After suffering back-to-back conference defeats to Cincinnati and Iowa State, the TCU Horned Frogs (13-5, 2-3 Big 12) will travel to Stillwater to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-10, 0-5 Big 12).
The last time these two met was in February 2023. The Frogs came up short 79-73 in their last visit to Stillwater, but were victorious just weeks later when the two faced off at the Schollmaier Arena.
The Frogs put themselves in a must-win scenario after falling out of the AP top 25.
The Cowboys are the only Big 12 school to remain winless in conference play, having lost their first five games to begin Big 12 play. They have conceded an average of 69.4 points per game this season, which ranks second-worst among Big 12 schools. Three of the their five losses have been by double-digit deficits, the largest coming against No. 3 Kansas in a 90-66 loss at home on Jan. 16.
For the Frogs, it is imperative they clean up their own mistakes: turnovers and free throws. In Saturday’s loss to Iowa State, the Frogs committed an astonishing 27 turnovers, 23 of which were in the first half. It was the first time since December of 1999 that the Frogs had 27 turnovers. Sloppy, lazy play in the Big 12 will simply not cut it. Even against teams like Oklahoma State who is still looking for its first conference victory.
“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the problem. It’s hard to fathom… 27 turnovers make it hard [to win],” said head coach Jamie Dixon
“They pressured us, but it was mainly just us. We didn’t handle it well,” said TCU guard Trevian Tennyson.
If there is anything the Frogs should take from their loss to Cyclones it’s their performance in the second half. Only four turnovers in the second half, the Frogs played with more ball security, and moved the ball with more freedom and fluidity. TCU outscored Iowa State 46-29, and were more efficient in field goal and free throw percentage, matching them with 33.3% shooting from beyond the arc.
Another bright spot the Frogs should take into Tuesday’s matchup was their conversion rate from the free throw line. The Frogs shot 20-26 (76.9%) from the line, an improvement to what has plagued the team over the last several weeks.
It is a quick turnaround for TCU, who have just two days between games to prepare for the Cowboys. Tip off is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 6:00 p.m. CST from Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater and streaming on ESPN2.
