TCU Basketball vs Northwestern State: Preview and Gamethread

DEC. 3 | SCHOLLMAIER ARENA | FORT WORTH, TEXAS | 7 PM

(RV) TCU Horned Frogs (3-0)

HC: Jamie Dixon (TCU ‘87) | At TCU: 87-56 (5th) | Career: 415-179 (18th)

NORTHWESTERN STATE Demons (0-3)

HC: Mike McConathy (LA Tech ‘77) | At School: 310-339 (22nd) | Career: Same

GAME INFORMATION

Broadcast: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Play-By-Play: Brian Estridge

Analyst: Colin Boddicker

Online: WatchESPN.com // ESPN App

Radio: KLIF 570 AM | XM/Online: 381/971

Play-By-Play: Chris Blake

Analyst: John Denton

Online: HFTV // TuneIn

Series: TCU leads 5-0 | In Fort Worth: TCU leads 4-0 | In Natchitoches: - | Neutral: TCU leads 1-0 | First Meeting: TCU won 80-70 (12/27/62) in Shreveport | Last Meeting: TCU won 96-79 (12/21/10) in FW | Winning Streak: TCU W5 | Dixon vs. NSU: First Meeting

NOTES

- TCU will play four games in 10 days beginning with Thursday’s game against Northwestern State in Schollmaier Arena at 7 p.m. on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

- Schollmaier Arena’s normal capacity of 6,800 has been reduced to 1,600 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

- The Horned Frogs are 3-0 for the fifth-straight season.

- TCU received one vote in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. Five Big 12 Conference teams are ranked in the top 25.

- TCU ranks 10th nationally in scoring defense (54.0) and 17th in defensive efficiency (88.3).

- Freshman guard Mike Miles is the reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the week after averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists over his first three games.

- Jamie Dixon is five games away from No. 600 for his career and 13 wins away from his 100th win at TCU. In his five seasons at TCU, his teams have gone 43-7 in November and December combined.

- Junior guard RJ Nembhard and junior center Kevin Samuel are TCU’s two returning starters from last season. Samuel is four blocks from becoming TCU’s all-time leader in blocked shots. He would pass Vladimir Brodziansky and James Penny, who have 171.

- Nembhard and Samuel were both named to the Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team. Samuel was named MVP.

- TCU’s 11 underclassmen is the fourth most in the country and ties with Kansas State for the most in the Big 12 Conference. Among those underclassmen are sophomore guards Francisco Farabello and PJ Fuller, who started some games last season as true freshmen.

LAST TIME OUT

TCU won the 2020 Hall of Fame Classic Presented by ShotTracker Sunday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The Frogs used a balanced scoring effort to beat Liberty, 56-52. RJ Nembhard led TCU with 14 points and four assists, while Francisco Farabello, Kevin Samuel and Taryn Todd each scored eight points.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Northwestern State returns three starters from last season’s team, which went 15-15 overall, 11-9 in the Southland Conference and finished fourth. This season, the Demons (0-3) have been led in scoring by senior guard and Dallas native Jamaure Gregg at 14.3 points per game. Gregg joins Jarius Roberson (11.3) and Trenton Messner (10.0) in double figures. Freshman center Kendal Coleman leads the team with 9.0 rebounds per game. Mike McConathy is in his 22nd season as Northwestern State’s head coach. He’s led the Demons to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

SERIES HISTORY

TCU leads the all-time series 5-0. The Frogs have won all five games by 14 points or more. The last meeting came on Dec. 21, 2010, a 96-79 win. TCU is 59-9 all-time against teams from the Southland Conference. The Frogs defeated Southland member Houston Baptist, 69-45, in their season-opener.

UP NEXT

TCU opens Big 12 Conference play at home against Oklahoma (0-0) Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.