No. 20 Texas Welcomes TCU to Austin With Sweep in Sight

The Longhorns are 74-47 in the all-time series against the Horned Frogs

AUSTIN -- The Longhorns head into the second-to-last game at the Erwin Center with a sour taste in their mouths.

Texas Tech came into Austin Saturday and brought Red Raider nation with them, as Tech pulled out a 61-55 win over the Horns to sweep the season series.

But No. 20 Texas (19-8, 8-6 in Big 12) has a chance to do the same Wednesday night against Texas Christian (17-8, 6-7). The Horns had one of their best conference wins of the season over the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth on Jan. 25 in a 73-50 thrashing.

“They’re an NCAA tournament team in my eyes," Texas coach Chris Beard said Tuesday. "We know they’ll play great here in Austin. We’ve had some great battles with them over the years."

The Frogs are one of the best rebounding teams in the country, particularly on the offensive glass, as coach Jamie Dixon's team pulls down the fourth-most offensive rebounds per game in the nation (12.1) and are third in total rebounding rate (56.9 percent). 

Yet, it was Texas who out-rebounded TCU in the first meeting 41-31, including a win in the offensive rebounding battle, 15-9. It was the only Big 12 game this season in which TCU lost the battle on the boards.

Texas forward Timmy Allen led all scorers in that game with 16 points and eight rebounds. He'll be looking for similar results after posting just six points and fouling out against Texas Tech on Saturday. 

TCU guard Mike Miles is the team's leading scorer at 14.7 points per game, a mark he nearly hit in a 14-point effort in the first meeting. It's unlikely he posts another inefficient 4-of-11 shooting day, meaning the Longhorns will need to focus on shutting down one of the Big 12's underrated scorers. 

Frogs' point guard Damion Baugh is an X-factor that could make a huge difference this time around. He's fourth in the Big 12 in assists per game (4.1) and leads the team in steals per game (1.3).

Texas guards Courtney Ramey and Marcus Carr will certainly have their hands full against an overlooked TCU backcourt. Carr didn't score in 33 minutes against Tech but is looking for a bounce-back performance in a major way.

Of course, it's hard to talk about the Horns' recent play without discussing the hot streak Andrew Jones has been on. He's reached double figures in five straight games, including 20 points in each of the last two. 

TCU is the second-worst team in the Big 12 at defending the 3-point shot (31.9 percent). Jones is tied for 10th in the nation in 3-point makes per game (3.67) over the last two weeks. He'll look to resume his role as Texas' go-to spot-up shooter in a favorable matchup. 

Wednesday night's tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. C.T. at the Erwin Center. 

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