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Tag: TCU basketball

  • Three takeaways from TCU men’s basketball game at rival Baylor

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    TCU men’s basketball overcame icy conditions and the absence of its best player to defeat rival Baylor 97-90 Saturday in Waco.

    It was the first time since 2018 that the Horned Frogs (13-7, 3-4) swept the season series with the Bears (11-8, 1-6). TCU also defeated Baylor 69-63 on Jan. 3 in its Big 12 opener.

    The Horned Frogs were without sophomore forward David Punch, and it was a tightly contested game in the first 25 minutes as TCU held onto a 51-49 lead with 14 minutes, 57 seconds remaining in the game.

    That’s when TCU began to assert itself behind Jayden Pierre. The Horned Frogs went on a 17-4 run in taking a 68-53 lead as Pierre had one stretch where he scored eight straight points.

    Taking the big lead allowed the Horned Frogs to show what they’ve learned since blowing a 15-point lead against Kansas on Jan. 6. After the Bears cut it to 68-58, the Horned Frogs didn’t panic like they did in Lawrence.

    Instead, TCU responded with a 7-0 run to increase the lead to 75-58 with 5:52 remaining as Xavier Edmonds bullied Baylor inside during the run and Liautarus Lelevicius knocked down an important jumper.

    The Bears made the Horned Frogs sweat in the final minute. Baylor’s Will Kuykendall knocked down a 3-pointer and then TCU turned it over on the inbounds pass. Baylor capitalized off the turnover with a dunk by Caden Powell that cut TCU’s lead to 94-90 with 16 seconds remaining.

    With the pressure mounting, Edmonds stepped up and made two clutch free throws with 14 seconds remaining to help TCU avoid another last minute collapse. The Horned Frogs made nine of their final 10 free throws in the final 55 seconds.

    TCU entered Saturday’s game firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, but even though the Bears aren’t as elite as the have been in past years, the win in Waco was still a valuable Quadrant 1 win for the Horned Frogs’ tournament resume.

    The Horned Frogs are set to face No. 6 Houston at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Fort Worth.

    Playing without Punch

    The Horned Frogs had to overcome the hostile road environment and the absence of their best player. David Punch, the sophomore forward who leads TCU in scoring, rebounding and blocks, missed Saturday’s game due to an illness. Sophomore forward Micah Robinson replaced Punch for his first start of the season. Robinson scored six points and fouled out after playing 35 minutes.

    Punch’s absence also allowed for reserve center Vianney Salatchoum to also get on the first time in over a month. Salatchoum hadn’t gotten on the court since TCU’s win vs. North Texas on Dec. 7 and missed multiple games earlier this month taking time away from the team.

    Salatchoum gave TCU some valuable minutes in the first half on Saturday. He scored four points, including a dunk off a nice pass from Robinson. Edmonds carried most of the load with his second straight double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Edmonds continues to be one of the most pleasant surprises for TCU this season as he’s improved dramatically during Big 12 play.

    Edmonds is averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds in TCU’s last four games.

    Pierre leads the way

    Without Punch’s scoring, TCU needed someone else to step up and carry the offense, and it was senior guard Jayden Pierre that led the Horned Frogs on offense. Pierre had gone three straight games without scoring 10 points, but broke out for a season-high 25 points against the Bears. It was the most points he scored since TCU played Notre Dame on Dec. 5.

    Pierre scored 11 in the first half to help TCU tie it at 38-38. He continued to be productive in the second half as TCU began to take control of the game. Pierre capped a 15-2 run with a 3-pointer that gave TCU a 57-49 lead with 12:36 remaining.

    Pierre accounted for half of TCU’s made 3-pointers with three, and he also made a pivotal play late when he knocked down two free throws that made it 85-76 with 1:34 remaining.

    Baylor’s challenging backcourt

    Led by two potential first-round picks in the NBA Draft, Baylor’s talented group of guards pushed TCU until the end. Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou are the two household names that have NBA teams salivating over their talent, but the Bears also got a boost from Obi Agbim.

    But as the Horned Frogs began to take over, Yessoufou was the one that kept Baylor in the game. The 6-foot-5 freshman scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, including seven straight points in the final 3 minutes. Yessoufou converted a three-point play that cut TCU’s lead to 81-72 with 1:54 remaining.

    After Yessoufou fouled out, Carr came alive. Carr scored six straight points to give Baylor a chance to pull off the comeback late. Carr finished with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists as both of the Bears’ dynamic guards put pressure on the Horned Frogs’ defense.

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  • TCU big man ‘taking some time’ away from men’s basketball team

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    TCU reserve center Vianney Salatchoum is away from the team, head coach Jamie Dixon said after the Horned Frogs’ 86-73 defeat to No. 1 Arizona on Saturday.

    Salatchoum wasn’t on the bench during the game and hasn’t played since the Horned Frogs’ 65-55 win over North Texas on Dec. 7.

    Dixon said Salatchoum is dealing with family issues.

    “He’s taking some time, [he’s got] family issues,” Dixon said after the game. “He’s not with the team, so can’t speak to too much on that.”

    After transferring to TCU in the offseason from Florida International, Salatchoum has only appeared in seven games and is averaging 1.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game.

    Without the 6-foot-10 senior, TCU will be even more short-handed in the frontcourt, as the Horned Frogs are already without starting center Malick Diallo, who suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the season against New Orleans.

    TCU next faces No. 9 BYU at 10 p.m. Wednesday in Provo, Utah.

    Game schedule dates, times, locations

    • Jan. 3 Mavericks 110, Houston 104
    • Jan. 6 Mavericks 100, Sacramento 98
    • Jan. 8 at Utah, 8 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 10 at Chicago, 7 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 12 vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 14 vs. Denver, 8:30 p.m., ESPN, KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 15 vs. Utah, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 6 Kansas 104, TCU 100 (OT)
    • Jan. 10 vs. Arizona, 3 p.m., ESPN
    • Jan. 14 at BYU, 10 p.m., ESPN2
    • Jan. 17 at Utah, 1 p.m., TNT
    • Jan. 20 vs. Oklahoma State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 24 at Baylor, 5 p.m., ESPN2
    • Jan. 3 Utah 87, TCU 77 (OT)/li>
    • Jan. 7 vs. Oklahoma State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 11 vs. Arizona State, 4 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 14 at West Virginia, 6 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 17 vs. Arizona, 4 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 19 vs. Ohio State (at Newark, N.J.), 11 a.m., Fox
    • Jan. 4 Montreal 4, Stars 3 (OT)
    • Jan. 6 Carolina 6, Stars 3
    • Jan. 7 at Washington, 6 p.m., TNT, Victory+
    • Jan. 10 at San Jose, 3 p.m., Victory+
    • Jan. 12 at Los Angeles, 9 p.m., Victory+
    • Jan. 13 at Anaheim, 9 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max
    • Jan. 15 at Utah, 8 p.m., Victory+
    • 2026 season
    • Aug. 29 vs. North Carolina (at Dublin), TBA
    • New York Giants 34, Cowboys 17
    • End of season
    • May 1 NASCAR Truck Series: SpeedyCash.com 250
    • May 2 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Andy’s Frozen Custard 340
    • May 3 NASCAR Cup Series: Wurth 400

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  • TCU blows double-digit lead in overtime loss to No. 22 Kansas

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    TCU basketball blew a 15-point second-half lead in a shocking overtime defeat to No. 22 Kansas on the road Tuesday night in Lawrence.

    Despite giving up the lead, the Horned Frogs still had a chance to pull off the upset in overtime as Jayden Pierre knocked down a 3 to cut the Jayhawks’ lead to 97-94 with 50.4 seconds remaining.

    Pierre nearly came up with a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass, and Kansas moved downcourt for an alley-oop dunk. The Horned Frogs responded with a 3-pointer from Brock Harding to cut it to 99-97 with 34.3 seconds remaining.

    After the Jayhawks’ Melvin Council made one of two free throws, TCU had a chance to tie the game with 25.2 seconds remaining, trailing 100-97.

    But Pierre threw the ball away leading to two more free throws for Council with 21 seconds remaining. Pierre made up for the mistake by hitting another 3 to make it 102-100 with 11 seconds to go. However, the Jayhawks put the game away with two final free throws with 9.2 seconds remaining.

    It could be a season-changing loss as the defeat will have NCAA Tournament implications.

    TCU squandered an 82-67 lead with 4:38 remaining as Kansas outscored the Horned Frogs 20-5 to send it to overtime. The Jayhawks made timely shots, but the Horned Frogs were their own worst enemies with critical mistakes down the stretch.

    TCU’s Liutaurus Lelevicius made a huge 3-pointer to make it 85-76 with 1:14 minutes remaining, which initially felt like the dagger, but Kansas responded immediately with a 3-pointer from Jamari McDowell with 60 seconds remaining. The Jayhawks would cut it to 85-82 after a missed free throw by Harding led to a three-point play by Council.

    Harding missed another free throw, which gave Kansas a chance to tie it, but White missed the 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining. Lelevicius made two crucial free throws with 12 seconds remaining, but another Kansas basket kept the Jayhawks in it with less than 10 seconds to go.

    The Horned Frogs made another critical mistake as Harding turned it over on in-bounds pass to David Punch with 5.1 seconds remaining. With one last chance to tie it Jace Posey fouled Darryn Peterson while attempting a 3-pointer and Peterson knocked down all three to tie it with 1.7 seconds remaining and send it to overtime.

    Despite dealing with a hamstring injury Peterson led all scorers with 32 points. Lelevicius led TCU with 23 points while Punch finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

    TCU will face No. 1 Arizona at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

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    Steven Johnson

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  • TCU men’s basketball opens Big 12 play with crucial win over Baylor

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    TCU men’s basketball opened Big 12 play with an impressive 69-63 win over rival Baylor on Saturday at Schollmaier Arena.

    It’s the first time since Feb. 29, 2020, that the Horned Frogs have defeated the Bears in Fort Worth, snapping a five-game home losing streak to Baylor.

    “I liked how we did it, the defense, the rebounding, that was the emphasis,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “Our three goals were to out-rebound them by 10, hold them below their offensive rebound numbers, five threes or less and transition points which we really got them on. It was a really good 40 minutes.”

    Leading by double digits most of the second half, TCU (11-3, 1-0) held onto a 64-58 lead with 3:23 remaining. A shot clock violation got Baylor (10-3, 0-1) the ball back, and the Bears capitalized with two free throws by Cameron Carr to cut TCU’s lead to 64-60 with 2:23 remaining.

    After a traveling violation, TCU needed to come up with a stop and got it, as Jace Posey forced an airball from Carr on a 3-pointer. David Punch put the game away with a spinning post hook over a Baylor defender with 28.3 seconds remaining.

    “It was fun, we know what it takes to win a Big 12 game now,” center Xavier Edmonds said. Edmonds scored 12 points in his Big 12 debut.

    It was a pivotal win for the Horned Frogs, who had to overcome a loaded Baylor roster that includes projected first-round NBA Draft picks Carr and Tounde Yessoufou. Carr led Baylor with 17 points while Yessoufou was limited to 10 points on 4-12 shooting.

    The Bears also had a former NBA player at their disposal. Seven-foot center James Nnaji was a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, who then traded his rights to the Charlotte Hornets. Nnaji’s rights were traded to the New York Knicks in 2024 as a part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.

    Nnaji played overseas in Spain until he got a call from the Bears to suit up in Waco. Nnaji was eligible to play under NCAA rules, creating controversy around the signing and what it could mean for the future of college basketball. Dixon was one of the few that didn’t seem bothered by Baylor’s signing of Nnaji.

    “I talked to Scott (Drew) and said you’re famous now,” Dixon joked. “It is what it is. They’re committed, they’re going to find ways over there and it’s not against the rules. You’ve got to spend money and that’s what they did.”

    Nnaji didn’t have much impact on the game, as he finished with five points, four rebounds and four fouls in 16 minutes as he was met by loud boos from TCU fans everytime he touched the ball.

    The Horned Frogs led the entire first half with a strong defensive effort that limited Baylor to just 36% shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

    TCU also got a boost from its 3-point shooting, as the Horned Frogs knocked down five 3s to take a 29-23 lead at halftime. Oregon State transfer Liutaurus Lelevicius led the way with eight crucial points as scoring came at a premium early between the two rivals.

    The Horned Frogs took full control in the second half with less than 10 minutes to play. After Baylor cut it to 52-45, TCU responded with a 9-2 run sparked by center Xavier Edmonds.

    Edmonds knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key and then the Horned Frogs added four straight free throws to extend the lead to 59-45. After Nnaji responded with a basket, Brock Harding forced a turnover and got into transition for a layup.

    His shot was blocked, but Micah Robinson was in the right place to put back the miss and give TCU a 61-47 lead with 6:22 remaining.

    Edmonds and Robinson played critical roles down the stretch as Baylor did a good job of limiting Punch early in the game. Robinson played power forward for long stretches and posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

    “It really was just pursuing the ball,” Robinson said. “That’s been something they’ve been constantly on me and the whole team about. One of our assistants brought up a stat that it is a very small percentage of rebounds that are gotten by the first guy that touches it. So a lot of times it’s off of a tip, so I was really trying to go to the ball where was at.”

    Punch came alive in the second half and scored all 11 of his points in the final 20 minutes, while Lelevicius ended up with 11 points.

    The Horned Frogs needed to start Big 12 play with a win as the program prepares for a three-game gauntlet against No. 17 Kansas, No. 1 Arizona and No. 10 BYU. TCU will play the Jayhawks on the road at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

    Game schedule dates, times, locations

    • Jan. 3 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 6 at Sacramento, 10 p.m., NBC, KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 8 at Utah, 8 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 10 at Chicago, 7 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 12 vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
    • Jan. 6 at Kansas, 8 p.m., ESPN
    • Jan. 10 vs. Arizona, 3 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
    • Jan. 14 at BYU, 10 p.m., ESPN2
    • Jan. 17 at Utah, 1 p.m., TNT
    • Jan. 20 vs. Oklahoma State, 7 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 3 at Utah, 8 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 7 vs. Oklahoma State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 11 vs. Arizona State, 4 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 14 at West Virginia, 6 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 17 vs. Arizona, 4 p.m., ESPN+
    • Jan. 4 vs. Montreal, 1 p.m., Victory+
    • Jan. 6 at Carolina, 6 p.m., Victory+
    • Jan. 7 at Washington, 6 p.m., TNT, Victory+
    • Jan. 10 at San Jose, 3 p.m., Victory+
    • Jan. 12 at Los Angeles, 9 p.m., Victory+
    • Alamo Bowl
    • TCU 30, USC 27 (OT)
    • New Mexico Bowl
    • North Texas 49, San Diego State 47
    • Jan. 4 at N.Y. Giants, noon, Fox
    • End of season
    • May 1 NASCAR Truck Series: SpeedyCash.com 250
    • May 2 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Andy’s Frozen Custard 340
    • May 3 NASCAR Cup Series: Wurth 400

    This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM.

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    Steven Johnson

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