Game Thread: #14 TCU Basketball vs. Lamar

The TCU Horned Frogs Men’s Basketball team is back in Schollmaier Arena Friday night against the Lamar Cardinals. TCU opened its season on Monday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and promptly fell into a 20-point deficit as the Golden Lions could not miss from long range. The Frogs eventually clawed back and survived a buzzer-beater attempt to escape with a 73-72 win. Read up on the Lamar Cardinals in our Opponent Preview and join us in the comments as we cover tonight’s game.

GAME 2: vs. LAMAR CARDINALS

NOV. 11 | SCHOLLMAIER ARENA (6,800) | FORT WORTH, TEXAS | 7 PM

How to watch & listen:

Broadcast: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Online Streaming: WatchESPN.com // ESPN App
Play-By-Play: Brian Estridge; Analyst: Colin Boddicker
Radio: KLIF 570 AM | XM/SXM Ap: 109/954
Online Radio: HFTV // TuneIn
Play-By-Play: Jeff Williams Analyst: John Denton

The Numbers:

Series: TCU leads 10-2
In Fort Worth: TCU leads 8-0
In Beaumont: TCU leads 2-1
First Meeting: TCU won 115-94 (1/2/71) in Fort Worth
Last Meeting: TCU won 79-50 (12/14/19) in Fort Worth
Winning Streak: TCU, W4
Dixon vs. Lamar: 1-0

DraftKings Sportsbook Odds:
Spread: TCU -34
Point Total: 135

PrizePicks Player Props:
Mike Miles:
Points: 16.5
Assists: 4.0
Rebounds: 4.5

Emanuel Miller:
Points: 15.5
Rebounds: 5.5

GAME NOTES

• No. 14 ranked TCU (1-0) hosts the second of four-straight home games on Friday at 7 p.m. against Lamar (1-0) at Schollmaier Arena. The game will be shown on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
• TCU’s Jamie Dixon and Lamar’s Alvin Brooks are two of 49 that serve as head coach at their alma mater.
• TCU will attempt to go 2-0 for the ninth-straight season.
• Friday afternoon, a statue of James Cash will be unveiled in front of Schollmaier Arena. Cash is the first Black player at TCU and the first Black basketball player in the Southwest Conference. Cash will also be at the game.
• Thursday was Jamie Dixon’s 57th birthday. Sophomore guard Darius Ford will turn 21 years old on Friday.
• TCU is ranked No. 14 nationally in the Associated Press Top 25. It’s the third time that TCU has been ranked in the preseason poll. The Frogs last appeared in the AP Preseason Poll prior to the 2018 season (20th) and were also ranked before the 1998 season (24th).
• TCU joins Dayton and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as teams that return all five starters and its top five scorers. The Frogs actually return their top six scorers from last season’s team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 35 years.
• Returning numbers for TCU include 92.5% of its scoring, 93% of its rebounding and 97.7% of its offensive rebounding.
• TCU also returns 89.4% of its minutes from last year, the third most among NCAA DI teams and the most among teams in major conferences.
• Mike Miles Jr. is the first Horned Frog to be named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year. Other preseason accolades include the watch list for the NABC DI Player of the Year and the Bob Cousy Award.
• Miles was also named Preseason All-Big 12 Conference First Team, while Emanuel Miller was named Preseason All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention.
• Miles has scored 10 or more points in six-straight games and made at least one 3-pointer in nine straight.
• Under Jamie Dixon (since 2016-17), TCU has gone 60-10 in November and December combined.
• Under Dixon, TCU is 70-11 against nonconference teams and 50-4 against those teams in Schollmaier Arena.

LAST TIME OUT

• With the help of a late 3-pointer from Mike Miles Jr., TCU completed a 20-point come back to edge Arkansas - Pine Bluff, 73-72 on Monday. Miles finished with 15 points.
• Emanuel Miller led the Horned Frogs with 19 points, 15 of which came in the second half.
• TCU trailed 29-9 in the first half. The 20-point comeback matched the largest in the Jamie Dixon era.
• TCU was 27-of-38 from the free throw line. It was the second-most free throws attempted by a TCU team under Dixon.

About the Opponent

• Lamar went 2-26 last season, the first year of head coach Alvin Brooks.
• Brooks became head coach after spending 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Houston.
• Brooks played at Lamar for Billy Tubbs, who also served as TCU’s head coach for eight seasons (1995-2002).
• The Cardinals have 10 newcomers, 12 including two redshirts from last season. Three newcomers, Terry Anderson, Adam Hamilton and Chris Pryor were NJCAA All-Americans last season.
• Lamar opened the season with a 63-61 win over St. Thomas (TX) on Monday. Chris Pryor led the Cardinals with 23 points.

Series History

• TCU is 10-2 all-time against Lamar and 62-9 against members of the Southland Conference.
• TCU is 8-0 against Lamar in Fort Worth. The last meeting was a 79-50 win on Dec. 14, 2019 in Fort Worth.

UP NEXT

• TCU continues its four-game homestand to begin the season on Monday at 7 p.m. against Northwestern State. The game will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.