TCU won Wednesday night in the Big 12 tournament with what has now become its customary seven-man rotation.
The reward is a game Thursday.
It’s against one of the co-champions of the league, Kansas State, which rolled the Horned Frogs in two regular-season meetings, one with TCU missing Kouat Noi.
It made Jamie Dixon break off a little wry humor in the postgame news conference at the Sprint Center.
“Kouat didn’t play in the one game at their place,” the TCU coach told reporters. “We had six guys. This time we’ll bring out all seven.”
LOL, right?
“All seven” is shorthand for TCU basketball this year. The Frogs have been down to that number for the past five games, since redshirt freshman forward Lat Mayen was ruled out for the season on Feb. 16 with knee troubles and freshman center Russell Barlow became sidelined at the same time by his own knee issues, plus a brief hospitalization for an illness.
Long before that, the Frogs lost three other players to season-ending injuries and a fourth opted to transfer between semesters.
So that’s how they became the “all seven” — starters Alex Robinson, Desmond Bane, JD Miller, Kevin Samuel and Noi and reserves JR Nembhard and Kendric Davis. Beyond that, a walk-on and a former walk-on, Owen Aschieris, who earned his scholly in a nicely publicized video in January but who has played in only nine games for 18 minutes.
So that’s it.
All seven. Who, for two games now, have been a magnificent seven — in stretches — in winning at Texas in the regular-season finale and now against Oklahoma State in the opener of the conference tournament.
They rode out to big leads in both games, powered by their best defense of the season and by Noi’s and Bane’s offfensive prowess. Last weekend in Austin, the Frogs cruised.
But against OSU on Wednesday night, a 21-point lead disappeared. Victory required a 3-point shot from the corner by Bane with 16 seconds left for a 71-70 lead, pushed to the final margin of 73-70 by a couple of free throws from Robinson.
Bane has been clutch. His 34 points against Texas reinvigorated the Frogs. Against OSU, it was 15 points and a career-high four steals, including the final desperation pass.
Noi had 20 points, matching the TCU record for a game at the Big 12 tournament, also done by Vladimir Brodziansky against Oklahoma two years ago and Trey Zeigler against Kansas four years ago.
Robinson had eight assists, including the pass to Bane for his game-winner, and six rebounds, his most since a January game against Florida.
“I think we’ve done some things better defensively in these last seven, eight days,” Dixon said. “Maybe from this, this’ll be that last lesson we finally learn. We’ve got to finish and sustain and be disciplined in what we’re doing.”
It’s vexed the Frogs all year, this finishing and sustaining business.
But for the past two games, they have maximized their opportunity. Dixon gives them credit. All seven of his players have upped their game. Samuel, for example, is averaging 13 points and seven rebounds the past three contests. Against OSU, he missed a double-double by a rebound.
By most accounts, the Frogs have played their way into the NCAA Tournament. It would mean the first back-to-back trips for TCU in more than five decades.
But that’s next week.
Thursday, it’s a Big 12 quarterfinal against a team missing its best player because of injury.
You don’t say.
“It’s an opportunity to play against a team that won our league, beat us twice,” Dixon said. “We’re looking at it as a great opportunity.”
Well, they should be. They earned it. All seven.
Thursday’s schedule
Game 3: No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 5 Iowa State | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
Game 4: No. 1 Kansas State vs. No. 8 TCU | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
Game 5: No. 2 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 West Virginia | 6 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
Game 6: No. 3 Kansas vs. No. 6 Texas | 8 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
