Wednesday, March 27, 2019

'Magnificent Seven' Carry TCU Basketball Back To New York City!


Photos by Tom C. "Midnite" Burke



New York, New York ...


New York City is becoming a second home for TCU Horned Frogs.

On Tuesday, March 26, the TCU men's basketball team advanced to the 2019 National Invitation Tournament Semifinals by defeating Creighton, 71-58, in Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth. 

On Tuesday, April 2, at 9 pm Eastern, the first-seeded Horned Frogs (23-13) will play the second-seeded University of Texas (19-16) Longhorns in historic Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will be televised on ESPN.

This will be the third meeting this season between TCU and the 'Horns. The Frogs won the previous two meetings, 65-61, in Fort Worth, and 69-56, in Austin, in both teams' final regular-season game.

In the other semifinal game in Madison Square Garden on April 2, sixth-seeded Wichita State will face fifth-seeded Lipscomb, at 7 pm Eastern. The game will be televised on ESPN. In the Frogs' fourth game of the season, they fell to Lipscomb, 73-64, in Fort Worth.

The NIT Championship game will be played on Thursday, April 4, at 7 pm Eastern. The game will be televised on ESPN.

TCU is making its second trip in three seasons to New York City for the NIT Final Four. The Frogs won the NIT championship in 2017. TCU beat Central Florida in the semifinal game and Georgia Tech in the championship game. It was the first NIT championship for TCU basketball and for TCU head coach Jamie Dixon, who was in his first year as the Frogs' head coach. Current seniors Alex Robinson and JD Miller and junior Desmond Bane were on that championship team.


This is the third consecutive postseason appearance by the Horned Frogs. Last year, TCU appeared in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Syracuse in the first round.

This postseason, prior to the win over Creighton, TCU had defeated Nebraska and Sam Houston State in NIT games, all of which were played in Schollmaier Arena. 

After being snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee this year and being decimated by injuries and player transfers, reaching the 2019 NIT semifinals is a huge accomplishment for the seven players TCU has had to play with for much of the season.

The "Magnificent Seven" have won 23 games, including three consecutive games and five of their last six games.

Two more consecutive wins, and the Horned Frogs again will be crowned NIT champions!

Photos from 2017 by Tom C. "Midnite" Burke

TCU head coach Jamie Dixon


(photos above and below) TCU won the NIT Championship in Madison Square Garden in 2017.

TCU's Desmond Bane (left, top photo) and Alex Robinson (photo below) enjoyed celebrating the Horned Frogs' NIT Championship in 2017 in New York City. Bane and Robinson are returning to the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden in April.

Kenrich Williams, who plays in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans, was a member of TCU's 2017 NIT Championship team.

Brandon Parrish was a member of TCU's 2017 NIT Championship team. After TCU, Parrish agreed to a deal with FC Schalke 04, a professional basketball team in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/big-12/texas-christian-university/article215804690.html#storylink=cpy

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