FORT WORTH – TCU’s limp to the finish line of the regular season became more pronounced on Monday night.
In fact, the Horned Frogs’ college basketball season is more and more resembling that killer semester that you’re just trying to survive, to get through, with something passable.
The Frogs lost for the seventh time in their last 10 games, including three straight, after a 64-52 loss to No. 18 Kansas State at Schollmaier Arena that put a damper on the team’s Senior Night honoring JD Miller and Alex Robinson.
TCU (18-12 overall) must win in the regular-season finale at Texas to get to 7-10 in the Big 12 and might need a victory — perhaps two — in next week’s Big 12 tournament to secure a second straight NCAA Tournament berth.
“We got to go win at Texas,” a disappointed Frogs coach Jamie Dixon said. “And see what happens.
“Got to figure out how to get better by Saturday.”
Desperate for a good outcome, the Frogs instead lost while being outrebounded and outshot, and again turning the ball over too many times, particularly in crucial moments.
TCU tied the game at 23 at the 4:47 mark of the first half, but was then outscored 28-7 between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second.
Down by as many as 21, the Frogs got the game back to a manageable seven points in the second half but could get no closer, unable to get the extra stop or another bucket.
In the past two games, the Frogs have faced the two best defensive teams in the league, and it showed.
TCU’s 52 points were its lowest output on the season.
The Wildcats took out the Frogs’ top scorers, holding Desmond Bane to seven points and completely shutting out Kouat Noi, who was held to zero.
Noi never got into a rhythm after picking up two quick fouls. However, that wasn’t the only issue. Kansas State never gave him a good look, contesting just about every one of four shots, a total matching his season low.
Noi is not shy. He entered the game averaging 12 shots a game.
Kansas State was in his grill, as the saying goes.
“I don’t think he got a lot of good looks,” Dixon said. “They are a very good defensive team. They’re very good.”
Miller was limited to two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
With K-State dogging TCU’s shooters, redshirt freshman Kevin Samuel saw more opportunities inside, which he took advantage of. Samuel was one of the few bright spots, scoring a career-high 17 points, marking the first time he has led the team in scoring.
R.J. Nembhard had 12, scoring eight straight for TCU when his team most needed it at the start of the second half when the Frogs couldn’t find a basket.
Simply put, as Dixon noted, the Frogs haven’t played anywhere near a good enough standard to beat the Big 12’s best teams.
TCU has two losses each to the top third of the league, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech.
“There’s a lot of teams in the [NCAA] tournament that aren’t going to beat those teams,” said Dixon, warming up his pitch for inclusion in the postseason tournament that counts most.
Where TCU stands after Monday night is hard to tell.
NCAA Tournament limbo is probably an accurate assessment of the Frogs’ status.
As of Monday morning, the Frogs were included in all but four of the 110 projections of bracketologists followed by Bracketmatrix.com.
Losing seven of 10 fails the optics test, however, as does a losing record in the conference. Losses to Oklahoma State and West Virginia, granted, while on the road, aren’t good losses, though Dixon disputes that.
“We have a situation [in the Big 12] where you’re going to beat each other up and teams are going to get losses,” Dixon said. “The only problem we’ll fight is our league record. They talk about scheduling in the non-conference, but if your league is way better and your teams are beating everybody in the non-conference, what does it matter what your league record is? Plus, everybody has these unbalanced schedules and we’re playing everybody twice.
“Put some other teams in this conference and see how they end up.”
Beefing up his non-conference schedule couldn’t hurt making you better for the conference. Texas with a non-conference schedule that included North Carolina, Michigan State and Purdue is better prepared for a game it also needs to win on Saturday.
That’s another subject for another day.
Many believe the Big 12 could send as many as eight to the NCAA Tournament, relying on the fact that eight of the conference’s schools are in the top 48 of the NET. If that turns out to be true, the Frogs will be in.
The conference isn’t as good as last year when seven made it. Perhaps only senior-laden Kansas State is better than its Elite Eight team a year ago. Texas Tech is a good team, but last year’s senior-heavy squad was better.
Dorothy, Kansas this year is not Kansas. A Kansas loss in either of its final two games, at Oklahoma on Tuesday and at home against Baylor; or a Kansas State victory or a Texas Tech victory on Saturday would end the Jayhawks’ run of 14 consecutive Big 12 titles.
The Frogs certainly are not as good as the team that went to the NCAAs a year ago. That tends to happen when you lose two of the better players in the nation to graduation and try to replace them with guys who haven’t played much, while also dealing with injuries and other setbacks this year. On Monday, TCU only had seven players who started the season on scholarship available.
However, it’s all only relative to the current season, and that’s where TCU’s opportunity rests.
Though on a cliff trying to hang on, the Frogs remain in the NCAA conversation because this season’s NCAA Tournament outlook is not typical.
Going to Austin on Saturday isn’t ideal, but a winnable first-round game in the Big 12 tournament is approaching.
It is what it is. The Frogs, who can’t practice live because of a lack of players, have a few more chances to polish up their credentials and make a case.
It has become the team’s new mantra: “Got to figure out how to get better by (fill in the blank with a day of the week).”
It’s also never been more true.
Senior Night marks the beginning of the end of the season, but TCU has still got lots of work to do.
