Frogs Open Preseason NIT Against Cal State Northridge
11/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2009
Game Notes - Cal State Northridge in PDF Format 
International Flavor
• The Frogs have five international players on the roster this season in Zvonko Buljan (Croatia), Edvinas Ruzgas (Lithuania), Marin Bavcevic (Croatia), Cheick Kone (Africa) and Nikola Cerina (Serbia). This is the most international players that TCU has ever had on its roster at one time. In each of the last six seasons, the Frogs have had at least two international players on the roster.
• Buljan and Bavcevic are both from Split, Croatia, and were members of the same junior team their prep careers. Bavcevic's father, Niksa, is the head coach of TROGIR ZP basketball team in Croatia's A1 League.
• Cheick Kone is only the second player from the continent of Africa to join the TCU men's basketball team. The first player from Africa to play for the Frogs was Femi Ibikunle (2004-07), who was a native of Lagos, Nigeria.
• Even though the Frogs have five international players on the roster, four of them attended school in the United States before joining the TCU men's basketball team. Buljan went to junior college at Vincennes University in Indiana while Kone attended Howard College in Texas. Ruzgas went to high school in Virginia before playing junior college ball down the road from TCU in Weatherford. Bavcevic went to high school in North Carolina before attending TCU.
• The Frogs have the most international players on their roster among all Mountain West Conference programs. Wyoming has four international players followed by UNLV (2), Utah (2), BYU (2) while Colorado State and San Diego State each have one. In all, there are 17 international players in the Mountain West Conference.
I've Seen You Before
• The Frogs have two sets of teammates that have played together before joining the TCU men's basketball team. Ronnie Moss and Greg Hill both attended Bridgton Academy in Maine where they guided their prep school team to the Northeastern Prep School Championship during the 2006-07 campaign. Buljan and Bavcevic were both teammates during junior league in Croatia.
Good Things Come in Three's
• The Frogs have made at least one three-pointer in 342 consecutive games dating back to the 1997-98 campaign. The last time that TCU failed to connect on a three-point came against LIU-Brooklyn on November 22, 1997.
• The Frogs have connected on at least one three-pointer in 559 of their last 560 games. Prior to a failed connection against LIU-Brooklyn, TCU made at least one three-pointer in 217 consecutive games dating back to the 1989-90 season when the University of Texas held the Frogs without a three-pointer on February 11, 1990.
Strong Defense
• The Frogs concluded the 2008-09 campaign ranked 83rd in the nation in scoring defense as TCU allowed opponents to average 64.1 points per evening. TCU ranked fourth in the Mountain West Conference in scoring defense behind San Diego State (59.5 P-G), Air Force (62.5 P-G) and UNLV (64.0 P-G).
• During a three-game stretch last season, the Frogs held SMU, St. Gregory's (Okla.) and Colorado to fewer than 46 points, which marked the first time since the 1951-52 season that TCU held three consecutive opponents to fewer than 46 points. That season, the Frogs achieved the feat against Rice (30), Texas (43) and SMU (43).
• The Frogs held a pair of opponents to fewer than 39 points in a game last season against St. Gregory's (Okla.) and Colgate, allowing 38 and 37 points, respectively. This marked the first time since the 1986-87 campaign that TCU held at least two opponents to fewer than 38 points in the same season. That season, TCU held Texas (37) and Rice (38) to fewer than 38 points.
• The Frogs held Colgate to only 10 points in the second half of action, which set a program record for fewest points allowed in the second half of action. The previous record for fewest points allowed in the second half was 16 against Texas A&M on January 3, 1981. The record for fewest points allowed in a half is nine points against Rice on January 28, 1987.
• Last season, the Frogs were a perfect 8-0 when holding opponents to 60 or fewer points in a game. In addition, the Frogs were also 10-2 when posting a higher shooting percentage over its opponents.
See You in the 2010-11 Season
• The Frogs will have two new additions to the lineup for the 2010-11 campaign when transfer Hank Thorns and freshman Amric Fields officially join the roster.
• Thorns will sit out the 2009-10 campaign due to NCAA Transfer Rules after coming to the Frogs' program from Virginia Tech. A two-year letterman for the Hokies, Thorns dished out a Virginia Tech freshman record 113 assists during the 2007-08 season, which was a mark previously held by Bimbo Coles. During his rookie season, the 5-9 point guard ranked sixth in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio and 10th in assists per game then guided the Hokies to an appearance in the semifinals of the 2009 NIT.
• A product of Putnam City West High School, Fields ranks as one of the best interior players in the State of Oklahoma after averaging 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per game during his junior campaign. The 6-9 center was selected as the Metro Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and secured all-conference accolades last season. The newly-inked TCU Frog also garnered All-District 8 recognition last season.
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