TCU Men’s Basketball (9-9, 1-5 Big 12) gets back to action this weekend as they play host to No. 19 Iowa State Cyclones (14-4, 3-3 Big 12) Saturday afternoon.
With tip-off set for 3 p.m., it will be the Frogs’ third home contest against a ranked opponent this season. The Frogs lost to then No. 22 SMU 75-70 on Dec. 2 and to then No. 17 West Virginia 95-87 on Jan. 4.
The Frogs enter the contest looking to snap a three-game skid, which includes road losses to Baylor and Kansas and a home loss to Texas Tech. The Cyclones, on the other hand, enter the game with all the momentum a team could ask for, coming off an upset victory of previously No. 1 Oklahoma on Jan. 18.
As the Frogs face yet another quality Big 12 opponent, they will rely on strong performances from junior guard Brandon Parrish and sophomore forward Vladimir Brodziansky. Parrish sits third in three-point field goal percentage among all Big 12 players, shooting 50 percent on the season. Brodziansky leads the Frogs in scoring totals with 213 points on the season and an average of 11.8 per game.
Karviar Shepherd could also be a weapon for the Frogs. The junior has enjoyed strong outings in his previous games against Iowa State: Shepherd has averaged 9.3 points and 10 rebounds over four previous games against the Cyclones.
However, history has not been kind to the Frogs when it comes to facing the Cyclones. TCU has dropped its last six contests against Iowa State, and the Frogs have not defeated the Cyclones at home in 35 years.
The Cyclones’ charge will likely be led by senior forward Georges Niang, who is averaging 19.9 points per game this season and 6.4 rebounds per game, the best of any Iowa State player in those categories. Junior guard Monte Morris will also be a threat, averaging 15.5 points per game this season.
The Frogs will need to bring their A-game to stop Iowa State’s best scorers. But that will be easier said than done, as TCU is ranked 98th nationally in three-point defense.
Prediction
The Frogs have shown that they can compete against some of the top teams in the nation, having just dropped a narrow game against a top 5 Kansas team in Lawrence last week. Nonetheless, the Cyclones have the advantage in nearly every category entering this contest. The Frogs will make it interesting early, but the Cyclones will be too much for TCU to overcome in this one.
Iowa State 79, TCU 60
