For a team built around multiple transfers, last year’s trip to the NCAA Tournament was a new experience for TCU.
After taking down Seton Hall in their first game, the Horned Frogs fell to 1-seed Arizona in overtime.
The majority of that group is back and now they’re a 6-seed in Denver ready to face 11-seed Arizona State on Friday night at Ball Arena.
“Honestly, it just gave us experience,” junior guard Mike Miles Jr. said. “It was all our first time in the tournament last year, now we've all been here before and we know what to expect. Just coming out and playing hard and relying on our experience. We can just play our game and try and get the win.”
Miles, TCU’s leading scorer and All-Big 12 Second Team player, is the one that’s been here the longest. Of the key starters, he’s the lone player who’s spent his entire career in Fort Worth, but now he’s more than comfortable playing with this group.
TCU mascot SuperFrog watches the Horned Frogs practice ahead of their game against Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at Ball Arena in Denver.
“We all know how each other play, we know each other games, we know where we like the ball,” Miles said. “We've been on the same team for two years so we're back at this point in March and we're going to try and do better than we did last year and just help each other. Somebody might not have it going tomorrow, but someone is going to step up and we will have each other's backs.”
One of those players who often has it going in the postseason is senior forward Chuck O’Bannon Jr., a former USC transfer who scored a career-high 23 points in last year’s NCAA Tournament and just recently had 22 points in the win over Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament.
“It feels good,” O’Bannon said. “I just wasn't able to catch a rhythm all season and finally caught that rhythm, so hopefully I can stay in it for the rest of the season.”
TCU coach Jamie Dixon watches his team practice ahead of the Horned Frogs' game against Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at Ball Arena in Denver.
TCU is still missing a big piece from last year’s team — and even the team from just a few weeks ago. Big man Eddie Lampkin has left the team and already entered the transfer portal. To go along with all the injuries they’ve faced all year long, there might be no more battle-tested team than the Horned Frogs.
“Yeah, it's life,” senior guard Damion Baugh said. “Ups and downs in life. It's just us sticking together. We all know we've got each other's back, so it's just all coming together now.”