TCU Horned Frogs defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers 105-59 in a lopsided affair to open the 2024-25 season. The Horned Frogs played an extremely efficient game from the get-go, racing out to a 20-7 advantage after nine minutes of game time. With Shaquille O’Neal court-side, TCU completely opened it up, building a 35-13 lead with just under eight minutes to go in the first half. By halftime, TCU led by 37 points behind stellar shooting from behind the arc. The Horned Frogs connected on 11 of their first 16 three-point attempts.

The Horned Frogs’ second half didn’t go as well as the first half, scoring 46 points and allowing 37. Nevertheless, TCU scored 100-plus points for the second consecutive opener. Despite the massive roster overhaul, the new Frogs gelled rather quickly and the newfound depth acclimated quickly to secure the victory.

The reserve unit combined to score nearly half of TCU’s points. Old Dominion transfer Vasean Allette led the way with 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Allette connected on 9-of-13 field goals and drilled 2-of-3 three-point attempts. Redshirt freshmen Jase Posey and Isaiah Manning also notched double-digits, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively. Posey displayed an intriguing blend of shotmaking and athleticism—sinking three triples and causing havoc on the defensive end.

The Horned Frogs trotted out one returning player, Ernest Udeh, and four transfers to make up the starting unit. Along Udeh came Frankie Collins, Noah Reynolds, Brendan Wenzel and Trazarien White. Collins led the starters in points while adding seven rebounds and five assists. The Arizona State transfer dropped 14 points and displayed an immediate connection with Udeh as the duo combined for several lobs. Reynolds led the starters in assists, notching seven while tossing the athletic big a highlight-worthy alley-oop of his own in the second half.

Udeh scored 13 points, connecting on 5-of-9 field goals and 3-of-4 attempts from the foul line. The 6-foot-11 big man chipped in a game-high 12 rebounds, securing his first double-double since January 1st of this year. To round out the opening five, Wenzel chipped in 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists while White began his TCU career with two points, two boards, and two dimes.

The Horned Frogs used efficient shooting and premier ball movement to defeat the Rattlers. TCU shot 54.7 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. Of TCU’s 41 field goals, 29 were assisted. Following a mistake-averse season, the Horned Frogs continued to play turnover-free basketball—turning it over on only six occasions against Florida A&M.

Up next, TCU will take Florida Gulf Coast on Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT. The Frogs will likely be the heavy favorites once again after the Eagles lost to UNC Greensboro 73-64 on opening night.