The TCU Horned Frogs are looking for a 4-0 start, which would be the program’s best opening since 2020-21, as they face winless Mississippi Valley State in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday night.
TCU hasn’t won more than four in a row to start a season since beginning 12-0 in 2017-18.
The Horned Frogs are coming off an 88-55 home win over UT Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday. TCU outscored the Vaqueros 55-33 in the second half and moved the ball around the perimeter with consistency.
“In the second half, I thought we did better,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “Sixteen assists in the second half compared to our eight in the first half was the most telling (stat) to me.”
Six of the assists came from Trevian Tennyson, who enters the Friday matchup as one of many contributors to an offense averaging 92.7 points per game.
Dixon emphasized defense entering the Tuesday contest, and he felt his team responded well, holding UTRGV to the fewest points TCU has allowed this season. Notably, the Horned Frogs forced the Vaqueros into 21 turnovers, which led to 26 points for the hosts. UTRGV also finished just 2-for-11 from 3-point range.
“Our defense is better, there’s no question,” Dixon said. “It’s not where it needs to be. We need to keep striving to get better, but that’s our biggest improvement.”
TCU is led by JaKobe Coles, who had 16 points in the Tuesday victory and averages 18 for the season. Micah Peavy averages 13.7 points and Jameer Nelson Jr. contributes 13 points per game.
Mississippi Valley State is allowing an average of 91.7 points per game through its first three contests, though all three games have come on the road against power-conference opponents: LSU, Oklahoma and No. 5 UConn.
The Delta Devils are looking to bounce back from an 87-53 loss to the Huskies on Tuesday. Mississippi Valley State kept the game within single digits for the first 13 minutes before the defending national champions pulled away.
Mississippi Valley State’s high scorer is Rayquan Brown at 16.3 points per game. Donovan Sanders is the only other Delta Devil averaging in double figures, at 10.3 points.
–Field Level Media
