The TCU men’s basketball team faces its most challenging task yet as it travels to Toronto this weekend to put its unbeaten record on the line against No.24 Clemson as part of the Discount Tire Hall of Fame Series.
The Horned Frogs have rattled off seven straight wins to start the season and are one of six Big 12 teams still undefeated in the 2023-24 season.
TCU won its first six games at home and followed with its most significant victory in a road game against Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Challenge last Saturday, pulling out a one-point win on a buzzer-beater that banked off the backboard from forward Emanuel Miller.
“It was everything we had drawn up. He just didn’t tell me he was going to bank it,” TCU head coach Jamie Dixon joked as he met with the media on Tuesday. “… It was a high-level game. [Georgetown] played well. It was the best game they’ve played, for obvious reasons. They had their whole team, and obviously, that made them better.”
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” guard Jameer Nelson Jr. said of the shot. “… It was unreal. I’ve never seen him make that shot before, so it was unexpected, but it was awesome.”
Miller, who is from the Scarborough area of Toronto, finished the game with 29 points and has been a leader for the team. He opted to bypass the NBA Draft and return to school during the offseason and now leads the Horned Frogs back to his hometown for their biggest challenge yet.
He and JaKobe Coles lead the team that averages 91.7 points per game in scoring, with nearly 16 points per game each. The Horned Frogs have five players averaging double-digit scoring figures, including rising guard Micah Peavy and transfers Avery Anderson III and Nelson Jr.
Despite the unblemished start, Dixon says his team must be better going forward. The Horned Frogs led by as many as 15 in the second half against Georgetown yet found themselves trailing with just over eight minutes left in the game.
“I felt good when we were up 15,” Dixon said. “I didn’t feel good after we lost that lead… but we have to handle it better.”
They’ll get another chance to handle a high-pressure situation against No.24 Clemson.
The Horned Frogs (7-0) and the Tigers (7-0) will tip off at 3 p.m. CT from Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum on Saturday.
