PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Tourney BEST BET >> Won 10* on Davidson Thursday!
(NCAAB) TCU vs. Iowa State,
Point Spread: 4.50 | -110.00 TCU (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 4.50 | -110.00 TCU (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: Iowa State beat a hot Oklahoma St team 92-83 in Thursday's first game of the Big 12 quarterfinals and expected that it would face the nation's no. 1 team (Kansas) in Friday's semifinals. However, TCU, which ended the regular season on a seven-game losing streak before beating Oklahoma 82-63 in this tourney on Wednesday, ended Thursday's game against Kansas on a 9-2 run to upset the the top-seeded Jayhawks (winners of 13 straight Big 12 regular season titles) 85-82. So, the fourth-seeded Cyclones (21-10) will now face the Horned Frogs (19-14) in this Friday semifinal contest.
TCU: Jamie Dixon left Pittsburgh behind, after a great 13-year run, to return to coach his alma mater in Fort Worth. TCU exploded out of the blocks by going 11-1 in non-conference play but the big 12 proved too tough, as TCU went 6-12 and with a loss to Auburn in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, finished just 17-14. However, after 82 and 85-point efforts here in Kansas City, the Horned Frogs are at the top of their game. The win over Kansas represented the first time in school history that the Horned Frogs had defeated a top-three ranked team in 18 tries! Vladimir Brodziansky is 6-11 and leads in scoring (13.9) but not rebounding, at 5.7. The top rebounding honor belongs to the 6-7 swingman Kenrich Williams (9.4), who chips in 10.8 PPG. Sophomore guard Robinson (11.4) and freshman guard Fisher (9.9) can each play the point, with Rbinson averaging 5.6 APG and Fisher 4.1 APG.
Iowa State: The Cyclones were ranked 23rd in last Monday's AP poll and are a virtuall lock for an at-large bid. After ISU defeated OSU, it looked like a matchup with Kansas (the two schools have won the last four Big 12 tourneys) but someone forgot to tell that to TCU. The Cyclones often play five guards at one time, making them a 'nightmare' matchup for many (most?) teams. PG Monte Morris (16.3-4.8-6.3) was the star against Oklahoma State, with 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (6.17). Fellow guard Long (15.9-4.7), Burton (14.5 & 6.3) and Thomas (12.2 & 3.9) join Morris in double digits. ISU averages 80.8 PPG (28th) and shoots 40.2% on threes (14th).
The pick: TCU was last in the Big Dance 18 years ago and last won a game in March Madness back in 1987 when now head coach Jamie Dixon led the team in assists en route to All-Southwest Conference honors. Meanwhile, Iowa State is 8-2 in the Big 12 Tournament since 2013, including back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. However, by the somewhat modest pointspread, oddsmakers seem to believe TCU has a chance. So do I. Make TCU a 10* play.
TCU: Jamie Dixon left Pittsburgh behind, after a great 13-year run, to return to coach his alma mater in Fort Worth. TCU exploded out of the blocks by going 11-1 in non-conference play but the big 12 proved too tough, as TCU went 6-12 and with a loss to Auburn in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, finished just 17-14. However, after 82 and 85-point efforts here in Kansas City, the Horned Frogs are at the top of their game. The win over Kansas represented the first time in school history that the Horned Frogs had defeated a top-three ranked team in 18 tries! Vladimir Brodziansky is 6-11 and leads in scoring (13.9) but not rebounding, at 5.7. The top rebounding honor belongs to the 6-7 swingman Kenrich Williams (9.4), who chips in 10.8 PPG. Sophomore guard Robinson (11.4) and freshman guard Fisher (9.9) can each play the point, with Rbinson averaging 5.6 APG and Fisher 4.1 APG.
Iowa State: The Cyclones were ranked 23rd in last Monday's AP poll and are a virtuall lock for an at-large bid. After ISU defeated OSU, it looked like a matchup with Kansas (the two schools have won the last four Big 12 tourneys) but someone forgot to tell that to TCU. The Cyclones often play five guards at one time, making them a 'nightmare' matchup for many (most?) teams. PG Monte Morris (16.3-4.8-6.3) was the star against Oklahoma State, with 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (6.17). Fellow guard Long (15.9-4.7), Burton (14.5 & 6.3) and Thomas (12.2 & 3.9) join Morris in double digits. ISU averages 80.8 PPG (28th) and shoots 40.2% on threes (14th).
The pick: TCU was last in the Big Dance 18 years ago and last won a game in March Madness back in 1987 when now head coach Jamie Dixon led the team in assists en route to All-Southwest Conference honors. Meanwhile, Iowa State is 8-2 in the Big 12 Tournament since 2013, including back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. However, by the somewhat modest pointspread, oddsmakers seem to believe TCU has a chance. So do I. Make TCU a 10* play.
