FORT WORTH — Whatever TCU lacked on the court this season that ultimately led to an NCAA Tournament snub, the Horned Frogs showed their best attribute on Wednesday night, climbing over their biggest barrier of the obstacle course that has been this season.
Doubt, disappointment and discouragement could have torpedoed TCU even before the start of the National Invitation Tournament, and the Frogs definitely confronted all three in the aftermath of their non-selection Sunday.
The Frogs had a choice to make: Pack it in or play on and make the best of the circumstances.
TCU did more than merely move on. The No. 1-seeded Frogs, clearly driven by grievance, showed some heart and gumption by moving forward, shaking off the bad mojo like a wet dog does water and replacing the Triple D downers with the motivation of something to prove to the NCAA selection committee.
You can’t grumble if you don’t plan to do something about it.
TCU (21-13) is bent on showing the selection committee what it can do with its decision, despite getting off to a sluggish start in a first-round game against No. 8-seed Sam Houston State at Schollmaier Arena. But a 15-2 run late in the first half turned the game in the Frogs’ favor in an 82-69 victory over the Bearkats, the Southland Conference’s regular-season champions, whose season ended at 21-12.
“There was a lot of disappointment,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “How were they going to handle it? I thought they were terrific. We had a great practice on Monday and a great practice on Tuesday.
“I was very encouraged, surprised almost to a degree, with how they responded. It’s hard. You think you’re getting to the tournament, and then you don’t. It’s hard to battle. This team came out ready. I’m proud of how our guys played.”
Six TCU players scored in double figures, led by JD Miller’s 15 points. Desmond Bane and Alex Robinson each had 13, redshirt freshmen RJ Nembhard had 12 and Kevin Samuel 11, and true freshman Kendric Davis had 10.
“The first practice [on Sunday evening] was really difficult,” said Robinson, who also had 11 assists in setting the TCU single-season record. “We felt pretty defeated, but we talked amongst each other. We know this is important, that this is big and to prove that we should be in the [NCAA] tournament.
“Our goal is to win the whole thing.”
The Frogs didn’t get a lead until 55 seconds left in the first half on Nembhard’s layup transition basket. They went into halftime up four as Bane hit a 3-pointer as the final seconds ticked off.
It was an imperfect game, they all are, but the Frogs again struggled from the free throw line, a season-long frustration, hitting only 12-of-28. They still need to fix that.
They also shot a sickly 6 for 22 from the 3-point line.
The NIT 3-point line is moved back from 20 feet, 6 inches to 22 feet and 1 3/4 inches, the distance of the international 3-ball.
That could have caused the difference in 3-point shooting. Sam Houston shot 6 for 21 in a non-sharp shooting affair.
On the other hand, the free throw line wasn’t moved, Dixon noted.
As well as something to prove, the NIT is a good opportunity for a team that needs more games for its young guys. Rather than a likely one-and-done in the NCAAs, the Frogs can reasonably expect more games in March.
There is nothing like the experience of the NCAA Tournament, but more game experience against quality competition, which the NIT delivers, is of consequence.
Davis, Nembhard and Samuel are all young players who have shown marked growth in the last month of the season.
TCU, with a size advantage, again looked more for Samuel in the block and he responded by shooting 5 for 7 on field-goal attempts, again displaying a capable left-handed hook, and six rebounds. The Frogs outscored Sam Houston 50-28 in the paint.
Nembhard’s defense earned his coach’s praise.
Next on TCU’s road to vindication is Nebraska. The Cornhuskers will come to Fort Worth after defeating Butler on Wednesday. The Frogs and Nebraska will tip off at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Schollmaier.
The objective is the NIT final four in New York’s Madison Square Garden on April 2. TCU has been there before. To get there a second time in three years, TCU needs two more victories in the 32-team tournament.
To make sure the Frogs were in the right frame of mind, on Monday afternoon TCU coaches showed the team the triumph video from the Frogs’ NIT championship run in 2017.
Watching the video made for an emotional moment, Dixon said. It illustrated how important winning the tournament was.
“I think it was good for us,” Dixon said.
There is still so much to play for.
“We’re going to get ready and go play,” Dixon said. “We get to play. You come to college to play games. We’re going to play against a Big Ten team. What a great opportunity. We’re going to enjoy it and relish it, and not let another’s decision affect that.”
(Photo: TCU Athletics)
