Game Preview: TCU vs. West Virginia

TV/Time: Big 12 Network (TXA21 in DFW)/February 9, 3:00 p.m.

We're about 24 hours away from TCU's first basketball game of the new era.

A new era where there's actually a chance we could win.

This is where I should gently remind you, that on Wednesday night, TCU BEAT KANSAS.

It was easily the greatest game ever played by a TCU team, and as all eleven students streamed onto the court, tears streamed down my face. Ok, that second bitis an exaggeration. I have still only sports cried three times in my life.

1)TCU winning the Rose Bowl

2) Rangers clinching their first AL Pennant

3) Mavs winning the championship

The fourth and fifth sports cries are reserved for football and basketball national championships. I expect both to happen before 2015.

Now, I fully understand that Kansas had just as much to do with the outcome of Wednesday's game as TCU did, but how can I, as a TCU fan, be expected to think anything less than, "well, at least we know we can win. And if we can beat Kansas, we should, logically, be able to beat other teams in the Big 12."

AMIRIGHT?

So, here we go.

WHAT A GLORIOUS TIME IT IS. Daniel Meyer Coliseum, aka, Hell on Earth for opposing teams, will be full once again, with screaming, rabid, slightly confused fans.

West Virginia absolutely tore apart TCU in their first meeting this year, winning by 21 up in Morgantown.

Revenge will be squarely front of mind for Trent Johnson and Co. and if they're still riding the wave of confidence Wednesday supplied, I think they have a fighting chance.

However, they cannot expect West Virginia to shoot under 30% from the floor, as Kansas did. Frankly, we can safely say that probably won't happen again for the rest of the season.

What TCU can do, is play the same style of ferocious, in-your-face defense that made life difficult all game for some great Jayhawk shooters.

West Virginia is looking to extend their winning streak to three games, as they work to get to .500 in conference play. TCU is looking to generate a winning streak and keep their fingers crossed that Tech and UT both lose their next matchups, so TCU won't be alone in last place in the conference.

In the first game, Eron Harris absolutely killed the Frogs, scoring 19 points on 5-6 shooting and going 7-10 from the free throw line.

Ideally, it would be good to slow him down, but the real threats still remain down low. Aaric Murray and Deniz Kilicli are both inconsistent players, but when they're on they're hard to stop. TCU needs another great game from both Adrick McKinney and Devonta Abron to shut these guys down and wreck on the boards.

I fully expect a much closer game this time around, now that the Frogs seem to have TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY TAKEN THE CONFERENCE BY STORM.

But seriously, Frogs win a close one.

Rah Rah TCU.