By Jeff Wilson
Frogs Today senior writer
FORT WORTH — Well, it looks like the TCU men’s basketball team has its hashtag and T-shirt motto all picked out for next season — #unfinishedbusiness.
That’s what Mike Miles Jr. said pulled him back to the Horned Frogs last week after what appeared to be a no-turning-back commitment to the NBA Draft. But it takes two to tango, and NBA teams might not have been as warm to Miles as he was to them.
So, he returns to the Frogs, where he was their best player en route to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and a controversial no-call against No. 1 Arizona that sent TCU home.
Center Eddie Lampkin Jr. also said he had unfinished business when saying he would not be entering the transfer portal. Chuck O’Bannon Jr. is also staying for his COVID season of eligibility.
The Frogs will be able to put their starting five on the floor from last season, assuming Damion Baugh is back. He declared his intention to explore the NBA Draft.
TCU has lost only Francisco Farabello from last season’s team. He entered the transfer portal and is off to Creighton, which makes sense with Miles’ return and a presumed healthy return of Shahada Wells from a knee injury.
The Frogs are also possibly in line for a reunion with Kendric Davis, the SMU guard who started his career at TCU and now is a graduate transfer looking for a place to play after coach Tim Jankovich left the Mustangs (or was pushed aside).
There is a need for a better 3-point shooter after a season in which the Frogs were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the Big 12.
Maybe the transfer portal will produce that player and help the Frogs with their #unfinishedbusiness.
Savage still helping
Luke Savage pitched high-leverage innings in two games over the weekend as TCU got its season back on track against Texas Tech, but the sophomore left-hander still has life in the proper perspective as he continues to help kids in the Dominican Republic.
His nonprofit organization, Blessed Feet, collected cleats Sunday at Lupton Stadium. Fans responded by donating more than 200 pairs that will be sent to the Dominican Republic. If you’ve only been to a resort in Punta Cana, then you haven’t been to the Dominican Republic, where third-world conditions exist in much of the country.
On the field, Savage closed out a 7-4 victory Friday that put the Frogs on the path to a weekend sweep of the country’s No. 4 team. TCU entered the weekend having lost 7 of 10 games, but arguably for the first time this season, all facets came together against the Red Raiders.
The sweep moved TCU into third place in the Big 12 standings at 24-12, 10-5, though tied with Texas Tech in the loss column.
What to watch this week
It’s a relatively light week of home events, though a big one for tennis and football. Last week was plenty busy, and very successful. Men’s tennis, ranked No. 1 in the country, completed an defeated run through conference play; beach volleyball, ranked No. 2 in the country, had another perfect weekend ahead of the conference championships next week; and equestrian finished its season with loss of the semifinals of the national championships to top-seeded Oklahoma State.
Baseball: vs. UT-Arlington, 6 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+); at Oklahoma State, 6 p.m. Friday (ESPN+); at Oklahoma State, 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN+); at Oklahoma State, 1 p.m. Sunday (ESPN+)
Football: Spring game, 7 p.m. Friday (ESPN+)
Women’s golf: Big 12 championships, Friday-Sunday, Hockley
Men’s tennis: Big 12 championships, Friday-Sunday, Fort Worth
Women’s tennis: Big 12 championships, Friday-Sunday, Fort Worth
Track & field: at Michael Johnson Classic, Friday-Saturday, Waco
Lighter side
Play-in champions: I’m not a particularly big fan of the NBA, though I am a big fan of the TNT studio show. The gang had some fun the how the Minnesota Timberwolves reacted after winning the play-in game into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed.
It was a fairly over-the-top celebration. There were tears shed and articles of clothing removed. Then again, the T’Wolves haven’t exactly been postseason regulars.
Nevertheless, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith had a good time with it.
Baby panda, please: For those who don’t follow @buitengebieden on Twitter, especially animal lovers, you really should follow the account. It’s filled with all kinds of animals doing funny/adorable things, like this baby panda just wanting to be loved.
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden_/status/1515073445096271877
Bad golf shots: This made me laugh. Enjoy.
Jeff Wilson, jeff@frogstoday.com
