TCU, aiming to 'fly,' opens against Florida A&M

TCU and Florida A&M underwent extensive roster turnover in the offseason and will square off in the season opener for both teams Monday night in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Horned Frogs graduated six players and lost five to the transfer portal but still will look to attack in an up-tempo style on offense. TCU averaged 17.8 points per game in transition last season, a category the team has led the nation in the last two seasons.

"We are still trying to run and lead the country in fast-break points," coach Jamie Dixon said. "That hasn't changed. We want to score in transition, be the fastest-playing team and fly up and down the floor."

With seven freshmen on the roster, Dixon wants more physicality on defense as TCU tries to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year. The Horned Frogs lost to Utah State in the first round last season and finished 21-13 overall, including 9-9 in the Big 12 Conference.

"We are in the best league, the most physical league, and we have to take it up a notch to get better," Dixon said. "We have to become more physical without fouling."

First-year Florida A&M coach Patrick Crarey II was at NAIA St. Thomas (Fla.) last season, where Rattlers graduate transfer Milton Matthews was first-team All-Sun Conference and averaged a team-best 18.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Florida A&M hit the transfer portal hard after an 11th-place finish in the 12-team Southwestern Athletic Conference. There are only three returnees and a freshman from last season's team, which went 6-23 overall and 4-14 in league play.

The Rattlers haven't advanced to the NCAA Tournament since the 2006-07 season, and Crarey said this season's team will play fast and be driven by analytics.

"We will be a very up-tempo-based team," he said. "We will be an analytically based team that uses the numbers and data. We'll shoot a lot of threes and get twos in the paint. We'll play more of a new-aged style of basketball that the professional ranks lean towards."

--Field Level Media