Would he have believed it possible?
“Before the year started, probably not,” he said.
But this isn’t the start of the year.
A lot has changed. Four players are out the door, lost to transfer or injury or both.
The Horned Frogs are a different team, built around defense and rebounding, and they are winning that way. Saturday’s 55-50 victory against Florida in the Big 12/SEC Challenge was only the latest example. Wednesday night’s 65-61 Big 12 victory against Texas was built on the same blueprint.
In their last three games, TCU has averaged 58.3 points and is 2-1.
“We said this is the team that we were going to become with our change in personnel and our putting different guys in,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “You can see we’re longer, more athletic. So it’s helped defensively. … We’ve become that team, a defensive-minded team and long and athletic.”
The Frogs (15-4) won the rebounding battle against Florida 45-33. Against Texas, it was 42-33.
The Frogs held Florida’s long-distance aces to 8-for-27 shooting. Texas managed 9-for-26.
“That’ll help us a lot down the stretch, just being able to win ugly. That’s a thing we’ve struggled to do in the past,” said Bane, who scored 17 points in both games this week, with seven rebounds in one and six in the other. “We’ve done it a couple of times now. That’s huge for us and our program.”
TCU led big early — 27-11 on Bane’s 3-pointer with 3:52 left in the first half — then gave away the lead when Florida tied it 36-36 at 12:23 of the second half.
Why? Turnovers. Little offense.
It’s a consequence of playing bigger.
“We’re playing bigger, and sometimes — not sometimes, 99 percent of the time — that’s going to help you defensively but may take away some things offensively,” Dixon said. “We also had some guys playing in different spots, and the adjustment has hurt us some, and I think it’s just something we’re going to have to get through here.”
In the final four minutes, clinging to a 51-47 lead, TCU called on its newfound identity as a defensive team.
Neither team scored until Bane hit free throws with 22 seconds left. He put in two more with three seconds left for the final margin.
“It’s been an emphasis all throughout the year — we’re going to have to win some games defensively,” he said. “You only hope to make every shot. It’s not always going to fall. But if your defense is consistent, you’ll be able to win games even if your shot’s not falling.”
The 50 points allowed was the fewest in Dixon’s three seasons at TCU. It was the fewest allowed by the Frogs since a 75-47 victory against Delaware State on Dec. 28, 2015. It was the fewest scored by TCU in a win since 53-49 at Bradley on Dec. 23, 2015.
It may take getting used to, this idea of defense and rebounding. But it’s here to stay. The Frogs are packing it up and taking it to Texas Tech on Monday night and Baylor on Saturday night as the league race resumes.
“It’s a little bit higher turnover group,” Dixon said. “Something I’m not surprised by except I’m fighting it every day. We’ve got to take care of the basketball. You can’t go on the road and turn it over. But at least with the defense and rebounding, it travels. Rebounding and defense travel. It plays well on the road.”
Plays well at home, too.
