Analysis: What we learned about TCU during its Big 12 gauntlet

The first four Big 12 games have been revealing for TCU.

Conference play is always the litmus test to how good a team is.

The Horned Frogs built on a promising non-conference where they dominated lesser competition and quickly added two Top-25 wins over Oklahoma and Houston. On the flip side, TCU also dropped two emotional games on the road at Kansas and Cincinnati where controversial whistles played a part in the final minutes of both losses.

So, after the 81-77 defeat to the Bearcats on Tuesday, how should TCU feel after getting through the initial gauntlet of the Big 12?

The No. 19 Horned Frogs should feel good about where they stand and if there’s a feeling of disappointment, it should come from how their own miscues played a part in falling to the Bearcats.

TCU outplayed Cincinnati for a majority of the game, but 19 turnovers, lackluster defense and an inability to hit a bucket or free throw late is the ultimate recipe to losing a game you’re supposed to win on the road.

After the game, coach Jamie Dixon said the last-game struggles were a microcosm of some concerning trends from earlier in the year.

“This was a little reflective of some of our bad stretches,” Dixon said. “Our shot selection, the lack of desire to grind them out and make them guard with patience and execution. We’ve been really good at times, but (teams) are going to keep coming.”

However, a little past the midway point of the season it’s fair to say that TCU has shown more positive than negative, especially since the start of Big 12 play.

Emanuel Miller has taken the leap that was needed after being named preseason All-Big 12. Miller went for 20 and 27 against Kansas and Oklahoma before hitting the game-winning layup against Houston. Miller had an off night with 15 points against Cincinnati, just shows how productive the forward has been.

Trevian Tennyson’s shooting has been a revelation since he was inserted into the starting lineup. Tennyson scored in double figures just once from Nov. 6 to Dec. 22. Since then Tennyson has scored in double figures five of the last six games including 17 against Cincinnati and 24 against Kansas.

He’s hit more than four threes in three of those games, after not having a single game with more than three in the non-conference portion of the schedule.

Even Ernest Udeh is starting to figure things out and is slowly growing into the type of center TCU envisioned when he transferred over from Kansas. Udeh had his best game of the season with 11 points, nine rebounds and five steals against the Bearcats.

Even with all the promising signs, the Horned Frogs still have a couple more levels to go before they can really feel like they’re playing the best basketball.

One area that would help is getting JaKobe Coles and Chuck O’Bannon back in a rhythm after injuries kept them out for a few games. Coles was playing over 25 minutes a game, before a foot injury he suffered at the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii caused him to miss three games.

Coles’ ability to make shots in the post and stretch the defense makes him a crucial piece going forward and when TCU uses him at the four, it allows a player like Miller to spend more time on the wing against smaller players.

O’Bannon only missed one game, but hasn’t looked like himself lately. While he hit some big shots in the win over Oklahoma, O’Bannon has played 10 minutes or less in three of the last four games. He didn’t attempt a field goal in two minutes against Cincinnati.

Is that due to injury or Dixon tightening the rotation? Ideally Dixon would like to play all 10 players and while the Horned Frogs have the depth to do so, it’s easier said than done. How Dixon manages the wing rotation will be another thing to watch down the stretch.

The final piece to the puzzle is the continued maturation of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Avery Anderson into becoming floor generals. Last year TCU had the benefit of having two point guards on the floor in Mike Miles Jr. and Damion Baugh.

Nelson and Anderson were brought in to replace them and at times, it’s be scary how similar this duo’s game compares to Miles and Anderson. Nelson is a bucket getter like Miles and that’s his most comfortable role right now.

Coming off the bench to be the primary ballhandler and shot-taker for the second unit has helped him find his groove, but Dixon wants to see him continue to take smarter shots and create for others.

Anderson has a similar body type to Baugh and the quickness and speed to match. His long arms and fast feet have allowed him to be a pesky defender as well. While Anderson shoots it better than Baugh, Baugh was one of the best passers in the nation last season.

Aside from the six against Cincinnati, turnovers haven’t been a big issue for Anderson, but he’s another player that shot selection will be key down the stretch.

Through the first 17 games it’s clear that TCU is a good team that should expect to make the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs aren’t a great team yet, but the ingredients are all there and they just need to be brought together.