TCU by the numbers:
Players to watch:
- 23rd in the country per Kenpom
- 26th on offense
- 39th on defense%
- 35th in the country per Torvik
- 27th on offense
- 62nd on defense
- 19th in the country per Haslametrics
- 20th on offense
- 19th on defense
- Play at the highest tempo in the conference - 65th.
- Don't get their shot blocked - 66th lowest in the country in block %
- Do not shoot a high volume of threes - 3PR of 29.6 (329th)
- Very good offensive rebounding team - OR% of 36.4% (20th in the country)
- Force a ton of TOs - 21% (31st in the country)
- Live at the rim - 4th in the country in Near proximity attempt rate
- Good in the midrange - 46% (14th in the country)
- Will put you on the line - 26.33% FTAR given up (165th in the country)
- Analytics has this as a 3–5-point TCU win
- Lead the country in fastbreak pts - 21.25 per game.
Players to watch:
- Emanuel Miller - Miller is a former A&M transfer who has now been at TCU for three years. He has always been a good college player but this year he has broken out as one of the best players in the B12 and TCU's best player. Miller is a versatile wing/big who plays an integral role for them on both ends of the floor. On offense he has the second highest usage rate on the team but is very efficient from the floor. TCU will get him the ball in a variety of ways. He can play with his back to the basket or take defenders off the bounce. Miller loves to isolate from the midpost and either attack defenders off of a drive or shoot midrange jumpers. Miller is a very physical driver and one of the better finishers in the game. As a 3-point shooter he shoots a good percentage (39%) but only takes two a game. It's not his forte but he will hit them if left open. Good passer and he must be accounted for on the offensive glass and in transition (where he is especially dangerous). Good FT shooter. On defense he is a switchable and physical at the POA. His size and athleticism allow him to guard up and down the lineup. Will rip and run off of defensive boards. Averaging 16.8ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg and 1.3 spg. 6'8 215.
- Jameer Nelson Jr. - Transfer from Delaware and son of former NBA player Jameer Nelson. Other than making me feel old he is a solid guard. Nelson does not start for TCU (Avery Anderson does) but he is their best all-around guard imo. Solid offensive player. Nelson is not a tall guard but is very strong and an explosive athlete off of two feet. He does most of his damage off of ball screens and in transition. In half court settings he is a threat to drive to the cup off of a ball a screen and is a good finisher for his size and also loves to get to his stepback midrange jumper. Not a good shooter from deep (25%) but is a good lob passer and adept at finding bigs off of penetration. Defensively Nelson is an absolute pest and loves to get into the body of opposing guards. He has quick hands and will rip guards. Cannot be loose with the ball around him. Averaging 11.4 ppg, 3 apg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 spg. 6'2 205.
- Micah Peavy - Former Tech player now in his third year at TCU. His game has finally taken off a bit and he looks much better than in past seasons (especially on offense). Peavy is starting and playing almost 30 minutes a night. Offensively he is still a fairly limited player but plays his role well. Peavy has good ball skills for a guy his size and will handle in transition and off some DHO's etc. When he puts the ball on the deck in half court settings, he usually does so with the mindset of passing (good passer) or getting to a midrange jumper (has become passable). Still has a very limited bag on offense but finally has figured out "I'm tall and athletic af, why not live at the rim?". Shooting around 60% on two's this year and most looks come at the rim (transition, off cuts or put backs). Still a bad shooter who has a penchant for taking untimely threes. Really runs in transition. The most switchable defender on TCU's roster and really good on the ball. Can gamble too much and is not much of a shot blocker. Averaging 11.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.3 spg. 6'8 215.
- Trey Tennison - Transfer from A&M Corpus who is starting to find his footing. Tennison is to TCU what Kerwin Walton has been to Tech. He played bench minutes to start the season but now has solidified himself in the starting rotation and is playing big minutes regularly. He is by far the best shooter on the TCU roster and one of the better shooters in the conference (46% on 4.5 a game from 3). Tennison is an "ok" ball handler, but he is only dribbling with the intention to shoot from deep. He does not do much damage from inside the arc and does not get to the line. But what he does do is shoot the cover off the ball. Tennison will shoot a bunch coming off of screens and off of CnS opportunities. Similar to Chance McMillian he can go on a heater very quickly. When he's feeling it he likes to shoot more off the bounce. Not a great defender, just an average athlete, or rebounder. Averaging 9.5 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.8 apg. 6'3 180.
- Avery Anderson - Very familiar face for Tech fans and an OSU transfer. Avery is another starter for TCU but is pretty much the same player he has always been. On offense he is one of the fastest players in the conference. Very good at attacking in ball screen situations and is a walking paint touch. He is a solid finisher and a good drive and kick passer but can be loose with the ball. Anderson has been a truly awful shooter over the course of his career. Historically he has also taken shots he shouldn't but that has calmed down some. Cannot let him get going in the open floor. Defensively he is a pest and ball-hawk but can have trouble with more physical perimeter players. Averaging 9.2 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.1 rpg, 1.5 spg. 6'2 170.
- Unlike most B12 teams TCU has quite a bit of depth and goes about 9 deep. The big rotation is made up of Ernest Udeh, Jakobe Coles and Xavier Cork. Udeh is a Kansas transfer who starts at Center. He is massive (6'11), a good shot blocker, lob threat and rebounder. But he is very raw offensively and gets in foul trouble (averaging 4.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .9 bpg). Cork (6'9 235) is your standard energy big off the bench who is there to rebound, block shots and finish the occasional put back (averaging 4.4 ppg and 2.7 rpg). Coles (6'8 215) is the most skilled of the bunch and can face up and is a solid back to the basket players. He will shoot threes but is decently efficient (34%). He is the worst defender of the bunch (Averaging 9.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 1.8 apg). Chuck O'Bannon (6'7 220) rounds out the rotation on the wing. He is experienced to say the least (has been in college since 2017) and is there to finish in transition and shoot threes (42%). Plays hard but has slow feet defensively (averaging 6.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg).
- Do not turn this into a track meet - TCU loves to turn teams over and turn games into a transition fest. Not only are they a higher tempo team but they finish extremely well on the break. Keeping them out of transition will eliminate how they like to get buckets. They are not nearly as effective in the half court.
- Keep good things going - Tech has played low turnover basketball and even held their own on the glass against OU. Doing both will be imperative with the way TCU plays. Also hitting timely threes (Chance and Kerwin) will be needed.
- Pop and Joe composure - Teams are going to hound them at the POA on ball screens (like OU did). They have held up so far and need that to continue.
- Warren and Darrion inside - with TCU's length and athleticism and the way they continually assault the rim/ glass Tech's front court of Warren and Darrion Williams need to be solid on the glass and physical inside. Getting into foul trouble has not been a problem yet (knocks on faux wood desk) and I'm hoping that trend stays solid.
