Game Thread: TCU vs. Arizona State in NCAA Tournament First-Round

TCU is back in the NCAA Tournament for the 2nd consecutive year and looking to earn a Tourney win in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1952-53. The Horned Frogs are coming off a loss in the Big 12 Semifinals to a Texas Longhorn squad that went on to win the Big 12 Championship and earn a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. TCU is led by Mike Miles Jr., a dynamic playmaking Guard

The Sun Devils were granted a spot into the First Four as one of the last teams to be granted an at-large bid after also falling in the Semifinals to the team that would end up winning the Conference Title and be given a 2-seed, the Arizona Wildcats. ASU escaped Dayton with an easy win in the play-in contest over Nevada. The Sun Devils are led by scoring guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. and rim protecting big man Warren Washington.

Which team will advance to the Round of 32? Join us in the comments section below as we follow today’s action.

NCAA TOURNAMENT ROUND ONE VS. ARIZONA STATE

MAR. 17 | BALL ARENA (19,099) | DENVER, CO | 9:05 PM

How to watch & listen:

TV Broadcast: truTV
Online Streaming: NCAA.com; NCAA March Madness Live App
Play-By-Play: Lisa Byington Analyst: Steve Smith, Avery Johnson Reporter: Andy Katz
National Radio: Westwood One SiriusXM 135 or 203 | SXM App : 966
Play-By-Play: Dave Pasch Analyst: Fran Fraschilla
TCU Radio: AM 570 KLIF | Varsity, TuneIn
Play-By-Play: Brian Estridge Analyst: John Denton

Series History:

Series: Tied 2-2
Neutral: TCU leads 1-0
First Meeting: TCU won 78-76 (5/21/83) in Tempe
Last Meeting: ASU won 52-49 (11/17/09) in Tempe
Winning Streak: ASU, W1
Dixon vs. ASU: First Meeting

Rankings:

TCU
AP: 22
Coaches: 23
KenPom: 27
NET: 28
NET SOS: 11

ASU
AP: -
Coaches: -
KenPom: 68
NET: 66
NET SOS: 47

Draftkings Sportsbook Odds:

Moneyline: TCU: -210; Arizona State: +180
Spread: TCU: -5
Point Total: 142

PrizePicks Player Props:

GAME NOTES:

• Six-seed TCU will make its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance on Friday at 9:05 p.m. CT against 11-seed Arizona State at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. The game will be shown on truTV.
• TCU is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in six seasons and back-to-back appearances for the first time since 1953. Last season, No. 8 TCU defeated No. 9 seed Seton Hall before falling to top seed Arizona in overtime.
• TCU had been to one NCAA Tournament in the 30 years prior to Jamie Dixon’s arrival in 2016-17.
• In his 20th season as a head coach, Jamie Dixon is making his 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and is 13-13 overall and 9-4 in first round games.
• TCU is 6-9 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 has never won two NCAA Tournament games in season.
• TCU finished in a tie for fifth place in the Big 12, matching last season for the best in program history.
• TCU’s nine Big 12 wins matched its most-ever in the conference (2018).
• TCU reached 20 wins for the fifth time in the last seven seasons after going 11 seasons without any.
• TCU is ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll for the 15th consecutive week, extending its program record.
• TCU has a program-best six wins against AP Top 25 teams this season (6-6).
• TCU is 8-11 against NET Q1 opponents, matching a program best for Q1 wins. TCU is 5-0 against NET Q2.
• Of TCU’s 34 wins over AP Top 25 teams in its history, 19 have come in the seven seasons under Dixon.
• Damion Baugh (2nd team), Mike Miles Jr. (2nd team) and Emanuel Miller (HM) were named All-Big 12 Conference.
• Miles became the first Horned Frog to be named a three-time All-Big 12 Conference player.
• Other postseason honors for Miles are Second Team NABC All-District 8 and USBWA All-District VII.
• Miles ranks 16th on TCU’s all-time scoring list with 1,247 career points.
• Miles, whose 17.3 points per game is third in the Big 12, was named to the John R. Wooden Award Final Ballot.
• Emanuel Miller ranks 18th in the Big 12 with 12.4 points per game and ranks sixth with 6.6 rebounds per game.
• Miller ranks second in the Big 12, shooting 51.6 percent. He’s shooting a team-best 20-of-49 (40.8%) from three.
• Damion Baugh has led/tied the Frogs in assists in 16-straight games and in 24 of the last 27.
• Baugh’s 5.8 assists per game rank third in the Big 12.
• Baugh is one of 12 players nationally averaging at least 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal.
• TCU leads the nation with 17.9 fastbreak points per game. Last season, TCU’s fastbreak average was 10.6.
• TCU ranks second in the Big 12 with 11.4 offensive rebounds per game.
• TCU has improved its assist/turnover radio this season (1.33/3rd in Big 12) from a year ago (0.94/8th).
• TCU ranks third in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally with a +3.4 turnover margin.
• TCU forces 15.8 turnovers per game, which ranks third in the Big 12.
• TCU led the Big 12 in shooting percentage in conference games only (47.0).
• TCU is shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range over its last five games, better than its season average of 30.6.
• TCU ranks 20th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (94.3).
• TCU ranks second in the Big 12 and 26th nationally with 4.7 blocked shots per game.
• TCU is 5-1 this season and 27-12 under Jamie Dixon in games at neutral sites.
• Under Dixon, TCU is 7-2 in games played in an arena where an NBA team calls home.

SERIES HISTORY

• The series between TCU and Arizona State is tied 2-2 with the last meeting coming on Nov. 17, 2009, a 52-49 win by the Sun Devils in Tempe. The game was a part of the Preseason NIT.
• The only neutral site meeting came in 1986, a 96-78 win by TCU in the Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah.

UP NEXT
TCU would play No. 3 Gonzaga in the second round on Sunday.