TCU Men's Basketball Preview: No. 14 Iowa State

TCU will travel to Ames to take on No. 14 Iowa State Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. Here are the keys for the Horned Frogs to get the win.

TCU will go to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT to take on No. 14 Iowa State. The Horned Frogs (16-6, 5-4 Big 12) enter the contest following a 66-77 loss at home to Texas. 

The Cyclones (17-5, 6-3 Big 12) will host TCU following a 70-65 win at Texas on Tuesday, putting them tied for second in the conference. Additionally to being ranked 14th in the AP Poll, Iowa State is ranked 9th in NET and 12th in KenPom. They are undefeated (13-0) at home on the season, so the Frogs will have an extremely tough test coming up.

TCU has already played Iowa State this season at home on Saturday, Jan. 20. It was a 72-73 loss for the Frogs, so Jamie Dixon's crew will be looking for revenge this weekend. Here are some keys to getting the win.

Turnover Trouble

TCU's Micah Peavy and Jameer Nelson Jr. in defeat against Iowa State on Saturday, Jan. 20 / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Last time out against Iowa State, TCU had a whopping 27 turnovers, the most for the Frogs under Jamie Dixon. Specifically, guards Jameer Nelson Jr. and Avery Anderson III had a combined 12 turnovers, struggling with Iowa State's defense immensely. 

Texas head coach Rodney Terry noted after TCU's last game that these guards do not handle pressure well, so don't expect Iowa State's defense to change. If the Frogs want to find success, handling that pressure and limiting turnovers will be a major key.

The Lipsey Factor

Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey / The Gazette

When the Horned Frogs last played the Cyclones, star point guard Tamin Lipsey was out with a shoulder injury. This time around, he is expected to be active for Saturday's game. Lipsey is top two for Iowa State in points (13.5), rebounds (5.2), assists (5.6), and steals (3.1) and is looked at as one of the best players in all of the Big 12. 

This will only make it tougher for TCU to cut back on turnovers and neutralize the Cyclone offense. Expect Micah Peavy, TCU's best defender, to be matched up against either Lipsey or Iowa State's leading scorer, Keshon Gilbert, throughout the game.

Better On The Boards

TCU Horned Frogs guard Micah Peavy (0) drives to the basket as Iowa State Cyclones forward Hason Ward (24) defends during the first half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena / © Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

In TCU's last game against Texas, they were outrebounded 21-34. Coach Dixon talked about this postgame as one of the biggest keys for the Frogs to win games. Look for this to be a point of emphasis to improve on this weekend. Big men like Emanuel Miller, Ernest Udeh Jr., and JaKobe Coles will be X-Factors against Iowa State in this role.

This is probably the toughest regular season game TCU has left on their schedule, so it would be massive if they could pull off the upset. It's going to be exciting for Frog fans.

How to Watch, Listen, and Stream: TCU vs. No. 14 Iowa State

• Tipoff - 1 p.m. CT, Saturday, February 10
• Television - ESPN2 with Chuckie Kempf and Chris Spatola
• Radio - AM 570 KLIF with Brian Estridge and Collin Boddicker (also available on Sirius XM Channel 81, HFTV, TuneIn, and Varsity)
• Live Stream - fuboTV (Start your free trial)

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