TCU Men's Basketball Preview: UCF
TCU will play UCF for the first time in the Big 12 on Saturday when the Knights come to Fort Worth in the regular season finale. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT.
UCF (15-14, 6-11 Big 12) will play the Frogs (20-10, 9-8 Big 12) coming off two heartbreaking losses at home to Iowa State and Houston. Ranking 67th in NET and 65th in KenPom, Johnny Dawkins' team has improved throughout the year and is no easy game at this point.
TCU is coming off a 93-81 win at West Virginia, ending a two-game skid. At 31st in KenPom and 38th in NET, a win for the Frogs would help cement their chances at an NCAA Tournament bid. It would also be a program record for Big 12 wins in a season at 10.
Here is how they can pull out the victory.
Turnover Tilt
Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/KillerFrogs
Both the Knights and Frogs have had success forcing turnovers and struggled taking care of the ball themselves meaning we could see a lot of miscues in this one. It is no secret that TCU's offense thrives best in transition, so winning the turnover battle will be instrumental in their success for this one.
Backcourt Battle
UCF strives off of their star guards in Jaylin Sellers and Darius Johnson. Both averaging over 14 points per game, the Knights' duo is one of the best backcourts in the conference. The Horned Frog backcourt has been a rollercoaster ride all season, with three new guards getting used to playing together. The play of Jameer Nelson Jr., Avery Anderson III, and Trevian Tennyson will be extremely important to match the production of Sellers/Johnson.
Will Udeh Play?
Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/KillerFrogs
Starting center Ernest Udeh Jr. has missed the last five games for TCU with a lower left leg injury. The Frogs have greatly missed his output on the interior, going 2-3 in that span. Jamie Dixon continues to state that he is day-to-day, so if he can go against UCF, it would be a huge addition. The Knights have an elite rebounder and shot blocker at center in Ibrahima Diallo, so TCU will need all the help they can get down low. If Udeh Jr. can't go, continue to look for Xavier Cork and Essam Mostafa to get more minutes than usual.
If the Frogs get the win, they would feel a lot more comfortable come Selection Sunday. In one of the most important games of the year, it will be a lot of the ten seniors' last game in Schollmaier Arena so get to the game if you can. This is March.
How to Watch, Listen, and Stream: UCF vs. TCU
- Tipoff - 4 p.m. CT, Saturday, March 9
- Television - Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with David Saltzman and Brnydon Manzer
- Radio - AM 570 KLIF with Brian Estridge and Colin Boddicker (also available on Sirius XM Channel 388, HFTV, TuneIn, and Varsity)
- Live Stream - fuboTV (Start your free trial)
