TCU Basketball vs Texas: Preview

Kevin Samuel has had a very good week. Over TCU Basketball’s last two games, the sophomore center has dominated, including a pair of career high’s that went for naught against Arkansas — 24 points and 18 rebounds. The Horned Frogs will need their big man to come up big once again Wednesday night when the Longhorns come to town, as this is definitely a contest that falls in the “must win” category.

JAN. 29 | SCHOLLMAIER ARENA (6,800) | FORT WORTH, TEXAS | 7 PM

GAME INFORMATION

Broadcast: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Play-By-Play: Ted Emrich

Analyst: Fran Fraschilla

Online: ESPN+ // ESPN App

Radio: KTCU 88.7 FM // KVIL 103.7 FM XM 390 - (980 online)

Play-By-Play: Brian Estridge

Analyst: John Denton

Online: HFTV // TuneIn

Series: Texas leads 111-69

In Fort Worth: TCU leads 46-39

In Austin: UT leads 66-21

Neutral: UT leads 6-2

First Meeting: UT won 53-27 (1914-15) in Austin

Last Meeting: UT won 58-44 (4/2/19) in New York

Winning Streak: UT, 1

Dixon vs. UT: 6-3 (5-2 at TCU)

NOTES

• TCU (13-6, 4-2) will host Texas (12-7, 2-4) Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
• TCU’s 4-2 Big 12 record is its best ever through six games. It’s the best since TCU started 4-2 in the Mountain West Conference in 2009.
• TCU has won 14 of its last 19 Big 12 home games and is 3-0 this season after going 5-4 last season. TCU is 18-12 in Big 12 home games overall under Jamie Dixon.
• TCU leads the Big 12 in 3-pointers made per game (9.4) and blocks per game (4.7) and ranks second in 3-point percentage (35.5) and assists/turnover ratio (1.17) and third in assists (16.1).
• TCU ranks in the top 40 nationally in assists (30th, 15.8), 3-point field goals made (35th, 9.3) and scoring defense (40th, 63.1).
• TCU has two returning starters from last season, senior Desmond Bane and sophomore Kevin Samuel. Bane, who earned multiple preseason honors, ranks high in the conference in several categories including second in scoring average at 16.7 points per game. He’s eighth in assists (3.5) and 10th in rebounds (6.4), the only player in the Big 12 who ranks in the top 10 in those three categories.
• Bane leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (44.6) and 3-point field goals made (2.8).
• Samuel is shooting 66.7 percent from the field, which ranks seventh in the NCAA. His 9.0 rebounds per game ranks fifth in the Big 12. Samuel has recorded back-to-back double-doubles to increase his season total to 10, which leads the Big 12 and ranks 15th nationally. He’s averaging 17.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the last two games.
• At 1,570 career points, Bane is seventh on TCU’s all-time scoring list. Next on the list is Kyan Anderson at 1,624 points.
• At 126 career blocked shots, Samuel is sixth on TCU’s all-time list. Reggie Smith is next on the chart with 133.

LAST TIME OUT

Kevin Samuel’s career highs in points and rebounds were not enough as TCU fell at Arkansas 78-67 Saturday in front of a capacity crowd of 19,200 at Bud Walton Arena in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Samuel finished with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting and had 18 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. The 18 rebounds were the most by a TCU player since Kenrich Williams’ 18 vs. UNLV on Nov. 25, 2016.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Texas is 12-7 overall, 2-4 in the Big 12 Conference, and is coming off a 69-67 loss to LSU. The Longhorns are led in scoring by junior guard Matt Coleman III at 12.4 points per game and in rebounding by junior forward Jericho Sims’ 7.7 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY

It’s the 181st meeting between Texas and TCU. Under Jamie Dixon, TCU has won five of the seven meetings against Texas. Last season, TCU swept the regular season series over Texas for the first time since the 1987 season. However, the Longhorns defeated the Frogs 58-44 on April 2, 2019 in the semifinals of the NIT in New York City.

UP NEXT

TCU will play at No. 1 Baylor on Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2. The Frogs are 1-6 all-time against No. 1 teams, but 1-0 under Dixon, which was an 85-82 win over No. 1 Kansas on March 9, 2017 in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships.