TCU’s Saturday home matchup against nationally ranked Brigham Young University has officially been declared a sellout.
As fans and students wait to fill the stands in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, the Horned Frogs will have to accept the competition the Cougars have to offer.
Does the 10-17 TCU team, with only a single win in conference play (11 losses) really have a shot to prevail against 24-2 BYU, who conversely has a single loss in conference play? Anything can happen any given night, but the Frogs are the underdogs in this matchup.
Why? If you haven’t followed TCU basketball this season, the team is unranked and did not fare well against the Cougars with a 67-83 dismal loss earlier on the road this season.
BYU brings in a talented ball club featuring gifted NCAA scoring leader and future NBA first-round draft pick Jimmer Fredette, who is the Cougars’ star point guard. Fredette averages over 27 points per game. The 6-foot-2 senior has captured three 40-plus point performances this season. Fredette is well on his way to the next level of basketball.
On the other hand, TCU has an asset in one of the nation’s top guards, Hank Thorns. The junior transfer from Virginia Tech is averaging 10.3 points per game and 6.5 assists per game.
The Associated Press Top 25 ranks BYU No. 7 in the country. And if the Frogs can upset the Cougars, it would be a great achievement for TCU and its basketball tradition.
TCU’s last home sellout was in November 2004, when it hosted Texas Tech. Bobby Knight and his Red Raiders exited the DMC with their first loss of the season as the Frogs rolled to their third-straight win, 83-68. It was also the next season TCU shocked No. 10 Louisville at the DMC, pummeling Rick Pitino’s Cardinals 71-46.
With that being said, the TCU basketball team knows an upset is more than plausible. TCU is not the same team they were in 2004: Former Frogs’ coach Neil Dougherty has exited the program and current head coach Jim Christian is trying to steer the team in the right direction after the Frogs extended their losing streak to nine games after a home loss to Colorado State Wednesday. But it would behoove the team to stay optimistic.
How much it would mean for TCU if it defeats a Mountain West Conference powerhouse like BYU?
Jon Sublett, a student, said it would simply show that TCU can play top teams.
You can bet the DMC will be a hostile environment when both teams duel on the hardwood. If TCU can solely prohibit Fredette from attacking the cylinder and limit his excellent shooting ability, the Horned Frogs’ upset feat is achievable. What’s more exciting than rushing the court?
The team’s ultimate goal is to win, to upset BYU and to prove they can compete with a nationally ranked team. Can the Horned Frogs pull off the glorious upset? Only time will tell, and that time is the 3:30 p.m. tip-off Saturday.
