Drew’s Desk: Offensive struggles stand out for TCU men’s basketball

The Frogs shot below 40 percent from the field in both games this week.

After picking up a marquee win last Sunday against Baylor, TCU Men’s Basketball went 0-2 this past week with a loss at home to Kansas by a score of 74-61 and a loss on the road to UCF by a score of 85-58. TCU was not favored in either game but the Frogs should have been much more competitive. The Frogs now sit at 10-9 on the season and 3-5 in Big 12 play with some work to do if they want to reach the top half of the Big 12 standings.

Scoring Droughts

A recurring problem for TCU Men’s Basketball this season is letting good offensive stretches from opposing teams snowball into large, game-changing runs that take TCU out of the game. In the first half against Kansas, TCU played confidently, created second-chance points, moved the ball well, and led by two points going into the break. Through the first nine minutes of the second half, TCU still held its own thanks to energy-filled basketball. However, when Kansas began to knockdown shots, the Frogs were unable to stop the bleeding and the Jayhawks went on a 14-2 run to take the lead for good.

The cold streak continued into the beginning of the UCF game as the Knights opened the game on a 13-0 run and the Frogs could never climb back into the game. In the game earlier this season at Houston, a similar stretch happened where the Cougars started knocking down jump shots and TCU could not find a response. When opponents string together successful offensive possessions, TCU often looks panicked on the offensive end of the floor leading to turnovers and easy buckets for opponents in transition. An important developmental step for this young team will be learning how to stay composed when opposing players knock down tough shots.

Offensive Adjustment

Against Kansas, TCU scored just 61 points on 37.9% shooting from the field, 20.8% shooting from three and 50% shooting from the free throw line. Against UCF, TCU scored just 58 points on 35.9% shooting from the field, 5% shooting from three and 73.3% shooting from the free throw line. The Frogs have to be better offensively if they want to be competitive in the Big 12. Early in the conference slate, the Frogs had success when they were able to use the pick and roll to get Noah Reynolds and Vasean Allete moving downhill into the paint. To counter this, teams have begun to hedge all ball screens that TCU sets, cutting off the ball handler in the pick-and-roll and forcing them to pick up their dribble.

The Frogs have not made enough adjustments to combat this change in defensive scheme to be effective on offense. Passing to the screener on the short roll is an excellent way to exploit the weaknesses of hedging ball screens. David Punch has shown the ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays, making him a perfect candidate to set screens and be effective on the short roll. While the TCU offense is not going to be elite this year, some adjustments need to be made for the Frogs to be competitive against high-level competition.

Flashes of Potential from Young Bigs

After the injury to Frankie Collins, most Frog fans realized that 2025 was not going to be an NCAA tournament year for TCU Men’s Basketball. With that in mind, fans should be more focused on watching for flashes of potential from the vast amount of young talent on the roster.

Two true freshman big men provided some of those encouraging moments this past week that Frog fans should be excited about. David Punch made two bids for the SportsCenter top 10 plays in the game against UCF with two highlight reel dunks over Knight defenders. Punch showcased the hops on his way to a solid stat line of nine points, six rebounds, and one steal against UCF after knocking down his second three of the season against Kansas.

Malick Diallo also had some solid minutes this past week for the Frogs, holding his own against Hunter Dickinson of Kansas. Diallo collected two offensive rebounds and a block against the Jayhawks and had six rebounds against UCF to tie Punch for the team lead in the game. Diallo and Punch provided strong minutes for the Frogs this past week.

Highlight of the Week

Punch poster x2.

Looking Ahead

The Frogs will travel to Lubbock for a game against No. 22 ranked Texas Tech at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29 before returning to Fort Worth for a game against Colorado on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m.