TCU men’s basketball will face Texas, Arkansas in preseason exhibitions

TCU men’s basketball will have two high-profile exhibition matchups against SEC powers before the start of the 2024 season.

The Horned Frogs will face Texas on Oct. 19 in San Antonio and Arkansas on Nov. 1 before the season opener on Nov. 4 against Florida A&M. It should be quite the preseason challenge for the Horned Frogs as both programs will likely enter the season ranked in the top-25.

The exhibition against the Razorbacks will be held at Dickies Arena and Arkansas is now led by former Kentucky head coach John Calipari. The scrimmage against the Longhorns is expected to be closed for now, but coach Jamie Dixon says the details are still being figured out.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Dixon was excited about the scrimmages and the potential of this year’s TCU team that will feature plenty of new faces.

“I like our group, I like our team,” Dixon said. “We came together well in the summer. Yes, we have a lot of new guys, but so does everybody. We’ve adapted, there’s been some changes, there’s some different development over four years. That excites me, we can experiment more in June, July and August.”

The Horned Frogs have to replace the bulk of the roster from last year including its top eight scorers. Ernest Udeh is the only returner from last year’s rotation and Dixon has been pleased with the progress Udeh has made this off-season.

“I think consistency, we’ve taken a step,” Dixon said. “There are some plays where he makes those amazing plays and it’s like how did he do that? And then there’s still a few ‘what is he doing’ type of plays. We’ve got to cut those down, but I think we’re trending in the right way. I think he’s better in every area, there’s room for improvement in our minds, but his body is elite.”

The biggest question mark will be how TCU replaces Emanuel Miller, one of the most important players in program history that helped lead TCU to three straight NCAA Tournaments. UNC-Wilmington transfer Trazarien White may be the answer.

“He’s kind of that scoring guy, a little bit of Emanuel in him when he scores around the rim,” Dixon said. “He’s doing a better job of shooting 3s. Him catching and shooting was better than I thought it would be based on his numbers over his career. His shot looks good, he has a quick release and good form. Defensively, there’s confirmation he understands and is able to pick up concepts we put in.”

Dixon and the Horned Frogs will have an open practice on Friday at 2 p.m. before TCU plays Houston at 6:30 p.m. in Amon G. Carter Stadium.