Rodney Terry reveals how Texas shut down TCU's Mike Miles

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•03/02/23•

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Texas had a ton on the line Thursday night against TCU. Head coach Rodney Terry needed his team to win out in order to keep Big 12 Championship hopes on the line. Defeating TCU would have given the Longhorns a chance to split the title with Kansas at home on Saturday.

Unfortunately, TCU was able to hold serve at home and got a crucial win of their own. However, nobody involved would have believed the result if you looked at the stat line of Mike Miles. One of the best players in the country when healthy, not even Terry really believed the defensive performance Texas was able to string together.

“Mike is a big part of what they do in terms of — they really need his scoring,” Terry said. “It’s really hard to go into a game saying you’re going to shut Mike Miles down. Mike Miles is a heck of a player, preseason Player of the Year. You just try to contain him and do a good job with him.”

Miles finished with one point in Fort Worth, coming from the free-throw line. He was 0 for 8 from the field and missed all four of his shot attempts. If you don’t count the Mississippi State game where he played four minutes before leaving injured, the previous season low for Miles was 12 minutes.

Even so, TCU was able to get a two-point win against Texas. Big nights from Damion Baugh and Emanuel Miller guided the Horned Frogs, with the duo having 44 of 75 total points. An impressive display for Jamie Dixon’s team in a critical matchup.

Scoring is not the only area Miles does well, though. He was able to haul in five rebounds and dish out an assist. Yes, he is more than likely going to lead TCU in scoring most nights. However, it bodes well for the Hypnotoads in March if they are able to win without Miles being on his A-game.

As for Texas, they have another tough defensive assignment upcoming in Kansas. Multiple players can score for the Jayhawks but Lone Star State native Jalen Wilson mainly features. If Terry can find a way to limit him, it would give the Longhorns a significant chance of ending the season with a win at the Moody Center.