TCU Men’s Basketball Outlasts Milwaukee With Bigger Tests Ahead

The Horned Frogs experienced some turbulence Friday night, but TCU men’s basketball landed its fourth win of the season.

TCU beat Milwaukee 76-64 at Schollmaier Arena on Nov. 13, remaining unbeaten through another game that was less comfortable than the Frogs would have liked. Xavier Edmonds led the way, while a difficult shooting night gave Jamie Dixon’s team plenty to work on before the competition gets tougher.

After needing double overtime to get past ULM, the Frogs again found a way to win without playing their best. That matters. So does figuring out how to make the next one look better.

The Calm Before the Goggles Storm

TCU finished its fourth game of the season and earned its fourth win. The last two, however, have not been pretty.

The Frogs played this one without newly signed Robbie Avila, whose arrival gives the offense another intriguing option. TCU announced Thursday that the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year is immediately eligible, although he did not appear against Milwaukee.

Our look at what Avila could bring to TCU explored his shooting and passing. Friday showed why another offensive connector could help.

This is a team with plenty of promise, but four games into the season, opinions are still mixed about what the Frogs can become. The offense has shown that it can be extremely productive. TCU scored at least 98 points in each of its first three games and is averaging 95.0 through four.

The balance has been encouraging, too. Six Frogs entered Friday averaging double figures, and five reached that mark against Milwaukee.

Still, production and efficiency do not always tell the same story.

TCU shot 23-for-64 from the field against the Panthers, including 4-for-19 from three-point range. Milwaukee shot 40.6 percent overall, compared with TCU’s 35.9 percent.

The Frogs found enough elsewhere to survive the difference, particularly at the free-throw line. But the offensive flow needs to improve before the schedule becomes less forgiving.

DJ with a team-high nine points

TCU 31 - Milwaukee 29 | 3:05 1H#GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/6a7zo2M8MP
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 14, 2026

Xavier Edmonds Leads TCU Against Milwaukee

The X-Man, Xavier Edmonds, led TCU with 18 points and 13 rebounds. It was good to see the Frogs’ rock in the paint assert himself, and he added three blocks.

Edmonds gives TCU an interior presence it will need against stronger frontcourts. On a night when outside shots were not falling, his work around the basket and on the boards helped keep the Frogs moving.

DJ Thomas finished second on the team with 15 points despite shooting 3-for-10. He made up ground at the free-throw line, going a perfect 9-for-9, and added four rebounds.

That was an important contribution in a game when baskets were difficult to find. Thomas did not need a great shooting night to make a difference.

Brock Harding also deserves attention. He finished with 13 points, seven assists and three steals, giving TCU another steady contributor when the offense needed one.

Harding’s ability to involve teammates remains central to the Frogs’ identity. As we discussed in our TCU season outlook, the returning core gives Dixon a foundation to build around.

Micah Robinson had his lowest-scoring performance of the season with 12 points. He went 6-for-14 from the field and missed all four of his three-point attempts, although he contributed seven rebounds.

It was encouraging to see other players step up when Robinson was not carrying the scoring load. That balance will matter over a long season.

Gavin Sykes contributed 11 points and four rebounds off the bench. His perimeter shooting remains worth watching as the Frogs develop their rotation and look for consistent production beyond their starters.

4-0 🐸#GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/POXYDUt0BW
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) November 14, 2026

TCU’s Three-Point Shooting Needs to Settle

The Frogs’ 4-for-19 performance from beyond the arc worked out to 21.1 percent. That will make almost any game more difficult.

There is an important distinction, though: TCU has already shown it can shoot better than that.

The Frogs made 10 three-pointers against Lindenwood and 13 against Southern before the percentages dropped against ULM and Milwaukee. Our ULM preview highlighted that early perimeter success and the importance of sustaining good shot creation.

Four games are still a small sample. Friday’s struggles are something to address, but they do not erase the encouraging shooting from the opening week.

The next step is consistency. TCU needs to keep moving the ball, creating clean opportunities and finding ways to score when the first shot does not fall.

Texas A&M and Players Era Raise the Stakes

So far, TCU has handled Lindenwood, Southern, ULM and Milwaukee. You are happy to win those games, but it is about to get harder.

The Frogs will host Texas A&M on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. CT on Peacock. That matchup gives TCU its first opportunity this season against a power-conference opponent.

Then comes a trip to Las Vegas.

TCU opens its Players Era schedule against Miami on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m. CT. The Frogs are scheduled to face either Creighton or Michigan on Nov. 26, with additional matchups to follow.

Those games offer a chance to learn much more about this team. The shooting, defensive communication and offensive execution will all face different challenges than they did during the opening homestand.

After Players Era, TCU travels to Notre Dame on Dec. 5.

It should be a revealing few weeks for the Frogs. As we noted before the season opener against Lindenwood, the early schedule was a chance to establish a foundation. Now TCU gets to test it.

The Frogs have taken care of the first requirement by winning all four games. Turning those results into a more complete performance is the next challenge.

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