TCU Basketball Preview: Texas Longhorns (Part II)

Game Time: 7:00pm CDT | Location: Frank Erwin Center - Austin, TX
TV: Longhorn Network | Series: UT leads 108-62 | Game Line: UT -9.0

TCU's long streak of games against ranked opponents has finally come to an end. After six consecutive defeats against teams in the top 25, the Frogs will lineup tonight against a team without a number next to their name. The Texas Longhorns limp into tonight's game having lost four of their previous five contests. Since defeating TCU in late January, the Longhorns have fallen out of the top 25 and into 8^th place in the Big 12. Injuries and inconsistencies have turned a team that some believed could win the Big 12 Conference into a team that might not even finish in the top half of the conference.

With Javan Felix and Jonathan Holmes doubtful for tonight's game with concussions, the Frogs will have an opportunity to take advantage of a reeling Texas team and end a multitude of ominous streaks. TCU enters the contest on a season-long six game losing streak. The Frogs haven't defeated the Longhorns in 10 consecutive tries - the last win coming in the final season of the Southwest Conference. TCU has fared even worse in Austin. Coming into tonight's game, the Frogs have lost 12 consecutive games in the Capitol City - a streak dating back to February 18, 1987. To put that into perspective, none of the players on the current TCU roster were even born the last time a TCU team left Austin victorious. Trent Johnson was in his first season as a collegiate coach, as assistant coach at the University of Utah. A win tonight in Austin would certainly be significant.

In their most recent contest, the Frogs dropped a 68-56 contest to the 21^st-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in Fort Worth. After the loss, TCU dropped to 1-9 in Big 12 play and 14-9 overall. With a win tonight, TCU can jump out of last place in the Big 12. On the other side, Texas ended a four-game losing streak in their last outing, defeating Kansas State 61-57 in Manhattan. The Longhorns were without Felix and Holmes in that matchup as well. For Texas, the win improved their Big 12 record to 4-6 and their overall record to 15-8. The Longhorns are currently in sole possession of 8^th place in the Big 12.

In the first matchup, Texas' big men were able to control TCU's offense, especially in the paint. The Longhorns registered nine blocks and 33 defensive rebounds in the contest, holding TCU to just 24 points in the paint. For the Frogs to reverse their fortune tonight in Austin, they're going to have to manufacture ways to score against the Longhorns' tough defense.

Offensively, UT is led by sophomore guard Isaiah Taylor, who averages 14.5 points and 4.2 assists per game. Taylor matched a season high in points against Kansas State on Saturday, scoring 23 points on 60% shooting from the field. Freshman forward Miles Turner is having a breakout season, averaging 11.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The other two Longhorns who average in double figures in scoring are the two who are doubtful tonight with concussions - Jonathan Holmes and Javan Felix.

For the Frogs, Kyan Anderson sat out during most of the first contest with the Longhorns due to foul trouble, scoring just two points in 25 minutes of play. Anderson will need a solid performance tonight for the Frogs to keep pace with the Longhorns. In the first matchup, Kenrich Williams was the only Frog to score in double figures, so he and the rest of the TCU supporting cast must step up on the offensive end if the Frogs are to pull the upset tonight and end their long losing sreak in Austin.

Here are some other notes, provided by GoFrogs.com:

• TCU was receiving votes in last week's USA Today Coaches Poll. The last time TCU was receiving votes in February came during the 1998-99 campaign.
• TCU is 29-5 when leading at the half under head coach Trent Johnson.
• TCU has now held 27 opponents to 59 points or less under Trent Johnson.
• TCU has out-rebounded its opposition 15 times this season.
• TCU has already bettered its win total from a year ago and 2011-12.
• TCU played its sixth ranked opponent this past Saturday vs. No. 21 Oklahoma.
• Kyan Anderson is No. 9 all-time in scoring in program history with 1,485 points.
• Anderson now has 20 20-point games in his four-year career after scoring 22 at West Virginia.
• Anderson totaled his third-straight game of five or more assists vs. Oklahoma.
• Kenrich Williams has scored in double-figures in 12 of the 23 games this season.
• Trey Zeigler has led TCU in assists in six out of the last 12 games.