Can the Frogs get revenge after Texas whipped them a month ago?
TCU heads to the Erwin Center on Wednesday night as they close out their season series with the Texas Longhorns, looking to redeem themselves after a 73-50 loss in Fort Worth to the Horns back in late January.
The good news for the Frogs is that center Eddie Lampkin is returning to the lineup, per TCU 360 Sports Editor Colin Post. Lampkin will start, but it’s still up in the air how much he’ll play. Either way, Xavier Cork will likely still be a significant presence in the middle tonight.
Cork played well in his start against West Virginia on Monday, scoring a season-high ten points and recording four blocks. Jamie Dixon noted after Monday’s game that Cork has earned more playing time than he’s gotten, so it will be interesting to see how the minutes break down for the two big men.
Meanwhile TCU still waits for more consistency from Mike Miles as he continues to battle wrist injuries. Miles was more aggressive against West Virginia, but still shot under 40% from the floor and went 0-3 from deep. He also missed five free throws.
The Frogs showed that their offense can be explosive on Monday, but with just five games remaining, TCU needs that offense to provide consistent scoring and for their defense to continue to pressure opponents into mistakes.
Wednesday night is the perfect opportunity to put it all together.
NOTES
– TCU (17-8, 6-7) continues a stretch of playing seven games in 14 days when it plays at No. 20 Texas (19-8, 8-6) on Wednesday on ESPN2.
– Jamie Dixon (TCU) and Chris Beard (Texas) are two of 44 coaches nationally who are leading their alma mater.
– TCU has 16 or more wins for the fifth time under Jamie Dixon. TCU had 16 wins just three times in the 14 seasons prior to his arrival.
– TCU’s six Big 12 wins are its most conference wins through 13 games since the 2016-17 season when it was 6-7.
– Four of TCU’s remaining five games are against teams ranked in the top 25. Four of TCU’s five games remaining are Quadrant 1.
– Preseason All-Big 12 guard Mike Miles Jr. is the only player that ranks in the top six in the Big 12 in scoring (sixth, 14.7) and assists (sixth, 4.1). He is one of four among Power 5 conferences that is averaging at least 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
– Chuck O’Bannon Jr. is fourth on the team in scoring with 9.6 points per game and is shooting a team-best 35.3 percent from three. He made three in TCU’s win over West Virginia.
– Eddie Lampkin Jr. has been one of the most improved players in the Big 12 and is averaging 6.5 points and 6.0 rebounds overall and even better in conference play at 7.6 points and 6.4 rebounds. His 3.0 offensive rebounds per game overall ranks second in the Big 12.
– Lampkin went out with a knee injury at the end of the first half of Saturday’s game at Baylor and did not play vs. West Virginia.
– Emanuel Miller leads eight newcomers with 10.7 points per game and a team-leading 6.4 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the Big 12. Miller’s 2.6 offensive rebounds per ranks fourth in the Big 12.
– In the last two games, Miller has averaged 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds.
– Damion Baugh is third on the team with 10.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 4.1 assists per game.
– Micah Peavy’s defensive points per possession is .65, which ranks in the top percentile nationally.
– Peavy has made 10 of his last 13 shot attempts.
– TCU leads the Big 12 and ranks in the top 15 nationally in offensive rebound percentage (first, 38.9%), rebounding margin (third, 9.8), offensive rebounds per game (sixth, 13.7) and rebounds per game (13th, 40.2).
– When outrebounding its opponent, TCU is 16-5 this season and 97-31 under Jamie Dixon. This season, TCU has been outrebounded just three times.
– TCU’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 94.1 ranks 26th nationally and is TCU’s best number since KenPom began tracking stats in 1996-97.
LAST TIME OUT
– TCU shot a season-best 53.7 percent from the field and the entire starting five scored in double-figures as TCU beat West Virginia 77-67 on Monday. The Frogs dominated the rebounding effort, 42-24.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
– Texas is coming off a 61-55 home loss to Texas Tech on Saturday.
– Timmy Allen leads a balanced scoring attack with 11.7 points and has a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game.
SERIES HISTORY
– Texas leads the series 117-68.
– Texas has won the last two meetings in Austin. TCU last won there on March 2, 2019, 69-65.
– The last two meetings in Austin had nearly identical scores, 70-56 in 2020 and 70-55 in 2021.
UP NEXT
– – TCU will play its second-straight top 20 team on Saturday when it hosts No. 9 Texas Tech at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.