Mem'ries Sweet: Remembering the Day a Killer Frog Became a Legend

It was "the shot heard round the Southwest Conference," - a great memory on a day Texas comes to town.

Twitter: @TCUBasketball

Tonight at the Schollmaier, the University of Texas comes to town for a matchup with TCU. Longhorns are never welcome in The Fort. Not for football. Not for baseball. Not for basketball.  To reiterate that point, feel free to flashback three and half months ago. Here is what we had to say when they came to town for this year's football game. 

My momma taught me years ago to always hate orange, especially when it's burnt. And over the years, I've had plenty of opportunities to express that dislike for that school in Austin. I've witnessed great wins by my Frogs, and I've endured devastating losses at the hands of the Horns. But today, as they come to town for the annual meeting on the court, I am reminded about a glorious Saturday afternoon in late February 1986.

That was my junior year at TCU. It was also Jamie Dixon's junior year. He played on the teams coached by Jim Killingsworth. Those teams were the first to be known as "Killer's Frogs." It's a great honor to have that term come full circle for me. I was an avid fan of those Killer Frogs. I rarely missed a game. My friends and I had our seats - front row right behind the opposing team's bench in what was then-known as Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. To go from that fan to now being a writer/editor/publisher for KillerFrogs.com has certainly been a great journey.

Jamie Dixon and the Killer Frogs / TCU Magazine

So, it was February 22, 1986. The Frogs were 16-5 and were on a seven-game winning streak. The Southwest Conference regular-season championship was on the line. Texas came to town having already beaten the Frogs 56-54 earlier in the season in Austin. It was the final home game of the season for TCU. 

This was the 1985-86 season. Keep in mind, the 3-point line in college basketball would not come into play until the 1986-87 season. The game was intense. There we were, my friends and I, in the first row, screaming our hearts out. The game wasn't pretty. It was a dog fight. Everyone in that building knew what was at stake. 

Imagine this. Championship on the line. Five seconds left in the game. Frogs down 54-53. Frogs get the ball under the Texas basket. Texas had a foul to give. We all knew what was coming. Jamie Dixon, who came off the bench that game, gets the inbound ball. Texas swarms him. I think there were three players trying to foul him. He would not have it. He crosses the midcourt line, stumbles forward, launches a 35-foot miracle shot, and as time expires, the ball drops through the basket. 

Jamie Dixon's miracle shot in 1986

I've never stormed a football field. But I certainly have stormed a basketball court. We could not believe it. Our Frogs had just won the SWC. Heck yeah, I'm storming that court! We were on the front row. Of course, we were on that court celebrating the victory.

Flash forward a few decades. Dixon is back at TCU as head coach. In December 2018, his third season as head coach, TCU played a non-conference game against USC at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. I flew out to that watch. It was a great game. Frogs won big, 96-51.

The next morning, I'm at LAX flying home. Suddenly I realize the team is on the same flight with me. I saw several of the players and congratulated them on the win. Then I finally found Coach Dixon in the gate area. "Hey Coach, great game last night. That was a fun one to watch."

Coach asked, "Are you a fan?" Am I a fan??? As if my shirt, hat, purple shoes, and TCU backpack didn't answer that. I looked right at him and I said "Oh yes. Class of 1987. I stormed the court after the Texas game." Coach just smiled. Meanwhile, Alex Robinson was sitting next to him and just snickered. 

This season, during pregame festivities, TCU shows a replay of that moment on the Jumbotron. It still gives me goosebumps. I keep watching. Maybe one day I can spot myself in that chaos. I know I'm the one wearing purple!

No pressure Mike Miles, Chuck O'Bannon, Damion Baugh, and the rest of the team- but let's add to those Texas memories tonight!

---

Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Killer Frogs message board community today!

Follow KillerFrogs on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest TCU news! Follow KillerFrogs on Facebook and Instagram as well. Download the KillerFrogs app on Google Play or in the Apple App Store.