Big 12 Basketball Schedule Analysis: TCU Horned Frogs
Leading up to Big 12 media days in Kansas City Heartland College Sports will analyze each of the Big 12 men’s basketball schedules. Today it’s the TCU Horned Frogs.
Season opener: The Horned Frogs host CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 7. That kicks off a six-game homestand to start the season. In fact, the Horned Frogs do not have a “true” road game until late December when they face Hawaii Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Tournaments: TCU faces USC in the Hall of Fame Basketball Classic at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 7. But the big trip for the Horned Frogs is to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Diamond Head Classic during the Christmas break.
The Big Non-Con: SMU is the annual rivalry game. But USC should be a tougher test for the Horned Frogs. While it’s a neutral site game, the Trojans are basically at home because the game is in Los Angeles. USC won 24 games and reached the second round of the NIT Postseason Tournament.
Mid-Major Danger: Lipscomb is a team to watch when the Bisons visit Fort Worth on Nov. 20. Lipscomb won 23 games in 2017-18, won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament.
Big 12 Opener: The Horned Frogs host their other private school rival, Baylor, on Jan. 5 in Fort Worth.
The Big 12/SEC Game: The TCU-Florida game in Fort Worth on Jan. 26 should be one of the best games in the annual crossover event. The Gators won 21 games last season as they reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The ‘Big’ Big 12 stretch: The last five games on TCU’s Big 12 slate could have a significant impact on their conference tournament seeding. It starts Feb. 23 with a home game against what should be a pesky Iowa State team. After that it’s a trip to Morgantown to face West Virginia, followed by home games against Elite Eight teams Texas Tech and Kansas State and a season finale against Texas in Austin on March 9.
2018-19 TCU Schedule
(Home games in Bold; *-Big 12 game)
Nov. 7 vs. CSU Bakersfield
Nov. 11 vs. Oral Roberts
Nov. 15 vs. Fresno State
Nov. 20 vs. Lipscomb
Nov. 26 vs. Eastern Michigan
Nov. 30 vs. Central Michigan
Dec. 5 at SMU
Basketball Hall of Fame Classic (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Dec. 7 vs. USC
Dec. 16 vs. Indiana State
Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Dec. 22 vs. Charlotte
Dec. 23 vs. Bucknell or Rhode Island
Dec. 25 vs. TBD
Dec. 28 at Hawaii Pacific
Jan. 5 vs. Baylor*
Jan. 9 at Kansas*
Jan. 12 at Oklahoma*
Jan. 15 vs. West Virginia*
Jan. 19 at Kansas State*
Jan. 23 vs. Texas*
SEC/Big 12 Challenge
Jan. 26 vs. Florida
Jan. 28 at Texas Tech*
Feb. 2 at Baylor*
Feb. 6 vs. Oklahoma State*
Feb. 9 at Iowa State*
Feb. 11 vs. Kansas*
Feb. 16 vs. Oklahoma*
Feb. 18 at Oklahoma State*
Feb. 23 vs. Iowa State*
Feb. 26 at West Virginia*
Mar. 2 vs. Texas Tech*
Mar. 4 vs. Kansas State*
Mar. 9 at Texas*
