Visiting Locker Room: Winsidr on the TCU Horned Frogs

Monday is an oddity in the NCAA college basketball calendar with two nonconference games played at a time when conference basketball hits its stride. No. 14 Ohio State women’s basketball is part of The Coretta Scott King Classic doubleheader against a team it never played in its program history — The No. 10 TCU Horned Frogs.

With both of those things in mind, Land-Grant Holy Land wanted to learn more about the Big 12 side that underwent a roster flip in the offseason. To do that, Melissa Triebwasser from Winsidr took the time to answer questions about star guard Olivia Miles, the lone defeat on the Horned Frogs’ schedule, handling pressure defenses, and more.

Land-Grant Holy Land: TCU’s big move in the offseason was the transfer of the nightly triple-double threat Olivia Miles. What is she doing, if anything, differently with the Horned Frogs that college basketball fans might not have seen at Notre Dame?

Winsidr: While Olivia Miles hasn’t fundamentally overhauled her playing style since transferring from Notre Dame, her transition to TCU highlights how a change in environment can impact a ceiling. Much like the resurgence seen with Hailey Van Lith, Miles appears to be thriving in a healthy, high-energy culture that encourages her to embrace a more complete version of her game.

At TCU, Miles has been given a green light to be more aggressive on the offensive end. While her turnovers have seen a slight uptick, they are a byproduct of a higher usage rate that has also led to an increase in her rebounding and assist numbers. She continues to showcase the flashy playmaking and “must-watch” court vision that made her a star in South Bend, but it feels more integrated into a balanced team offensively.

Much has been made of her defensive deficiencies in the past, but she has bought into TCU’s system. Playing within one of the top-ranked defenses in the country, Miles is showing a heightened level of effort and connectivity on that end of the floor. The most significant change is the shift in her role relative to her teammates. At Notre Dame, she was often paired with high-usage, rim-attacking guards like Hannah Hidalgo. At TCU, she operates alongside Maddie Scherr and Donovyn Hunter, which changes the geometry of the court for her; Scherr and Hunter are premier defenders who provide a safety net, allowing Miles to take more risks in passing lanes.

In short, Miles isn’t necessarily a different player; she’s a player who has been placed in a system perfectly designed to maximize her “nightly triple-double” potential.

LGHL: The one blemish on the TCU schedule was the away loss to the University of Utah. After that, it was a narrow victory over Oklahoma State. What did Utah do that TCU had trouble defending or is it a tale of teams finally getting consistent tape on a team that went through its own overhaul in the offseason?

W: The loss at Utah served as a reality check for a program navigating a massive offseason overhaul. Utah put on an uncharacteristic shooting performance, hitting nearly everything even contested looks. Conversely, the Frogs appeared sluggish, getting out-hustled and out-effort-ed on both ends of the floor. But other issues were exposed through that game as well. Mark Campbell has successfully built a Top Ten program, but without “Blue Blood” status, scheduling elite non-conference opponents remains a challenge. This resulted in a relatively weak early schedule that didn’t fully prepare the team for the nightly grind of Big 12 play. Additionally, after a dominant start to the season, Suarez has struggled with shooting and turnovers in recent weeks. However, her game-winning buzzer-beater at West Virginia suggests a potential turning point in her confidence.

LGHL: Ohio State is known for forcing turnovers in bunches. How has TCU done facing teams that use a full-court press?

W: As the competition stiffens, opponents are increasingly using the full-court press to slow TCU down. While the Frogs are at their best when running on missed shots and forced turnovers, aggressive defensive traps have exposed some vulnerabilities. Up until the game against West Virginia, TCU had handled pressure well. However, a season-high 24 turnovers in Morgantown highlighted a tendency to get careless with the ball when faced with sustained full-court pressure.

With 10 new players, TCU is still in the “figuring it out” phase on the offensive end. Olivia Miles, in particular, is navigating the delicate balance of knowing when to be an aggressive scorer versus a pure facilitator, a challenge magnified on nights when a consistent second scoring option hasn’t emerged. In short, Miles and the Frogs aren’t a finished product; they are a high-ceiling unit still learning how to maintain their identity as the competition level rises and opponents begin to get film on them.

The positive for TCU is that they essentially start three point guards in Miles, Hunter, and Scherr, all of whom have excelled as primary ball-handlers in their collegiate careers and are capable of breaking pressure with good decision making and/or the ability to attack the rim coast to coast. Beyond the traditional guards, Marta Suarez is capable of initiating the offense, and Veronica Sheffey has emerged as a confident ball-handler off the bench, proving invaluable in breaking the press during the second half against the Mountaineers.

LGHL: Defensively, TCU has accolades of its own with the second-best scoring defense in Big 12 conference play. What does TCU do so well to limit its opponents on defense?  

W: While fans debate whether last year’s Hailey Van Lith-led unit was superior, this year’s squad holds a clear advantage on the defensive end, boasting the second-best scoring defense in Big 12 play. Donovyn Hunter is arguably one of the best defenders in the sport, capable of neutralizing multiple positions. Paired with Maddie Scherr – who has been a surprisingly effective shot-blocker from the guard position – the perimeter defense is formidable. And if opponents beat the first wave, they are met by a pair of 6’7″ centers. Sophomore Clara Silva is an athletic, double-double threat, while senior Kennedy Basham provides elite rim protection. This safety net allows the guards to gamble and take chances on the perimeter.

Across the board, TCU utilizes its length effectively, with Marta Suarez at the four and “Swiss Army Knife” Taylor Bigby off the bench. Their greatest defensive strength, however, is their rotation. For a team with ten new players, they excel at “helping the helper” – the critical second wave of defense after the initial rotation – showing a level of unity and aggression rarely seen in overhauled rosters.

Ohio State will be one of, if not the, toughest test of the season for this team, and it will be invaluable for Mark Campbell to see how his unit performs in a neutral-site game against an elite opponent. Defense travels, and that alone should give the Frogs a shot.