TCU Basketball vs Southwestern: Let’s Rock and Roll

Jamie Dixon is still a Frog.

So are Desmond Bane, Kevin Samuel, and RJ Nembhard.

While those might be the biggest constants from a year ago, they are the ones that matter the most — as long as TCU Basketball can roll out a lineup that features their biggest star and is directed by a brilliant coach, there’s plenty of reason for hope heading into the 2019-2020 campaign.

Let’s take a look at what is ahead for the Horned Frogs.

GAME INFORMATION:

Broadcast: FSSW

Play-By-Play: Brian Estridge

Analyst: Colin Boddicker

Online: FOXSportsGo.com

Radio: AM 570 KLIF // KTCU 88.7 FM

Play-By-Play: Jeff Williams

Analyst: John Denton

Online: HFTV // TuneIn

Series: TCU leads 3-2

NOTES:

• TCU will begin its 109th season of men’s basketball when it hosts Southwestern University Thursday at 7 p.m.
• The Frogs are 71-37 (.657) all-time in season openers and have won five straight. TCU has won its last 11 home openers. Jamie Dixon is 16-0 all-time in season openers.
• Jamie Dixon, who is just four wins shy of 400 for his career, begins his fourth season as TCU’s head coach. He has an overall record of 396-164 and a record of 68-41 at TCU.
• Senior Desmond Bane and sophomore Kevin Samuel are the two returning starters for TCU. The Frogs return just five players who saw minutes last season (Owen Ashieris, Russell Barlow and RJ Nembhard are the others) and welcome 15 newcomers, nine of which are on scholarship. Transfers Kevin Easley (Chattanooga) and Jaedon LeDee (Ohio State) are not yet eligible to play.
• 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 1,253 career points, Bane is 15th on TCU’s all-time scoring list. He is 18 points shy of Malcolm Johnson (1,272, 1997-98) for 14th.
• Since the 2014-15 season, the Frogs have gone 32-3 in the month of November and 55-8 in November and December combined. Under Jamie Dixon (since 2016-17), TCU has gone 34-4 in November and December combined. Also, under Dixon, TCU has gone 46-9 in nonconference games.
• Jamie Dixon will celebrate his 54th birthday on Sunday, Nov. 10.

LAST TIME OUT

TCU finished last season 23-14 overall and 7-11 in the Big 12, which tied for seventh place. The Frogs ended their season in the NIT semifinals with a loss to Texas.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Southwestern went 14-12 last season, 11-5 in the SCAC to win the conference title. The Pirates have seven seniors including 2018-19 SCAC Player of the Year Brandon Alexander, who averaged 18.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. As an NCAA Division III team, the game will be an exhibition for Southwestern.

SERIES HISTORY

TCU leads the all-time series 3-2 with a 1-1 record against Southwestern in Fort Worth. All five meetings have had a point differential of three points or less (full series scores on pg. 4). The last meeting was an 82-81 overtime win by the Frogs in Fort Worth. In that game on Nov. 29, 1983, Jamie Dixon scored his first collegiate points. He was 1-for-1 from the field for two points to go with two rebounds. Carven Holcombe led everyone in that game with 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field.

UP NEXT

TCU continues its four-game homestand to open up the season on Tuesday when it hosts Louisiana at 7 p.m. on FSSW.