Preview: BYU

FORT WORTH – No. 23 TCU is set to battle BYU in its Big 12 conference opener at 4 p.m. on Saturday inside Schollmaier Arena.

TCU (13-0) is undefeated and ranked entering Big 12 play for the first time ever in its 12^th season of conference affiliation.

Saturday marks the 13^th conference game between the Horned Frogs and Cougars. Both programs were Mountain West Conference members from 2006-2011 and played twice annually during that span.

The Game
Teams: TCU (13-0) vs. BYU (10-3)
Date: 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 30
Location: Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas

Coverage
Television: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Ron Thulin, play-by-play
Brandi Poole, analyst

Radio: 88.7 KTCU FM

Chris Blake, play-by-play

Opening Tip

TCU jumped two spots in The Associated Press poll on Monday. The No. 23 ranking is the program's highest since being tabbed 22nd from Jan. 30-Feb. 6, 2018.
TCU checked in at No. 22 in the latest NCAA Net Rankings update on Wednesday.
Saturday's game marks the first time TCU has entered Big 12 play as a ranked squad.
TCU will earn its first Big 12 win and secure its first three-game winning streak as a ranked team in five seasons with a win on Saturday.
The Horned Frogs enter Saturday as one of 10 remaining undefeated teams.
TCU and BYU are colliding for the 20th time on the hardwood. The Cougars hold an 11-8 edge in the all-time series between the programs. TCU and BYU last met on Nov. 23, 2018, a 61-58 BYU win.

Frog Focus

TCU's average margin of victory at home is 28.1 points. The Horned Frogs have defeated their six December adversaries by an average of 33.8 points.
Madison Conner (22.6 ppg) and Prince (21 ppg) combine to make TCU the only team in the country with two 20-point-per-game scorers. The duo continues to lead the Big 12 in scoring and ranks ninth and 15th, respectively, nationally. They each have scored in double figures in every game this season.
Prince was crowned Big 12 Player of the Week on Tuesday for the second time this season. She is one of only three players to receive the award twice in 2023-24. Prince also joined Lauren Heard (2020) as one of just two Horned Frogs to garner the accolade twice in the same season.
Prince averaged 24 points, 16 rebounds 3.5 assists and 2.5 blocks in TCU's wins over Omaha and Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 20-22. She pulled down a career-high 17 boards against Omaha and led all players in scoring and rebounding in both contests.
Prince is the only player who ranks in the top-15 nationally in points per game, rebounds per game (14th, 10.7 rpg) and blocks per game (5th, 3.3 bpg).
Prince is the lone women's college basketball player averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per outing.
Prince has finished with three-or-more blocks in eight of her 12 outings, highlighted by a 10-block clinic against ACU on Dec. 5. The 10 rejections are the most in a game by any D1 player this season.
Conner continues to lead the country in 3-pointers (62) and 3-pointers per game (4.8). Her 62 deep balls are two more than the next closest player, reigning National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark.
Conner is the sole Big 12 player and one of just five nationally averaging at least 22 points, six rebounds and three assists per game.
Jaden Owens leads the country in total assists in December with 50. She is averaging an NCAA-leading 10 assists per game over five December outings and finished with double digit assists in four of her last five games.
Owens ranks second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (+4.79), fourth in assists per game (7.6) and fifth in total assists (91). She is one of only two players alongside Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Rori Harmon who ranks in the top-five nationally in all three metrics.
TCU has led the country in 3-point percentage differential for two consecutive weeks. TCU's 3-point percentage differential (.177) is 21 percentage points better than the next closest squad.
TCU ranks second nationally in 3-pointers (140), 3-pointers per game (10.8) and 3-point percentage defense (.210). TCU is the only team in the country ranking in the top-10 in all three categories.
TCU's points per game differential (28.1) is the 11th-best mark nationally.
The Horned Frogs continue to lead the Big 12 in double-doubles with 15. Prince's eight double-doubles are tied for third nationally and trail only BYU's Lauren Gustin (11) for the conference lead.
TCU has had four players score in double figures in four straight games and six times this season.
TCU leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in both assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.75) and field goal percentage defense (.318).a No. 7 seed in Charlie Creme's latest ESPN Bracketology on Tuesday.

A Win over the Cougars Would…

Stake TCU to a 1-0 start to Big 12 play for the first time in four years. TCU last won its Big 12 opener during the 2019-20 campaign, defeating No. 25 Texas 65-63 on Jan. 3, 2020.
Give TCU its most victories as a ranked team in six seasons.
Make Mark Campbell the first first-year TCU head coach to win his Big 12 debut.
Give TCU three straight wins as a ranked team for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign.
Put TCU within two home victories of tying the second-longest home winning streak in
- program history.
Extend the Horned Frogs' program record winning streak to 14 games.
Be the Horned Frogs' 100th win at Schollmaier Arena and improve TCU's career record inside the venue to 100-50.
Boost TCU's all-time home record to 426-246.
Give TCU its 15th victory in its last 16 tries dating back to the Big 12 Championship in March.

Series Breakdown: BYU
Meeting: 20th
All-Time Series: BYU leads, 11-8
Since joining Big 12: BYU leads, 1-0
Date Series Began: Dec. 12, 1987
Last Game Played: Nov. 23, 2018
Last Meeting: BYU won, 61-58
Current Win Streak: BYU, W2
TCU at Home: 5-4
TCU on the Road: 3-5
TCU on a Neutral Court: 0-2
Largest Margin of Victory by TCU: 24, (Feb. 3, 2018)
Largest Margin of Victory by BYU: 17, (Feb. 25, 2006)
Longest Winning Streak by TCU: 3, (March 3, 2007-March 8, 2008)
Longest Winning Streak by BYU: 4, (Jan. 25, 2006-Feb. 1, 2007)

Series Since TCU Joined Big 12
TCU Record in Series: 0-1
TCU at Home: 0-0
TCU on the Road: 0-0
TCU on a Neutral Court: 0-1

Last 10 Games
Date            W/L    Score  Location
11/23/18        L        61-58  San Diego
2/19/11          L        70-60 Provo
1/19/11          W       54-51  Fort Worth
3/2/10          L        70-65  Provo
2/3/10          W       64-40 Fort Worth
2/14/09        W       75-55  Provo
1/13/09         L        62-46 Fort Worth
3/8/08          W       72-61  Provo
2/5/08          W       73-54  Fort Worth
3/3/07          W       62-48 Fort Worth

Series Notes: BYU

TCU and BYU squared off twice annually from 2006-2011 during their shared Mountain West Conference affiliation.
BYU claimed seven of 13 ballgames between the programs during their MWC era.
TCU is facing BYU in its conference opener for the first time ever.
TCU's last meeting with BYU came during the opening round of the 2018 SDSU Thanksgiving Classic. The four most recent members of TCU's 1,000-point club all scored in double figures in the defeat; Kianna Ray, Lauren Heard, Amy Okonkwo and Jordan Moore.
TCU and BYU are the top-two 3-point shooting teams in the Big 12.
BYU is third team featured in the top-100 of the NET Ratings TCU has faced this season.

Schedule

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Players Mentioned

Madison Conner

Jaden Owens

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