TCU News: Frogs Tip-Off Against Iowa Today

Basketball:

PRE-GAME FRANALYSIS, NIT EDITION: IOWA VS. TCU | Go Iowa Awesome

Outstanding, in-depth analysis of TCU here, for a game that appears to be incredibly evenly matched on paper.

TCU was initially a 55% favorite when this game was first announced, but Kenpom has since switched to giving Iowa a 52% chance to win at home.

On paper, TCU doesn't appear to have many quality wins this season, and Kenpom certainly has them ranked so highly because the Big 12 is rated the best conference college basketball this year. However, there are a couple of reasons why Jamie Dixon's team worries me. They seem to do a very good job of controlling the tempo and limiting transition possessions for their opponents. That, and the fact that they limit three-point attempts and block shots inside without fouling is cause for concern for Iowa's offense.

TCU plans to lean on defense to extend NIT run against Iowa | The Star-Telegram

The opportunity ahead of them isn’t lost of the Frogs, especially the seniors. But if they want one more chance to play on their home floor, the Frogs know they have to get it done on the defensive end.

“When we saw we got the No. 4 seed, we thought we’d only get one home game,” Parrish said. “But now that we’ve seen how the bracket’s played out, we see that we have another opportunity to play in front of our home crowd. And for our seniors to be able to go out in front of our home crowd in an NIT regional final, that would be huge for us.

“To have arguably the biggest game of our career on our home floor, for the right to go to Madison Square Garden, we’d love our chances at home.”

TCU program experiencing a revival under Dixon | QC Times

The Hawkeyes have a lot of respect for a TCU team that might be peaking at just the right time.

But they showed what they are capable of doing against Kansas, which is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

“Obviously, they’re a very capable team,’’ said Iowa freshman forward Tyler Cook, who said he watched that game on TV. “We know they’re good. Every team in this tournament is good. We have to be prepared for a dogfight.’’

Points in Transition: Iowa vs. TCU NIT preview | The Gazette

After watching the Frogs struggle to score so often this season, it’s refreshing to see outsiders call the offense efficient. Maybe the Big 12 was just that tough after all?

Playing in the Big 12 kind of requires an efficient offense, and the guards TCU rolls out have done a good job attacking on offense and spreading the ball around to find high-quality shots against some of the best teams in the country. TCU sits in the top 50 in Adjusted Offense at 1.126 points per possession, and shoots a 52.3 percent effective field goal percentage. The Horned Frogs also rank 49th in offensive rebounding percentage at 33.6.

While the TCU offense is aggressive in finding a shot, it’s a purposeful aggression. They many times will wait deep into the shot clock for a good look, and are one of the slower-tempo teams in their league.

Baseball:

TCU’s Janczak throws eight hitless innings in win against Kansas | The Star-Telegram

It was pretty special to watch JJ dominate the way he did Saturday night at home - and he seemed to enjoy it as well.

“I said, ‘Man, I’m so proud of you,” Schlossnagle said of his visit with Janczak on the mound. “Appreciate your effort. Go and enjoy the crowd.”

That Janczak did.

“It was great being back in Lupton,” he said. “That was the biggest thing for me. I was tired of being on the road for two weeks. It was good to come back here and play in front of our crowd and having a good time.”

Jayhawks’ late rally falls short at No. 3 TCU | KU Athletics

Jayhawks must want to get swept, if they are out here comparing what JJ did to a Baylor performance (insert eye roll here).

Kansas (8-10, 0-2 Big 12) didn't register a single baserunner until the eighth inning of the contest on a TCU (15-4, 2-0 Big 12) fielding error in the top half of the frame. Until that time, Janczak (5-0) boasted perfection en route to striking out 14 Jayhawk hitters. "Janczak was special tonight, there is no doubt about it," head coach Ritch Price said. "I think the last time I saw a performance like that was my first year at Kansas when we faced a really good Baylor rotation."

Football:

TCU a top school for 2019 OT | CBS Sports

The Frogs are in early on a promising young offensive line prospect.

“I really like TCU; it’s a very possible option for me,” he said. “I’ve had family go there and it’s not far from home. I like the coaches; Coach Thomsen is there now and I like Coach Cumbie a lot; I talk to him weekly. I really like his personality and centers everything around his family; that’s big to me.”