TCU Horned Frogs
2015-2016 Overall Rank: #86
Conference Rank: #8 Big 12
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TCU was a much better team last year than most realized. They only won four Big 12 games and their non-conference slate was extremely weak (thus the 13-0 start), but they played pretty well against some of the top teams in the Big 12. They only lost to Kansas by three at home and nine on the road and they took West Virginia and Baylor into overtime. The Horned Frogs may not have the top level talent to compete with the top Big 12 teams on a regular basis, but this is a squad that should be able to win a few more Big 12 games and take that next step forward.
2014-15 Record: 18-15, 4-14
2014-15 Postseason: none
Coach: Trent Johnson
Coach Record: 38-58 at TCU, 264-243 overall
Who’s Out:
The loss of their top two scorers will not help matters though. Point guard Kyan Anderson led the team in scoring and assists for three straight seasons, culminating with a senior season in which he averaged 13.4 points and 4.3 assists. Through some tough times, it was Anderson who continued to keep this team competitive. The fact that his scoring dropped last season was a good sign since Coach Trent Johnson did not need him to score 20 points a night. Trey Zeigler did pick up some of that scoring during his one season with TCU. He attacked the basket effectively and scored 10.1 points per game. Also gone from the perimeter is Charles Hill. Hill did not play much last season, but was a larger contributor earlier in his career. Amric Fields, a 6-9 forward, is the only loss in the frontcourt. Following a knee injury, he was not as effective during his senior season, but still averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Who’s In:
The most important of the four newcomers will likely be combo guard Malique Trent. He spent one season at New Mexico Junior College where he averaged 15.8 points and 2.0 assists. One of the top junior college transfers in the country, Trent should step right into a starting role. Incoming freshman shooting guard Lyrik Shreiner will need some time to adjust to life in the Big 12, but he could come in and knock down some shots off of the bench. The frontcourt adds Vladimir Brodziansky and Jalon Miller. Brodzianksy is a versatile 6-10 forward who can step outside and hit some mid-range jumpers and pass surprisingly well for a player his size. Miller is a talented incoming freshman who will be a key piece to the frontcourt sooner or later. The frontcourt has enough depth that he probably will not be asked to do much right away though.
Who to Watch:
That experienced frontcourt consists of Karviar Shepherd, Chris Washburn, Kenrich Williams and Brandon Parrish. Shepherd had a bit of a sophomore slump, seeing his numbers dip to 6.1 points and 5.7 rebounds after averaging 9.1 and 6.8, respectively, as a freshman. At 6-10 and 225 pounds, Shepherd is a tough player to deal with in the paint. He can also push around some of the opposing big men in the Big 12. Washburn is the better overall defender though. The 6-8, 240 pound junior led the team with 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. He added 7.1 points and 5.8 rebounds too. Williams is a shot blocking threat too and really came on strong late in his sophomore season. He led the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and is the team’s top returning scorer with 8.6 points per game. Williams gives TCU a big, talented small forward in a conference that usually boasts very talented small forwards. Playing a 6-7, 205 pound Williams at that spot makes the Horned Frogs look like a team that can compete in this conference. Parrish is another big, athletic small forward. He is not a rebounder like Williams, but he has starting experience and can hit some three-pointers. Devonta Abron was a key contributor back in 2012-2013 before a torn ACL sidelined him in 2013-2014. Last year he averaged just 7.5 minutes per game, but he can add another big body to TCU’s frontcourt if he can get back to his earlier form.
Final Projection:
Players who were bigger contributors two years ago are a theme with this team. Hudson Price, Michael Williams and Christian Gore all looked like they could make a big impact last year after earning at least a couple starts in 2013-2014. But none of them averaged double digit minutes last season. That could change now that Anderson and Zeigler are gone. Sophomore Chauncey Collins is a guard to watch too. He was a big time scorer in high school and is capable of running the point. Coach Johnson may want to keep Trent off the ball and that would leave Collins as the most talented point guard on the team. Those two could start together or one of the other guards could prove to be a better option at shooting guard with Trent running the point. The backcourt will sort itself out, but no matter what happens there, the frontcourt is why TCU will take a step up this year.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Chauncey Collins, Sophomore, Guard, 3.5 points per game
Malique Trent, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season
Kenrich Williams, Junior, Forward, 8.6 points per game
Chris Washburn, Junior, Forward, 7.1 points per game
Karviar Shepherd, Junior, Center, 6.1 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 68.2 (152nd in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 62.4 (65, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.7 (158, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.0 (47, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.5 (321, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.7 (238, 8)
Free-Throw Percentage: 61.5 (342, 10)
Rebound Margin: 2.6 (87, 5)
Assists Per Game: 13.2 (123, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.0 (118, 2)
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