(Photo/Gregg Ellman )
FORT WORTH, TX — TCU (10-7) is back in Fort Worth this Tuesday night after their game this past Saturday against No. 2 Baylor was postponed. The Horned Frogs will face off Iowa State (2-11) at 8:00 p.m.
TCU has gained some confidence after snapping their five-game losing streak, defeating Oklahoma State 81-78 last week. TCU played extremely well against the Cowboys, they shot 49 percent from the field and four of TCU’s starters scored in double-figures. Junior guard RJ Nembhard led with 20 points.
TCU’s defense was also consistent throughout the entire game. They out rebounded Oklahoma State 35-28 and had 11 offensive rebounds compared to the Cowboys five offensive rebounds. The Horned Frogs showed a dominant presence in the paint and the 11 offensive boards resulting in many second chance opportunity points which was the difference maker in the game.
Iowa State is having a rocky season this year, they are 2-11 on the season and have not beat a team in the Big 12 so far this year. They are ranked last in the conference due to a lot of things, one is the fact that a lot of their players were taken out of the roster for COVID-19 protocol.
That is not the case coming into tonight’s game. The Cyclones roster is back to 100 percent and all players are expected to play. Iowa State is going to be eager for a win, they are the first team since 1937 that has not won a conference game in a season.
The Cyclones are led by Junior guard, Rasir Bolton. He is averaging 15.8 points per game and is coming off a 21 point game against the Oklahoma Sooners. He is shooting 46 percent from the floor and is 80 percent from the free throw line. TCU will have to guard him hard, eliminating the opportunity to score the easy two-pointers. Bolton’s game starts to slow down when he gets challenged at the three-point line. He shoots just 36 percent from beyond the arc. TCU will have to force him to shoot the contested three-pointers and early every point.
TCU has shown dominance on defense in their last couple games and that needs to continue if they want to defeat Iowa State. The Cyclones have struggled with turnovers all season and have consistently been out rebounded by their opponent. If TCU’s star forward Kevin Samuel attacks the boards hard, and they capitalize on all turnovers made by the Cyclones, TCU will get a victory over Iowa State.
