TCU drops second straight Big 12 game in blowout loss to UCF

TCU’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament took another significant hit on Saturday as the Horned Frogs were blown out 85-58 by Central Florida in Orlando.

It was the second straight Big 12 loss after the 74-61 defeat to No. 12 Kansas earlier in the week and it’s also the third league loss in the last four games for the Horned Frogs (10-9, 3-5).

The battle against the Knights got out of hand quickly as TCU started the game in the worst fashion. The Knights (13-6, 4-4) surged to a 13-0 lead in less than three minutes, leaving TCU dazed and out of sorts.

TCU was able to cut it to six at one point in the first half after going to a zone defense to slow UCF down. The Knights were uncomfortable and began to turn it over, leading to some much needed easy points for the Horned Frogs.

That wouldn’t last as the Knights went on a 11-0 run to extend their lead to 36-19 with just 3:25 remaining in the first half. UCF led 37-23 at the half and the closet TCU got in the second was 10 points before UCF used a 15-2 run to break the game open and take a 60-36 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game.

The loss stings for multiple reasons with the obvious being the disappointing showing after the emotional game against Kansas. The Horned Frogs led in that game only to watch the Jayhawks pull away in the second half and it felt that finish lingered over into the start in Orlando.

In terms of the tournament, TCU’s chances were already slim after not being able to upset the Jayhawks, but this loss might’ve been the nail in the coffin. Currently ranked No. 76 in the NCAA Net rankings, there’s a chance this game could’ve become a Quad 1 win for TCU down the line, but instead it just ended up being another missed opportunity.

So what would it take for TCU to make its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance? After being defeated by the Knights, TCU dropped to just 3-8 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games.

The good news is there are plenty of Q1 and Q2 games remaining on the schedule, but that also means the Horned Frogs have a daunting close to the end of the season.

With 12 games remaining, it would likely take a 9-3 or 10-2 finish to get onto the bubble. The Horned Frogs would need to win games at Texas Tech, at Iowa State and at West Virginia plus avoiding bad losses to Arizona State and Oklahoma State. There’s the rematch with Baylor in Fort Worth plus another game against Texas Tech and the No. 23 Mountaineers.

It’s too early to eliminate TCU completely from March Madness contention, but there hasn’t been any noticeable growth with the Horned Frogs since a strong opening stretch in conference play.

TCU’s half court offense remains inept and inconsistent as the Horned Frogs were at one point shooting below 30% against an average UCF defense and finished the game at just 35.9%. TCU made just one of its 20 3-point attempts.

The fast break offense that had become a signature of the program the last three years feels non-existent. TCU doesn’t convert or create enough fast break opportunities and the lack of point guard options limits the ceiling of the offense.

This was a season TCU was hoping it could simply reload like some of the other members of the Big 12, but it’s becoming clear that this is a rebuilding year. The Horned Frogs should certainly aim to make the tournament and continue to put the best lineup out there each night.

However, the development of freshmen like Micah Robinson, David Punch and Jace Posey now also becomes paramount moving forward. Building their confidence and skill would be a positive development for a season that has had more adversity than anticipated.

There’s plenty of games left to play, but after the disappointment in Orlando it might be time for TCU to reset its expectations to close the year.