When the men's basketball team meets the San Jose State Spartans today in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament, the Frogs will be playing for more than the right to advance to another day. TCU goes into the tournament with a 17-13 record and hopes of making it to postseason play, whether it be the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitation Tournament. As it stands now, the chances of the Frogs catching March Madness are slim to none. With a convincing showing this weekend though, TCU may receive its second-straight invite to the NIT. Players and coaches are still optimistic that they can reach the NCAA tournament, which is a good sign that they have not given up on the season. However, considering the team's performance this season, an NIT bid would be a good way to cap off the season. But the road to the postseason will be a tough one. The fourth-seed Frogs play the fifth-seed Spartans, a team that TCU has swept this season. Head coach Billy Tubbs said he does not look forward to playing a 4-5 seed game, especially when he has beaten the other team twice. The Frogs need to stay focused and not let the Spartans sneak up on them. San Jose State (15-14, 6-8 WAC) possesses a strong defense and a solid rebounding game. The Spartans lead the WAC in points allowed with 58.9 per game, and opposing teams only shoot 39.3 percent from the field. One of the key matchups for the Frogs will be senior forward Marquise Gainous and Spartans' junior forward Darnell Williams. Williams leads the Spartans in rebounding with 8.6 rebounds per game. TCU is playing its best basketball right now. With an emotional win over Southern Methodist and a rout against Rice, the Frogs come into the tournament with high hopes and the performance to back it. The Frogs should have no problem putting away the Spartans. The TCU defense, with its high-pressure, high-intensity full-court press, will force San Jose State to take poor shots and turn the ball over. The Spartans are the WAC's second-lowest scoring team, averaging only 59.5 points per game. The Frogs will face Tulsa, the tournament's No. 1 seed, in the second round assuming the Golden Hurricane defeats last-seed Rice. TCU has not beaten Tulsa (27-3, 12-2 WAC) this season. If the Frogs want to make a convincing case to the NCAA Selection Committee, TCU needs to win the WAC tournament. Even then, the Frogs' future is uncertain. Right now, the favorites out of the WAC to go to the Big Dance are Fresno State and Tulsa. As long as players and coaches focus on one game at a time and continue to play solid basketball, the NCAA Tournament is not out of reach. To finish the season playing in the NIT, however, would be an excellent way to end an average season.
Sports Editor Matt Welnack is a junior
news-editorial journalism major from San Antonio. |
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