TCU’s J.R. Cadot drives along the baseline against San Diego State Saturday in San Diego. SMU and TCU will face off Wednesday evening in Moody Coliseum. (Associated Press)
The SMU men’s basketball team will take on rival TCU at Moody Coliseum on Wednesday night.
The Mustangs will be looking to snap a losing streak and improve their overall record to 11-13 while the Horned Frogs will try reach 14 wins on the season with their nine losses.
No matter what sport, SMU’s meetings with TCU this academic year have generally been pretty intense, and in most cases, close games.
SMU beat 20th ranked TCU 40-33 in an overtime thriller in Fort Worth during this year’s Iron Skillet. TCU head coach Gary Patterson was fiery after a few Mustang postgame comments offended the coach and he essentially stated that whatever decent relationship the two programs had is now over.
However, besides football, SMU sports teams in general have had TCU’s number all year.
The equestrian team beat TCU in late September. The women’s basketball team beat them in November. The men’s swim and dive team easily cruised through the Horned Frogs in a January meet. The women’s swim and dive team beat them, too.
Now it’s time for the SMU men’s basketball team to follow suit.
The Mustangs are 6-3 at home this season while TCU has a 2-5 away record.
The teams met once last year at TCU in a game that the Horned Frogs won 84-64. TCU was a much better team at home last year, just as they are this year.
At Moody Coliseum, it’s a different ball game. Unfortunately, the Mustangs have dropped five straight. Two out of the last three losses have been at home.
On-court issues aside, what the team needs is support and a decent fan base this season. The team’s attendance numbers dip when the Mustangs are home and peak anytime they are away from home.
On Wednesday night, Southern Methodist University has proposed the SMU 1K. It’s a challenge to the SMU student body for at least 1,000 students to come to the game.
Fans may just be the good luck charm the Mustangs need to break their losing streak and fry the Frogs.
Tip off is at 7 p.m. TCU will surely be a challenge, which is why the team needs all of the fan support it can get.
