Frogs and SMU set for State Farm DFW Duel
12/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2007
Game Notes - SMU in PDF Format
Game Day Information
Opponent: The TCU men's basketball program will travel down the road to Dallas for a match-up in the State Farm DFW Duel against rivals SMU at the Moody Coliseum on Wednesday evening for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.
Radio: Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) and KTCU (88.7 FM) in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
Brian Estridge (play-by-play) and John Denton (anaylst) will call the game on the TCU/ISP Sports Network. The game can also be heard online at www.GoFrogs.com and viewed on the TCU Athletics website via GameTracker.
Television: The contest between the Frogs and Mustangs can be seen on tape delay on TXA-Channel 21 with Doug Anderson (play-by-play) and Bill Jones (analyst) handling the game-time duties.
Next on the Schedule: The Frogs will return to the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Saturday afternoon when TCU welcomes Texas Southern to the Fort Worth area. The game can be heard on Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) and KTCU (88.7 FM) as well as seen on television on The Mtn. Network.
The Big Score
• The Frogs have scored 463 points through the first six games - averaging 77.2 points per game - which is the most points scoring in the opening six games since Neil Dougherty's first season in 2002-03 when TCU opened up the campaign with 486 points - an average of 81.0 points per game.
• The Purple and White is currently ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in scoring offense with an average of 77.2 points per game behind nationally-ranked BYU (82.9 P-G) and University of New Mexico (78.0 P-G).
Good Things Happen When You Start Quick
• Following back-to-back setbacks, the Frogs stand at 4-2 heading into Wednesday evening's game against SMU. The Frogs are off to a 4-2 start for the seventh time in the last nine seasons, including the fourth time during head men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty's tenure.
Frogs Remain Dominant over Southwestern Athletic Conference
• The Frogs have had a lot of success over members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference over the last few decades as the Purple and White have recorded a 20-1 overall record against the conference. The last loss for TCU versus a member of the SWAC came against Texas Southern on December 29, 1988, when the Tigers recorded a 103-78 victory at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. This season, the Frogs have posted victories over Arkansas-POine Bluff (75-61) and Grambling State (99-67) as well as trio of upcoming contests against the SWAC.
Statement Time in the Mountain West Conference
• In the 2007-08 pre-season rankings for the Mountain West Conference - the Frogs were predicted to finish seventh overall with a total of 58 points, holding advantages over the Air Force Academy (54 points) and Colorado State (33 points).
• Teams in the Mountain West Conference have combined for a record of 45-18 (.714 winning percentage) with New Mexico and San Diego State at the top of the rankings witha 7-1 overall record. BYU is the lone Mountain West Conference program ranked nationally as the Cougars are listed 21st and 23rd in the nation by two separate polls.
• Every team in the Mountain West Conference has notched at least three victories this season and has recorded a .500 or higher winning percentage.
Frogs Drop 90-66 Decision to Oklahoma at Home
• The Frogs suffered their second straight setback of the season following a 90-66 decision to the University of Oklahoma at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Sunday (Dec. 2).
• The Sooners were the first team to score 90 or more points against the Frogs since UNC-Charlotte posted a 94-point performance on January 26, 2005 - a span of 77 games.
• Tony Crocker connected on a game-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-7 shooting from behind the three-point line. The OU guard nearly recorded a double-double with nine rebounds to go along with three assists in 32 minutes of action.
• The Sooners had two other players finish with double-digit scoring performances against the Frogs in Blake Griffin (15 points) and Austin Johnson (13 points).
• TCU junior Henry Salter led the Purple and White offensive scoring attack against the Sooners as he finished with 18 points after connecting on 6-of-11 field goal attempts - including a career-high 5-of-6 from behind the three-point line.
• Kevin Langford scored 11 points in the game to go along with four rebounds in 24 minutes of action. It was the fourth straight game that the TCU forward has recorded a double-digit scoring performance.
• The Frogs finished the game with 33 rebounds - which was their lowest total of the season - and the third time this season that the Purple and White was out-rebounded in a game. The Frogs came into the contest ranked fourth in the nation in rebounds per game as a team as the Purple and White averaged 46.4 boards per evening.
• For the fifth time in six games, the Frogs recorded double-digits in the steals' department as they finished with 10 in the game compared to six for the Sooners. The Frogs had eight players record at least one steal in the game with Ryan Wall and John Ortiz leading the way for the Purple and White with two steals a piece.
• In addition to snapping their six-game home winning streak, the Frogs also suffered their worst home loss since 24th-ranked Vanderbilt defeated by the Purple and White by a 95-60 margin on January 3, 2004.
Frog Defense Standing Tall
• The TCU football team is known for having a strong defense under Gary Patterson, but now the Frog basketball team is making their own identity as a defensive force.
• In five games, the Frogs have limited opponents to a combined 40.9 percent (143-of-350) shooting performance and 34.3 percent (37-of-108) from behind the three-point arc.
• Since the 1960-61 season, the Frogs have never held opponents to a shooting percentage lower than .400 - their lowest field goal defense came during the 1985-86 season when opponents shot 41.5 percent from the field.
• The Frogs have forced opponents into 119 turnovers (19.8 turnovers per game) where they have scored 130 points off of the miscues of their foes - an average of 21.6 points.
• The Frogs have held three of their six foes to under 70 points in a game this season. The Purple and White have held three of their first six opponents to under 70 points in each of the last three seasons.
The Glass Cleaners
• Alvardo Parker and Luke Tauscher became the first set of teammates since Neil Dougherty's first season to each record a double-digit rebounding performance in the same game - a span of 131 games. The last set of Frogs to record double-digit rebounds came against UAB on Feb. 18, 2003, in Chudi Chinweze (13) and Bingo Merriex (11).
Scouting the Opponents - SMU
• This will be the 183rd meeting between TCU and SMU with the Mustangs holding a 100-82 advantage over the Purple and White in the State Farm DFW?Duel. The Mustangs recorded a 30-19 victory over the Frogs in their first-ever meeting back in 1919 and notched a last-second 64-62 victory in their last meeting in December of 2006. The Frogs have notched a 12-4 advantage over the Mustangs in the last 16 games.
• The Mustangs dropped their first four decisions of the season - losing to Southern (75-61), Alabama State (64-54), Centenary (93-76) and Dayton (82-57) before winning their last two contests against Paul Quinn College (81-63) and University of Texas at San Antonio (62-56).
• Jon Killen is the Mustangs' top scorer as the SMU?guard is averaging 12.0 points per game while connecting on 42.4 percent of his field goal attempts - including 42.9 percent of his three-point field goal tries. Killen is the Mustangs' top shooter from behind the three-point line as he has connected on a team-high 15 attempts.
• In the last five minutes of action, Killen has proven to be the go-to-scorer for the Mustangs as the SMU senior has scored 29 of the team's 66 total points in the final minutes - 43.9 percent of the team's points.
• Bamba Fall has enjoyed an impressive season as the SMU as the 7-1 center is averaging 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while connecting on 60.6 percent of his field goal attempts. The Mustang junior has also blocked a team-high 12 shots this season, including a career-high five shots against Alabama State.
• In their two victories, the Mustangs are averaging 71.5 points per game where they have connected on 45.4 percent of their field goal attempts while averaging 49.5 rebounds per game. In their four setbacks, SMU is averaging 62.0 points per game along with 39.3 percent shooting and 32.5 rebounds per game.
• The Mustangs are averaging 68.0 points per game at the Moody Coliseum where they have notched a 1-3 overall record on their home floor. The Mustang opponents are averaging 73.8 points per game and are shooting 43.2 percent from the floor on the home court of SMU.
• Alex Malone is ranked second on the team with an 11.7 points per game scoring average while the SMU freshman has scored in double digits in five of the team's first six games. He recorded a nice collegiate debut with a team-high 19-point performance against Southern.
• In their first six games of the season, the Mustangs have proven to be a second half team as SMU is averaging 29.8 points in the first 20 minutes of action compared to 35.3 points in the second frame. The Mustangs are commited 60 turnovers in the first half of action compared to 36 miscues in the final 20 minutes.
• Matt Doherty begins his second season as head men's basketball coach for the Mustangs after making previous stops at Notre Dame, North Carolina, and most recently, Florida Atlantic.
Frogs Closing in on 400th Victory at the DMC
• Following the Frogs' 99-67 victory over Grambling State, the Purple and White recorded their 390th triumph inside the friendly confines of the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since its' opening on December 18, 1961.
Charity Stripe Blues
• One of the areas still in need of improvement for the Frogs comes at the free throw line where TCU has connected on 58.3 percent (88-of-151) free throw attempts compared to 66.4 percent (85-of-128) attempts from the charity stripe for opponents. On average - the Frogs are leaving 10.5 points per evening at the charity stripe.
Always Be Ready to Play
• In TCU head men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty's system, every player has to be ready to play at any time. This season, all 14 players that have suited up in the Purple and White have played. During the 2006-07 campaign - that feat wasn't reached until the 24th game on the road at Colorado State.
Home-Grown Talent Pays Dividends for Horned Frogs
• The Horned Frogs will get plenty of scoring from a trio of home-grown talents in Brent Hackett (Southwest H.S.), Kevin Langford (North Crowley H.S.) and Luke Tauscher (Southwest H.S.).
• Hackett was the first player that Neil Dougherty signed from the Dallas/Fort Worth Area when he became head men's basketball coach at TCU. Langford also had ties with Dougherty as his brother, Keith, was a recruited and coached by Dougherty at the University of Kansas.
• The Fort Worth duo are ranked second and third on the squad in scoring as Hackett is averaging 11.8 points per game while Langford has notched 11.7 points per evening.
• Langford and Hackett recorded their best years last season for the Horned Frogs as both players were selected as honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference award winners. The pair recorded 734 total points (Langford - 397 / Hackett - 337) and accounted for 38.8 percent of all the scoring for the Horned Frogs.
• The Frogs are also excited about another Fort Worth talent in Luke Tauscher - who begins his first season with the program after sitting out last season due to a red-shirt campaign. The 6-11 center - who is also the tallest member of the TCU squad - has averaged 4.3 boards per game while chipping into the offensive attack with a 3.2 scoring average and five blocked shots.
A Team Filled with Mr. Cleans
• This season, the Frogs are averaging 44.3 rebounds per game - which ties them for seventh in the country in that category along with Ole Miss. The Purple and White are ranked second in the State of Texas in boards as Texas State has secured the top spot with a 47.7 boards per game average.
• The Frogs have collected at least 50 rebounds in three of six games this season and currently sit at the top of the Mountain West Conference in two rebounding categories, including rebounds per game (44.3 R-G), and offensive rebounds per game (17.17 OR-G) and second in defensive rebounds per game (27.17 DR-G). The Frogs also hold the top rebounding performance this season in the Mountain West Conference with a 59-board evening against Rice.
The "Langford" Road Home
• Kevin Langford is still looking to find his shooting touch, but that hasn't stopped the Fort Worth native from racking up the points on the scoreboard as he is ranked third on the team with an 11.7 points per game average. Over the course of the last four games, Langford is averaging 13.8 points per game as he has notched double-digit scoring performances against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (16), Grambling State (14), Texas Tech (16) and Oklahoma (11).
• The TCU forward has also done a nice job on the glass for the Frogs as he has averaged 7.0 rebounds per game in the last four games and currently ranks ninth in the Mountain West Conference in rebounding (6.8 R-G) and 10th in free throw percentage (.676).
The Hackett Man
• For the first time in his career, TCU senior Brent Hackett had the opportunity to work out with the Frogs this off-season as part of their strength and conditioning program. The hard work paid off for Hackett as he is ranked second on the Frogs' squad in scoring average at the 11.8-point mark.
• During his career with the Frogs - Hackett has appeared in 98 games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 64 occasions, missing only four starts in the last three seasons (two of those non-starting games coming on Senior Night).
• Hackett has been one of the top scorers for the Frogs over the last four seasons as he has recorded 10 or more points in 39 career games - 3 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 18 (Sophomore)
• After a 23-point evening against Grambling State, Hackett recently surpassed the 800-point milestone as he currently stands at 825 career points. This season, Hackett has recorded 15 or more points in three of the Frogs' six games and currently ranks second in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game with a 2.83 average.
Welcome to the Parker's
• TCU head men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty was expecting BIG things from forward Alvardo Parker, and after the first six games of the season, he was not disappointed. Parker recorded his second career double-double with a 10-point, 11-rebound performance against Rice (Nov. 13) and is ranked fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a 6.8 rebounding average.
• Parker is ranked fourth in the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage (67.6% / 23-of-34) with all of his field goals made coming in the paint this season. The TCU senior is ranked first in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (2.83 OR-G) and second in blocked shots (1.5 B-G).
• The TCU forward has recorded 70 blocked shots during his career with the Frogs and after a one-block performance, overtook 10th in the all-time record books from Doug Arnold (1982-83).
• This is only the fourth year of organized basketball for the Turks & Caicos Islands' native as he spent his first two seasons at Frank Phillips Junior College followed by his TCU?career.
Never Shy Away from the National Spotlight
• TCU head men's basketball coach Neil Doughery is not one to shy away from a nationally-ranked opponent as the Frogs have competed against 16 squads ranked in the top-25 during his tenure. To put the numbers into perspective - TCU only played 19 nationally-ranked teams during the entire decade of the 1990s - a span of 303 games.
• The Frogs has recorded four victories over nationally-ranked opponents during Dougherty's tenure with their latest victim coming against 14th-ranked Air Force Academy where TCU notched a 71-66 win in February of 2007.
• TCU is 12-88 (.120) all-time against nationally-ranked teams and has dropped 15 of its last 17 match-ups against teams ranked in the top-25. The victory over the Falcons snapped a six-game skid against ranked opponents.
• The Frogs haven't had much success against nationally-ranked opponents on the road as they have dropped 47 of 48 match-ups when away from the DMC. Their lone victory came against Hawaii (83-79) on January 19, 1998.
Frogs Adding a Little Salter to Their Diet
• TCU newcomer Henry Salter has made a tremendous impact on the Frogs' lineup in his first season with the program as he has connected on 10 or more points in five of the team's first six games.
• Salter is ranked 20th in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (13.7 P-G) and 11th in rebounds per game (5.7 R-G) and is only one of four players in the conference to be ranked in the top-20 in the conference joining Trent Plaisted (BYU), Brad Jones (Wyoming) and Lee Cummard (BYU).
• The TCU junior is ranked first on the team in scoring average and has been a force on the boards as well as Salter has collected six rebounds in four of six games this season.
• Salter was a NJCAA All-American third team member last season after finishing fourth in the country in scoring at 24.6 points per game. He was the only player in the country to rank in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding as he finished sixth with an 11.8 boards per evening.
Standing "O" for Ortiz
• TCU newcomer John Ortiz has helped the Frogs off of the bench where the low post standout is averaging 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He has done a tremendous job at getting to the free throw line where he is ranked second on the Frogs' squad in free throw made (15) and free throws attempts (28).
• Ortiz recorded a career-high 10 points against Texas Tech (Nov. 28) following a nine-point, nine-rebound performance over Grambling State. Over the last four games, the TCU junior is averaging 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
It's All About the Ebie, Baby!
• TCU sophomore Jason Ebie has made a dramatic improvement from his freshman to his sophomore campaigns, and the Houston native will see plenty of court action this season at the point guard position. In his first five games, Ebie is averaging 3.8 points, 3.8 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game in 17.8 minutes of action a night.
• Ebie is ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in steals per game, fourth in assists per game and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio. The TCU sophomore is the only player in the MWC to be ranked in the top-five of all three categories.
• The TCU point guard has recorded four or more assists in five of six games this season and has collected at least three steals in four of six games for the Frogs. In five of six games this season, Ebie has seen at least 15.0 minutes of court action while chipping in with at least two points in every contest.
Neon Keion in Primetime
• One of the biggest additions to the Frogs' lineup will come in the return of sophomore Keion Mitchem, who appeared in the team's first 15 games of the 2006-07 season. The TCU guard is averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while connecting on 36.0 percent of his shots - including 31.6 percent from behiind the three-point line.
Great Scott!
• The faithful of the Purple and White will quickly get to know the name of Mike Scott as the TCU freshman is seeing a lot of playing time in his first season with the Frogs. Scott won the starting point guard position for the team's first six games where he has averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 rebounds per game.
• Even though he is only a freshman, Scott is not the youngest member of the squad by any stretch as the City of Brotherly Love native is 21-years-old. The TCU guard is averaging 5.0 points, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
• The TCU newcomer is ranked 14th in the Mountain West Conference in assists per game (2.8 A-G).
Close Encounters of the Trey Kind
• TCU has made at least one three-pointer in 288 consecutive games dating back to the 1997-98 season where the last time that the Frogs failed to connect on a trey came against LIU-Brooklyn on November 22, 1997. The Frogs have connected on at least one three-pointer in 515 of their last 516 games.
• Prior to the failed connection, TCU recorded a three-pointer in 217 straight games dating back to the 1989-90 season when the Longhorns of Texas stopped the Frogs on February 11, 1990.
• This season, the Purple and White has connected on at least seven three-pointers in each of their first six games and are ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game (8.5 3FGM-G).
Home Sweet Home
• The Frogs have posted a mark of 390-232 (.627) since Daniel-Meyer Coliseum opened during the 1961-62 campaign.
• Over the past decade, the Horned Frogs have recorded a 130-57 (.695) overall record and have won at least 10 games at home in seven of the last 10 seasons.
• The Frogs have won 13 of their last 20 games at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, including six of their last seven games on their home court. The last two losses for the Frogs at home came against Oklahoma (90-66 / December 2nd, 2007) and BYU (85-72 / February 10th, 2007)
Finding Nemo
• Senior Neiman Owens is one of the most experienced players on the Frogs as the TCU guard has appeared in 99 career games and has started 60 contests during his career. Owens did not start against Angelo State in the season opener, which snapped his 60-game starting streak dating back to the 2005-06 season.
• Owens is closing in on some memorable milestones as he needs only one game to reach the century mark for his career and needs four points to reach the 400-point level - currently he stands at 396 during his Frogs' career.
The Wall
• Even though TCU has only been a member of the Mountain West Conference, TCU senior Ryan Wall has been affiliated with the MWC for each of his five collegiate years. Wall was a member of the University of New Mexico's basketball team for two seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05) before transferring to TCU prior to the 2005-06 campaign. After red-shirting his first season, the Frog guard has appeared in 36 games while wearing the Purple and White.
• Wall has slowly been coming back from an off-season injury, but has played in his first six games of the season where he is averaging 4.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per game. The TCU senior has connected on 45.0 percent (9-of-20) of his field goal attempts, including 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from behind the three-point arc.
Cool Hand Luke
• The TCU coaching staff was anxious to see how red-shirt freshman Luke Tauscher would return to the lineup after missing last season due to injury. The 6-11 Fort Worth product hasn't disappointed anyone at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum as the TCU newcomer recorded his first double-digit rebounding performance against Rice with 12 boards.
• The Frogs freshman is currently ranked ninth in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots (0.83 B-G).
• Tauscher is mostly known for his ability down-low, but he showcased his shooting range against Angelo State as he connected on a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining in the contest.
Family Ties
• Anyone affiliated with the TCU men's basketball program knows that Neil Dougherty presents a family environment for the Frogs. Once a member of the basketball program, you quickly become a member of the family.
• Dougherty had the opportunity to coach his son, Neil P., for four seasons, and now assistant coach, Sean Woods, will also have the same opportunity as his son, Martiese Morones, is a sophomore with the Frogs.
• Woods was a standout at the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the "Unforgettables" on the 1992 team that fell 104-103 to Duke in the NCAA?Elite Eight in what is considered the greatest college basketball game of all-time. A member of the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame, Woods connected on the shot to give the Wildcats a 103-102 lead on the Blue Devils before Christian Laettner connected on the shot heard round the world.
The Scoring Frenzy
• Twice in the Frogs' first four games, every member of the TCU?squad that saw action on the court scored at least one point in the game. That feat was reached twice all of last season against San Diego State (Jan. 31) and Air Force (Feb. 24). This season, the feat was reached against Angelo State (Nov. 10) and Grambling State (Nov. 21).
Welcome to the Program
• In the early signing period this past week, the Frogs signed a trio of players that will help the squad next season in Kevin Butler, Logan Lancon and James Blasczyk.
• A tremendous prospect from one of the top high school programs in the nation, Butler will bring great success to the Frogs' basketball program. He is ranked 16th in the State of Texas according to TexasHoops.com in the Class of 2008 after a stellar junior campaign, which was highlighted by earning MVP honors in the Texas State Championship Game.
• Lancon comes into the 2007-08 campaign as the 43rd top prospect according to TexasHoops.com. The newly-signed Frog averaged a team-high 11.3 points per game en route to earning first team All-District 24-5A honors.
• Blasczyk is listed as the 47th best prospect in the State of Texas according to TexasHoops.com after concluding a junior campaign where he averaged 8.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per game.
The Score
• Coming into the 2007-08 campaign, the Frogs will have plenty of options when it comes to putting the ball in the bucket as six of their top scorers from a season ago return to the lineup in Kevin Langford (13.2 P-G), Brent Hackett (11.2 P-G), Alvardo Parker (8.8 P-G), Neiman Owens (7.1 P-G), Ryan Wall (6.4 P-G) and Keion Mitchem (5.3 P-G). The returning scorers for the Frogs will return 1,507 total points from the 2006-07 season - equaling 79.6 percent of their scoring total from the 2006-07 campaign.
Bangin' the Boards
• The Frogs have been dominate on the glass this season as they are out-rebounding their opponents 266 to 234 - and hold a rebounding of +5,3 - which is currently ranked third in the Mountain West Conference behind BYU (+9.6) and New Mexico (+7.7).
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