TCU vs Arizona Game Thread: Time to make history

The Horned Frogs are still dancing.

Tonight, TCU has the chance to make history. A win tonight would give the Frogs their first multi-win tournament appearance in program history.

Beating a tournament regular Seton Hall team was one thing, but facing the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament is a different challenge entirely. Let’s take a look at the tale of the tap before tonight’s matchup:

NOTES

- No. 9 seed TCU (21-12) will face No. 1 seed Arizona (32-3) on Sunday at 8:40 p.m. CT on TBS at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl in San Diego, Calif.

- TCU won its first NCAA Tournament game since 1987 on Friday with a 69-42 win over Seton Hall.

- This is TCU’s ninth NCAA Tournament appearance overall and second in the last four seasons that there has been a postseason in college basketball. TCU had been to one NCAA Tournament in the 30 years prior to Jamie Dixon’s arrival in 2016-17.

- TCU has never won two NCAA Tournament games in season. TCU won its first round game against Marshall in 1987 before losing to Notre Dame, 58-57, in the second round.

- TCU is 6-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Its best finish came in 1968 when the Frogs made it to the finals of the Midwest Regional.

- TCU finished tied for fifth place in the Big 12, matching its best finish in the conference (2018).

- TCU’s eight Big 12 wins were its second-most in program history. Ø TCU has at least 20 wins for the 15th time in program history. Four have come in the six years Dixon has been head coach.

- TCU has 16 or more wins for the fifth time under Dixon. TCU had 16 wins just three times in the 14 seasons prior to his arrival.

- TCU was 8-8 in Quadrant 1 games this season. The eight wins a program record and is tied for the eighth most nationally.

- TCU has a program-best five AP Top 25 wins this season.

- Damion Baugh (honorable mention), Mike Miles Jr. (second team) and Emanuel Miller (honorable mention) were named All-Big 12.

- Miles is the only player that ranks in the top six in the Big 12 in scoring (fifth, 15.2) and assists (sixth, 3.8). He had 21 points on Saturday against Seton Hall.

- Baugh’s 10.8 points per game ranks second on the team. He is fourth in the Big 12 with 4.4 assists per game.

- Miller is averaging 10.3 points per game and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game, which ranks 10th in the Big 12.

- Eddie Lampkin Jr. has been one of the most improved players in the Big 12 and is averaging 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds overall. His 2.9 offensive rebounds per game overall ranks second in the Big 12.

- Lampkin’s 58.9 percent shooting from the field currently tied for the seventh-best in a season at TCU.

- Francisco Farabello is shooting a team-best 39.2 percent from 3-point range. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in 14 of his last 16 games.

- Micah Peavy’s defensive points per possession is .6, which ranks in the top percentile nationally.

- TCU leads the Big 12 and ranks among the leaders nationally in offensive rebound percentage (first, 37.8%), rebounding margin (fourth, 8.6), offensive rebounds per game (12th, 12.8) and rebounds per game (27th, 38.8).

- When outrebounding its opponent, TCU is 19-7 this season and 100-33 under Dixon. This season, TCU has been outrebounded six times.

- TCU is 5-2 this season and 22-10 under Dixon in neutral site games.

- Under Dixon, TCU is 4-1 in games played in California.

- TCU’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 91.8 ranks 15th nationally, TCU’s best number since KenPom began (1996-97).

LAST TIME OUT

- In TCU’s 69-42 win over Seton Hall, the Frogs held the Pirates to 28.8 percent shooting from the field, the lowest by a TCU opponent in seven seasons. The 42 points was a season-low for TCU opponent.

SERIES HISTORY

- TCU leads the all-time series 2-0.

- The first meeting was on Dec. 29, 1939, a 37-32 win by TCU in the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla. The previous meetings was on Dec. 30, 1952, a 63-48 win by TCU in the Southwest Conference Holiday Tournament in Dallas.

- It will be Jamie Dixon’s first time facing Arizona.

UP NEXT

- The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 in San Antonio on March 24.

In case you couldn’t make the trip out to San Diego, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Follow along as we go play-by-play through all the action on our Twitter (@FrogsOWar) or hop in the comment section of this post to join the discussion!

Let’s go make history tonight!