TCU was a 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season and almost upset 1 seed Arizona in the second round. Everyone from that team comes back this year. This could be Jamie Dixon’s best squad since Pitt. The Horned Frogs could very well be too low on this list.
Preseason College Basketball Rankings: #20 TCU Horned Frogs
TCU has arguably the most returning of any team in the country. All five starters return. Their only problems last year were that they were far too inconsistent and not good enough offensively. To reach their full potential they must shoot better from three this year. In Big 12 play last year they shot an abysmal 29.1%.
The top returner for the Horned Frogs is Mike Miles. The junior point guard is one of the best players in the Big 12. He is his team’s second-best free throw shooter and was easily their leading scorer. His 15.4 points per game was fifth in the conference. Combo guard Damion Baugh is a very versatile player. After two years at Memphis, he transferred to TCU. He shined a year ago, setting new career-high marks in almost every category. Micah Peavy is a tall, lengthy guard returning that comes off the bench. Chuck O’Bannon Jr. is back on the wing as well.
Down low the Horned Frogs have a lot of talent coming back too. Eddie Lampkin Jr. is imposing in the post. There were times last season when he showed flashes of brilliance, such as his 20 points 14 rebounds performance in the tournament game against Arizona. Emanuel Miller was third on the team in scoring a year ago and tied for the team lead in rebounding with Lampkin. His numbers dropped off a bit after transferring in from Texas A&M but he was still good.
What’s funny about TCU having arguably the best point guard in the Big 12 in Mike Miles is that they have another pretty good point guard sitting behind him in Oklahoma State transfer Rondel Walker. While he never reached his potential as a four-star recruit and borderline top 100 prospect, the change of scenery from Stillwater to Fort Worth could be good for him.
Projected Lineup
C – Eddie Lampkin Jr. (6.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG)
PF – Emanuel Miller (10.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG)
SF – Chuck O’Bannon Jr. (9.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG)
G – Damion Baugh (10.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG)
PG – Mike Miles (15.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG)
