The set-up: Illinois State (1-1) will visit Fort Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs, who have opened 3-0. The Redbirds were picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll and TCU had nowhere to go but up after a 12-21 season last year. The good news is that Jamie Dixon is the TCU's new coach, he of Pittsburgh fame, where he led the Panthers to a 328-123 (.727) record in 13 seasons which included 11 NCAA bids, a CBI championship in 2012 and two, 31-wins season.

Illinois state: The Redbirds had five players finish in double figures in Wednesday's win 75-57 over IPFW. It was an excellent response to the team's narrow 73-70 road defeat at Murray State in its season opener. The 6-8 Deontae Hawkins (19.0 & 11.0) led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds for Illinois State. Fellow forward, the 6-7 McIntosh, averages 15.5 & 7.0, while PG Paris Lee is the team's third double digit scorer, averaging 13.0 PGG and 5.0 APG.

TCU: Dixon is a quality coach and he had to happy about the way the Frogs overcame a slow start Friday night to rally past Jacksonville State, cruising to a 79-60 win. Guard Brandon Parrish racked up 20 points in his first start of the season (he started every game for the Horned Frogs last season, averaging 8.7 PPG). "His attitude, his energy -- if he was back next year, I'd have him run for student body president," Dixon joked with reporters after the game. "It would be good." Along with Parrish averaging 14.0 PPG, the Horned Frogs have had at least five double-digit scorers in back-to-back games. Freshman guard Desmond Bane averages a team-best 15.0 PPG and has scored in double figures while shooting 60 percent or better in all three games. Four others are scoring in double digits as well, after three games

The pick: As noted, Dixon can "coach'em up" with the best of them and he's 73-6 in November in his collegiate coaching career. TCU is a 10* play.