TCU Basketball vs Air Force: How to Watch, What to Watch For

TCU Basketball clearly has some things to work through in the early part of the season, but that’s why you load up the preseason schedule with winnable games. Especially when you have nine new faces filling out your roster.

Off to a 2-0 start, the Horned Frog hoopers have shown plenty of sizzle but will look to improve their rebounding and defensive effort when they welcome the Air Force Falcons to Shollmaier Arena this evening for an 8:00pm clash between a pair of two win teams (though the Falcons have an L on their resume as well). These two teams are straight up even in their all-time matchups, with both post 5-3 records on their home floor. But this is a very different TCU Basketball team than the last one Air Force has seen — a game the Falcons won 65-62 in Colorado Springs all the way back in 2012.

A team that shoots it well and rebounds better than average will be a good test for the work-in-progress Frogs; here’s how you can follow along if you can’t make it out to the game this evening.

Game Information:

Broadcast: FSSW+

Play-By-Play: Brian Estridge

Analyst: Colin Boddicker

Online: FOXSportsGo.com

Radio: KTCU 88.7 FM // SIRIUS XM 375

Play-By-Play: Jeff Williams

Analyst: John Denton

Online: HFTV // TuneIn

Series: Tied 8-8

In Fort Worth: TCU leads 5-3

In Colorado Springs: AF leads 5-3

Neutral: N/A

First Meeting: TCU won 114-87 (1/21/99) in FW

Last Meeting: AF won 65-62 (2/22/12) in Colo. Springs

Winning Streak: TCU W2

Dixon vs. AF: First meeting

Notables:

• For the first time since TCU’s last season in the Mountain West, the Horned Frogs will face Air Force on Monday at 8 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena.
• TCU is off to a 2-0 start for the seventh consecutive season, defeating its two opponents by an average of 27 points. The Frogs have been 3-0 in each of the last three seasons.
• TCU leads the nation with 14.0 3-pointers made per game. n Jamie Dixon is just two wins shy of 400 for his career. (see pg. 3) n Since the 2014-15 season, the Frogs have gone 34-3 in the month of November and 57-8 in November and December combined. Under Jamie Dixon (since 2016-17), TCU has gone 36-4 in November and December combined. Also, under Dixon, TCU has gone 48-9 in nonconference games.
• TCU’s two returning starters from last season, senior Desmond Bane and sophomore Kevin Samuel, have led the Frogs through two games. Bane has scored over 25 points in each of the first two games and Samual has recorded two double-doubles.
• Bane has earned multiple preseason honors. He was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, was one of 20 players nationally named to the watch list for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year award and was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 which is given to the best player in the nation.
• At 1,304 career points, Bane is 14th on TCU’s all-time scoring list. He is 14 points shy of Bingo Merriex (1,318, 2000-03) for 13th.

Last Time Out:

TCU made a school record 18 3-pointers to defeat Louisiana 98-65 on Tuesday at Schollmaier Arena. Bane made a career-best seven 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 25 points. Six Frogs scored in double-figures including sophomore RJ Nembhard, who scored a career-high 16 points. Freshman PJ Fuller scored 15 points and made two 3-pointers.

About the Opponent:

Air Force is 2-1 after a 69-57 win at Army on Tuesday. The Falcons return all five starters from a team that went 14-18 last season and finished sixth in the Mountain West. Senior forward Lavelle Scottie leads the team with 15.0 points and 7.7 rebounds. Like TCU, Air Force has 10 freshmen on its squad, the third-most of any team in the country.

Series History:

The all-time series is tied 8-8 with each team winning five games at home. The two programs played twice every year from the 2005-06 season until the 2011-12 season. During the 2006-07 season, TCU played Air Force twice when the Falcons were ranked in the top 25. On Feb. 24, 2007, TCU defeated No. 13-ranked Air Force, 71-66 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

Up Next:

TCU concludes its four-game homestand on Thursday when it hosts UC Irvine at 7 p.m. on FSSW Plus.