No. 17 TCU men’s basketball (17-7, 6-5) could not overcome their offensive struggles in a 81-62 loss to No. 12 Kansas State last night inside Bramlage Coliseum.

For a team that started 10 different lineups in its first 10 games, TCU fared well with players in and out of the lineup.

Despite consistency and camaraderie potentially being an issue, head coach Jamie Dixon was able to keep the team afloat with his different rotations.

An adjustment period was expected with junior guard Mike Miles Jr. missing time with an ankle injury, but the Frogs got out to a strong start after defeating West Virginia.

Since then, TCU has struggled mightily, especially on the offensive end.

Miles Jr., who is the third-leading scorer in the Big 12 Conference with 18 points per game, was recently named a Top 10 candidate for the 2023 Bob Cousy Award.

His offensive brilliance, on-ball creation, and defensive instincts were always going to be missed.

Last night, the Frogs missed Miles Jr. more than ever.

Own worst enemy

Sophomore big man Eddie Lampkin Jr. returned to the lineup, giving the Frogs a much-needed morale and depth boost.

TCU’s half court offense lacked cohesion and direction as the Wildcats forced 13 first half turnovers.

The Frogs threw errant passes, coughed up the ball, and suffered many live-ball turnovers that Kansas State turned into 15 points.

Usually careful and efficient with the ball, TCU’s carelessness kept disrupting its offense.

In a game of runs, every offensive possession is important and the Frogs continually “shot themselves in the foot.”

Despite the sluggish start and their inability to take care of the ball, the Frogs were able to lock in defensively, keeping the game within reach.

The Wildcats shot just 34% from the field in the first half, while TCU shot 46%, only finding themselves down six, 36-30 at halftime.

The beginning of the second half presented a more recognizable Frogs team that was able to get out in transition and make plays at the rim.

Now rolling offensively, a layup by senior guard Damion Baugh cut the deficit to just two, 40-38 with 17:51 remaining.

Baugh led the Frogs with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, along with five assists and five boards.

The scoring became contagious as the Wildcats snapped out of their first half dry spell and began to knock down shots.

Kansas State flipped the script on the Frogs, burying jumper after jumper, finishing layup after layup in route to shooting 62% in the second half.

Among the 19 turnovers and 18 personal fouls, the rebounding disparity also proved too great to overcome.

Kansas State managed to grabbed 40 rebounds with 13 being on the offensive glass compared to TCU’s 28 and six.

As the second half progressed, the game got out of hand and Dixon’s squad was overwhelmed with the abundance of scoring from inside the arc.

Aside from Baugh, senior forward Emanuel Miller was the only other starter to score in double-figures with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Junior guard Micah Peavy and sophomore forward JaKobe Coles contributed off the bench with 11 points each.

Now losers of two straight, TCU looks to regroup and return to its winning ways on Saturday in a highly-anticipated matchup against No. 14 Baylor on Saturday at Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena.

Tip-off is at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.