TCU gets another early test Tuesday, and the main question is whether the Frogs can keep turning promising pieces into a clean, connected offense.
Through two games, TCU has already shown a nice blend of returning production and new faces making an impact. That mix has fueled a strong start, and it’s the thread worth following again when UL Monroe comes to town.
The Warhawks arrive with an offense that has already flashed some punch. They opened with an 83-78 loss to Central Michigan, then bounced back in a big way with a 99-55 win over Champion Christian.
Guards Dayjaun Anderson and Quran McPherson have driven much of that scoring. McPherson put up 24 points against Central Michigan, and Anderson added 19.
Anderson then came back with 24 points and four three-pointers against Champion Christian.
That puts some pressure on TCU’s perimeter defense. If the Frogs let those guards catch it comfortably and settle into rhythm, UL Monroe can hang around. The better answer is to make every touch difficult and force the Warhawks to earn everything.
On the other end, TCU’s defense should feed right into what it wants to do offensively. When the Frogs can pressure the ball and get out in transition, their offense becomes a lot tougher to slow down. That’s where this team can start to separate itself.
Friday’s game against Southern offered another look at that formula. TCU followed its season opener against Lindenwood with another productive outing, and all five starters finished in double figures. Micah Robinson led the way with 18 points, while Brock Harding handed out 12 assists.
Those two performances say a lot about how TCU is functioning early. Robinson gives the Frogs a real scoring option on the wing, and Harding keeps the whole thing moving. His value isn’t just in making the first pass available; it’s in seeing the opening, moving the ball and keeping possessions from bogging down.
That kind of chemistry matters, especially with a returning core. When players already know where each other likes the ball and how the next action should flow, the offense can spend less time searching and more time attacking.
TCU’s shooting from deep has also been a major part of the early story. The Frogs hit 10 of 19 from three against Lindenwood, then went 13-for-27 against Southern. The efficiency dipped a bit, but the volume gave TCU another way to stretch defenses and open up the floor.
That spacing changes the way opponents have to play. Once defenders have to honor the arc, Harding gets more room to operate and Xavier Edmonds has a better chance to establish position inside. It all feeds into the same idea: the Frogs are harder to defend when the ball keeps moving and the threats keep coming from multiple spots.
Still, it’s only two games. TCU doesn’t need every night to look this smooth.
Tuesday is more about the process than the box score. Are the Frogs moving the ball?
Are they making the extra pass? Are they creating good shots within the offense?
Those are the habits that matter when the schedule gets tougher.
There’s also some history in this matchup. The all-time series between TCU and UL Monroe is tied 3-3, though the Frogs have won both meetings under Dixon. The most recent came in 2022, when TCU rolled to a 95-60 win.
Tuesday also lands on Dixon’s birthday, and he’s 3-0 as a head coach on that date. That includes an 83-73 win over UL Monroe in 2017.
Those details are a nice touch, but the game will be decided by what happens on the floor now. TCU needs to set the tempo, avoid careless possessions and make sure the Warhawks don’t get easy looks.
Through two games, there’s plenty to like about where the Frogs are headed. Robinson has been the obvious scoring standout, but Edmonds and Tanner Toolson are also players I’d keep an eye on. If TCU can keep getting production from several spots, it becomes much harder to key on one guy.
Trent Lincoln is another name that could matter as the season goes on.
My pick is TCU to win comfortably. What I’ll be watching most is how the Frogs create shots, how they handle UL Monroe’s guards and whether their execution stays sharp as the rotation expands. A third straight win would be another solid step, and the habits behind it would matter just as much.
In Other News...
Sonny Dykes Future Just Got More Complicated For TCU
TCUs board of trustees is set to meet with more than one big-ticket issue on the table, and Sonny Dykes contract is among them. The discussion comes at a time when the athletic department is navigating budget pressure from rising athlete compensation costs and major campus expansion projects, even as the universitys sizable endowment is not typically tapped for athletic expenses.
For a program trying to keep pace in an era when coaching contracts and buyouts keep getting more expensive, the timing matters. TCU has to weigh what it can afford now against what it may need to spend to stay competitive later, and Dykes future sits right in the middle of that calculation. [Read more 🡒]
TCU's Quarterback Debate Just Got Harder To Ignore
Sonny Dykes made it clear this week that TCU is at least entertaining a larger role for sophomore quarterback Adam Schobel after the recent stretch from senior Jaden Craig. Schobel has only seen limited action this season, but the conversation around him has sharpened as the Horned Frogs look for a way to get more out of the position without unsettling the offense.
The challenge now is less about whether Schobel has a place in the plan and more about how TCU can use him without inviting the kind of mistakes that can stall drives and shake confidence. For a staff trying to balance the present with Schobels long-term development, the next steps at quarterback suddenly carry a lot more weight than they did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
TCU May Have Found A Central Texas Pipeline Worth Watching
A growing recruiting connection in Central Texas is starting to look like one worth monitoring for TCU, with Waco University High School emerging as a school the Horned Frogs have made a point to visit. The relationship has been built through campus trips and steady communication between the two coaching staffs, a sign that TCU is trying to stay active in a part of the state where college programs are always looking for an edge.
Waco University has become a more visible stop on the recruiting map, drawing interest from more than 50 colleges as the school uses social media to spotlight its athletes. The talent level is real, too, with players such as Davontrae Kirkland, who is committed to Baylor, and Ro Enriquez, who is committed to Texas Southern, already on college radars. For TCU, the value of that relationship may be less about one player than about establishing itself early in a place that keeps producing attention-worthy prospects. [Read more 🡒]