Xavier @ TCU preview
Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena
Last Meeting ( Dec 22, 2019 ) Xavier 67, Texas Christian 59
TCU and Xavier are meeting for the second time in six years as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle, and both programs are hoping to get things trending in the right direction after a couple of less-than-inspiring performances.
TCU (4-3) lost consecutive games to Santa Clara and Colorado State in the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Desert, Calif., on Nov. 28-29. Coach Jamie Dixon told his team after the Santa Clara loss that "there's nothing better than having an opportunity to get this thing out of your system by going and playing right away."
That didn't happen with an overtime loss to the Rams. However, TCU has won its last 16 home nonconference games.
The Horned Frogs also have talent. Center Ernest Udeh Jr. is averaging 7.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, and guard Frankie Collins is leading the team with 11.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Xavier (7-1), meanwhile, fell out of the Top 25 after its loss to Michigan on Nov. 27 in the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament. The Musketeers followed the loss with a closer-than-expected 71-68 victory over visiting South Carolina State on Sunday.
"We're very much a work in progress," Xavier coach Sean Miller said. "We have to get better each week, each day, right now."
Miller hopes that Xavier learned some valuable lessons in beating South Carolina State, as there are potential benefits to winning a game when a team doesn't play its best.
Ryan Conwell leads the Musketeers with 16.5 points per game, while Zach Freemantle is averaging 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds.
Xavier, which is known for its fastbreak scoring, is fourth in the nation at 20.6 points per game in that category.
The Musketeers lead the all-time series against TCU 2-1, and they defeated the Horned Frogs in the inaugural Big 12-Big East Battle on Dec. 22, 2019.
In the Battle matchups, TCU has won its past three games, including an 84-83 victory at Georgetown last season. Xavier is 4-1 in the series, falling for the first time to Houston last season.
--Field Level Media