The Feel Good Loss of the Season?: OU 77, TCU 69

A frustrating and close loss for the Frogs, who had the game tied with as little as 3:30 left in the game, but there are several positives to take from the loss that should have frog fans feeling better about the season going forward.  Let's check the keys to the game to see how the Frogs managed to stay in this one against a very talented OU team.

1. Penetrate early and often- A big check on this one as the Frogs drove often and outscored OU in the paint- very impressive performances by Kyan Anderson and Karviar Shepherd.

2. Keep it tight early- Another check, as TCU stayed tight with OU throughout the night, never trailing by more than ten and answering every OU run to keep the game at about a 4 point margin for almost the entirety of the night.

3. Don't get killed on the boards- The Frogs actually got more offensive rebounds than Oklahoma, thanks to Shepherd's relentless effort, and the Sooners outrebounded the Frogs overall by 7.  Not a great margin, but an acceptable one given our size issues.

4. Make a three pointer now and then- The Frogs went 5-16 from deep, much improved from the Tech game, but still a ways off where we need to be if we're going to steal games on the road.  Amric Fields just barely missed that 16th three pointer, and it turned into an end of shot clock three point miracle for the Sooner's Ryan Spangler- those six points turned a nail biting last minute for OU into a breathable margin of victory.

So three of the four keys got at least a partial check, which is enough for the Frogs to hang tight all night, but not quite enough to take the lead on OU tonight.  You know what?  On the road, against a top 25 outfit, that's okay.  The Frogs gave absolutely relentless effort on both ends of the floor and the guys clearly believed that they could win all night.  That kind of enthusiasm tends to be infectious, and I expect the crowd will be into it in a big way as Kansas comes to town later this week- KU is going to be feeling good about themselves, and the end score of this game isn't close enough to make them think that they're in for another fight.  TCU will be underestimated, and good things can happen when that happens.

Frog of the Game: Kyan Anderson scored 23 points, had four assists and three steals, narrowly edging out another great performance by Karviar Shepherd, who picked up a double double and caused three offensive fouls.

Definitely not Frog of the Game: Brandon Parrish missed two free throws late that would have kept it a one score game, Hudson Price went 0-2 and had two costly turnovers and Michael Williams overcame a nice start to finish with two points and four turnovers.  I'm giving it to Williams this time, despite liking his penetration.

The Frogs seem to play better each game, so I fully expect that the Frogs will win more than two conference games this year.  Kansas is up next, let's make some magic.  Go Frogs.