Horned Frogs Feel the Love
3/30/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
As they prepare for Thursday's NIT Championship game versus Georgia Tech at 8 p.m. EDT at Madison Square Garden, Horned Frogs players credit the support they receive for making their postseason journey truly memorable.
TCU chants echoed through Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, giving the Horned Frogs the feeling they were at home in the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena.
The TCU takeover of the Big Apple extends to Times Square, where billboards of the Horned Frogs appear in constant rotation throughout the day.
The TCU faithful making their presence felt has been noticed by the local media. Following Tuesday's 68-53 NIT Semifinal victory over UCF, a New York reporter said, "TCU really travels well."
That media sentiment was echoed by TCU guard Kenrich Williams, who recorded his fourth consecutive postseason double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds to go with seven assists in the win versus the Knights.
"The fans have been great for us the whole season," Williams said. "I was surprised to see this many TCU people at the Garden. It's like a family atmosphere for all the TCU fans, alumni and people who just come out and support us. It's great for us."
Fellow Horned Frogs guard Alex Robinson also appreciated the sea of purple making themselves heard in the World's Most Famous Arena.
"It was a very special moment for me," Robinson said. "I think it was also special for our team to have a lot of our fan base fly three hours from Fort Worth to support us and help lead us to a victory."
TCU players are also appreciative of the billboards present through Times Square and the surrounding blocks with various images of themselves and the team.
Brandon Parrish, who has played more games (135) in his career than anyone in TCU men's basketball history, was nearly emotional in describing seeing himself on a billboard in such a high visibility and traffic area.
"It's so surreal," Parrish said. "Seeing myself on this pedestal, an outlet that TCU has provided me, I'm at a loss for words at what TCU has given me."
Williams is also in amazement and appreciative of the investment TCU has made in him.
"It's crazy," Williams said. "I would have never imagined that I'd be on a billboard in Times Square. It's just a blessing and great for us and our program."
Robinson knows those billboards don't just magically appear.
"They're amazing," Robinson said. "It's awesome to have that kind of support and dedication.
"It shows TCU really believes in us to invest that kind of money and make us feel that special. We really have no choice but to win for everyone."
Winning for others is a line that senior Karviar Shepherd emphasizes as well.
"The biggest thing for us is to see our fans get what they deserve, some wins out of this program," Shepherd said. "I'm very appreciative of them. It's not only this year, but all four years coming to the games and supporting us through it all.
"We're very thankful for them."
Robinson, who still has two years of eligibility remaining for the Horned Frogs, grew up with TCU. His mother, Darla, played for the Horned Frogs' women's basketball program from 1982-84. He's seen how far everything has grown.
"It really is surreal and crazy because it's only going up from here," Robinson said. "With Coach (Jamie) Dixon, it's only the beginning.
"Seeing how supportive everyone has been this year, and anticipating how it's going to be in the years to come, is just amazing."
For now, it's all about Thursday night's NIT Championship. When the Horned Frogs take the court in Madison Square Garden, Williams is quick to point out how he and his teammates are playing for those three letters on their jersey as well as the city they represent.
"It's huge for us, knowing we have the support from home," he said. "We want to win this championship and bring it back to the TCU campus and Fort Worth."
