TCU Men’s, Women’s Basketball programs release schedules

In the midst of a disappointing football season, TCU fans have something to look forward to — the return of the Horned Frogs to the hardwood.

In press releases Monday, both the men’s and women’s programs released their schedules — semi-abbreviated ones due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Jamie Dixon and his new-look basketball team will open their season on Wednesday, November 25th, against Houston Baptist, the first of a 27 schedule and 14 home games.

Following Houston Baptist, TCU will play at the Hall of Fame Classic Powered by ShotTracker at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The Frogs will face Tulsa on Nov. 28 and either Northwestern or South Carolina on Nov. 29.

A three-game homestand includes Northwestern State on Dec. 3, Oklahoma on Dec. 6 and Providence on Dec. 9. The contest with the Sooners is one of two Big 12 games for TCU in December. It was determined earlier this year that all Big 12 teams will play two December conference games this season. The game with the Friars is the second-ever meeting between the two schools and the first since Nov. 10, 1998.

For one of the more exciting non-conference game in several years, TCU will host Texas A&M on Dec. 12 in a neutral site game at Dickies Arena. It will be the first meeting between the Horned Frogs and the Aggies since the two were members of the Southwest Conference and met at least twice every season from 1924-1996. Texas A&M leads the all-time series 88-76.

The Frogs will play at Oklahoma State on Dec. 16 before finishing the month at home with their first-ever meeting with North Dakota State on Dec. 22 and Texas Southern on Dec. 30.

Big 12 play resumes Jan. 2 at Kansas State before hosting Kansas on Jan. 5 and Baylor on Jan. 9. The month of January continues with games at Oklahoma on Jan. 12, at West Virginia on Jan. 16, home against Kansas on Jan. 26 and at Missouri for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30.

February starts with a home game against Oklahoma State on the third. TCU will play at Baylor on Feb. 6, host Iowa State on Feb. 9, visit Texas on Feb. 13 and Texas Tech on Feb. 17. The Frogs finish the season with home games against Kansas State on Feb. 20 and West Virginia on Feb. 22, before playing at Iowa State on Feb. 27. The following week is left open for possible makeup games.

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship will take place as normal, March 10-13 at T-Mobile Center (formerly the Sprint Center) in Kansas City, Mo. The Frogs will be led by juniors RJ Nembhard and Kevin Samuel, and return key pieces in PJ Fuller, Francisco Farabello, and Diante Smith. Freshman Mike Miles and transfers Ed O’Bannon, Jr and Kevin Easley, Jr should also play big roles.

On the women’s side, Raegan Pebley’s team — fresh off of a second place finish in the conference and robbed of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010 by the pandemic — will be part of a double-header with the men, hosting Incarnate Word in the season-opener on Wednesday, Nov. 25

“We are getting to play basketball,” Pebley said. “What a blessing and awesome opportunity for our team. Each and every opportunity we have to put on a uniform, whether it be our road purples or our home whites, is one that we will not take for granted. This team is driven, focused, committed and pursuing our best, and are ready to attack it with heart, hustle and with each other.”

The Horned Frogs will host five non-conference contests and the team is still scheduled to take on Missouri on the road as part of the 2020 SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Sandwiched in-between its six non-conference scheduled games, TCU will also mix in a pair of Big 12 Conference games, with the league announcing that all 10 schools will play a pair of conference games during the month of December.

The Horned Frogs will remain at home and close out the week hosting Central Arkansas on Saturday, Nov. 28.

The following week, TCU will open up Big 12 play hosting Iowa State in the conference-opener on Wednesday, Dec. 2. That weekend will find TCU heading to Colombia, Mo., to take on the Missouri Tigers in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Sunday, Dec. 6.

TCU is 3-1 overall in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, which includes three straight wins over SEC foes. This will be TCU’s first SEC/Big 12 Challenge road contest since defeating Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., back in 2018. TCU and Missouri will face off against each other for the first time since 1990.

TCU returns home to face Lamar on Wednesday, Dec. 9, and will take on Middle Tennessee in a home contest that following Sunday, Dec. 13. The Horned Frogs will then hit the road for Big 12 play, heading to Lubbock on Saturday, Dec. 19, to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Following its brief trip to Lubbock, TCU returns home to close out the non-conference schedule, taking on Oral Roberts on Tuesday, Dec. 22. This will mark the 10th meeting between TCU and ORU, but the first since 2017.

The Horned Frogs will break for the holidays following its match-up with ORU and will then return to the Court on Jan. 2, to host Baylor in Big 12 play. The following week the Horned Frogs host Oklahoma State (Jan. 6) and then hit the road for Norman, Okla., to take on Oklahoma (Jan. 9).

TCU then takes on both Kansas schools the following week, heading to Kansas State on Jan. 14, then returning home to host Kansas on Jan. 17. The Horned Frogs will then head to Austin to face Texas on Jan. 20, before closing out the week against the Red Raiders on Jan. 23.

The Horned Frogs wrap-up the month of January with a road game against the Bears on Jan. 26, and then host West Virginia on Jan. 30. TCU opens the February slate with three of four games coming on the road. The team will go to OSU (Feb. 3) and Kansas (Feb. 6), before returning home to host the Wildcats (Feb. 10). TCU will then return to the road to face the Cyclones on Feb. 13.

TCU will close out Big 12 play hosting two of its final three games, taking on the Longhorns on Feb. 17, hitting the road for West Virginia (Feb. 20) and then wrapping up the schedule hosting the Sooners (Feb. 24).

Both the men’s and women’s programs have high hopes in 2020-2021 — and the women expect to compete for a title. Picked to finish 9th in the league (which is ridiculous), the Frogs are led by all-conferece selection Lauren Heard, and should be able to count on a handful of talented returners and some high-impact transfers to compete once again for a Big 12 title.

For full schedule information as well as information of ticketing and COVID procedures for the season, check out www.gofrogs.com.