While the losses continue to pile up for the Horned Frogs, TCU head coach Jamie Dixon is not completely dissatisfied.
“I feel like we’ve played much better defensively as of late,” Dixon said. “We still aren’t where we want to be, but there’s definitely some improvement.”
Throughout the season, poor defense has kept the Frogs from reaching their potential and could cost them a chance at the NCAA Tournament. TCU currently sits at No. 287 of 351 teams in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 77 points per game.
Dixon said that his squad’s defense kept them in the game against Kansas Tuesday, but the offense’s drawbacks left much to be desired.
“Our offense wasn’t as good,” Dixon said. “We had way too many turnovers.”
This was an unusual sight for the Horned Frog faithful as TCU sits at No. 13 in the nation in scoring offense and No. 10 in assist/turnover ratio.
“We were in a position to win the game and had the lead in the second half,” Dixon said. “We had some empty possessions down the stretch and that’s what cost us.”
TCU’s defense continues to be very inconsistent. Following an impressive victory over No. 7 West Virginia, TCU collapsed against the SEC-bottom feeder Vanderbilt.
Then they bounced back against Oklahoma State with a very impressive performance on the defensive side.
In order to make a case for postseason basketball, the Frogs must continue the defensive momentum sustained against Kansas.
Up next, the Horned Frogs will face the Texas Longhorns in Schollmaier Arena. TCU must continue to improve their defense and get their offense back in check in order to compete with the challenge Texas poses.
“They’re just big with Bomba and Sims which makes them hard to score against and defend against,” Dixon said. “The last time we played them they made a lot of shots.”
Statistically, the Longhorns are the worst offensive team in the conference, averaging just over 70 points per game. However, TCU is the penultimate scoring defense and allowed 99 points in a thriller against Texas earlier this season. The defense will need to strap down in order to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
Tipoff against the Longhorns is set for 1 p.m.
