TCU basketball notebook: Latest bracketology update, a healthy JaKobe Coles and more
With just seven games remaining in the regular season, TCU’s men’s basketball team is in the midst of its most important stretch of the year ahead of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City starting March 12.
There have been bigger matchups like the ones against Kansas and Houston, but every game the rest of the way is a must-win for the Horned Frogs including Saturday’s road game at Kansas State.
Road tests in the Big 12 are always challenging and Manhattan will be no different, but before the focus turns completely to the Wildcats here are a few thoughts about recent trends for TCU on the court and in the latest bracketology projections:
Is TCU trending up or down?
The last bracketology update from Feb. 1 had the the Horned Frogs comfortably in the NCAA Tournament, but since that juncture TCU (17-7 overall, 6-5 in Big 12) lost two games to Texas and Iowa State while picking up a win over a middling West Virginia team on Monday. It snapped the two-game skid, but didn’t add much to the Horned Frogs’ resume.
So where do things stand currently? ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has TCU back on the bubble with his latest projections having the Horned Frogs as one of the final four teams in the field. That’s obviously not ideal this late in the season and Lunardi has TCU projected as a No. 10 seed. Other outlets appear to be higher on TCU with CBS Sports having the Horned Frogs as a No. 9 seed in the East Region.
Fox Sports also had TCU as a No. 9 seed in the West Region. Bracketology Matrix averages dozens of projections and still has TCU’s average ranking as a No. 8 seed. What does it mean? TCU still has some work to do to secure an at-large bid, but has ample opportunities coming up in the next five games.
A healthy Coles?
Remember how well JaKobe Coles was playing to start the season? At times he looked like TCU’s best player as he averaged almost 16 points and scored in double figures in six of the Horned Frogs’ first seven games. The whole time Coles was playing some of his best basketball he was dealing with an injury that would eventually cause him to miss games in January.
“I’ve been struggling with this injury pretty much the whole year,” Coles said after the win against West Virginia. “At the beginning of the season I was like 80, 85 percent healthy. Going deeper into the season that’s when it got worse. Dealing with plantar fasciitis, rest takes time and I think going to Hawaii it got worse playing those back to back games.”
Coles said it’s been a strange injury to manage and it took most of January to find his groove, but now Coles has scored in double figures in four straight games including 12 against Texas Tech. He’s TCU’s best offensive weapon in the frontcourt and coach Jamie Dixon trusts him at the five when he’s locked in defensively. Coles has a smooth mid-range game and can create his own shot in the mid-post area. Having him closer to 100 percent is huge for the team.
NBA prospects
TCU has a number of intriguing NBA prospects on the roster notably Emanuel Miller and Micah Peavy. Miller was viewed as a fringe top-100 prospect after getting feedback from the NBA last off-season. Miller’s improvement as a shooter, playmaker and wing defender has begun to pay off. The X page @MavsDraft is a NBA draft expert and shared positive feedback on Miller’s development on social media.
“Emanuel Miller is not your average senior prospect,” He tweeted Thursday morning. “He was raw for his first couple of seasons at A&M, then has gotten better every year at TCU. This year we have seen a drastic improvement for him as a passer and shooter, along with feel for the game. Quality 2nd round prospect.”
Miller could continue help his stock with a strong close to the season. Peavy is another that should attract the attention of scouts with his 6-foot-8 frame, athleticism and defensive prowess. One scout from a Western Conference team compared Peavy to Justin Champagnie, a former two-way standout at Pittsburgh that has spent time with Boston, Toronto and Miami. Peavy is averaging a career-high 11 points per game and has shown some improvement as a shooter. He’s another that could work himself into the second round.
