Frogs Set for West Bracket Finals Versus Arizona State
11/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2009
Game Notes - Arizona State in PDF Format 
Game 3 - TCU (2-0) vs. Arizona State (2-0)
Tempe, Arizona • Wells Fargo Arena
Tuesday (November 17) • 10:30 p.m. Central Time
TV - ESPN2 (Dave Pasch and Doris Burke)
Radio - KHFX 1460 AM and KTCU 88.7 FM (Brian Estridge and Herb Stephen)
Buljan on the Rise
• Senior Zvonko Buljan became the first player in program history to earn Preseason First Team All-Mountain West Conference accolades as voted on by the coaches and media. In addition, Buljan was selected as a Preseason First Team All-Mountain West Conference award winner by two publications in CBS Sportsline and Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook.
Preseason NIT Information
• The Frogs will travel to Tempe, Ariz., as part of the West Bracket in the Preseason NIT. The Frogs are slated as the seventh-seed in the 16-team, four-bracket tournament. TCU will square-off against Cal State Northridge in its first round game and will play the winner-loser of the Arizona State-Texas State contest.
• If the Frogs WIN the West Bracket, TCU will travel to New York City on Nov. 25th and 27th for the semifinals and finals of the Preseason NIT. In addition, the Frogs will also play Louisiana Tech on Nov. 29th at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
• If the Frogs DO NOT WIN the West Bracket, TCU will host a pair of games at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Nov. 23rd and 24th. In addition, the Frogs will then play Louisiana Tech on Nov. 28th at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Buljan Ranked Among League's Best
• Zvonko Buljan started off the 2009-10 campaign exactly where he left off last season as the TCU forward posted a double-double in the Frogs' season-opening victory over Mid-America Christian on Nov. 13th. The 6-9 senior collected a career-high 22 points and 16 rebounds, including eight offensive rebounds, in 32 minutes of action.
• Buljan became the first Frog since Chudi Chinweze in 2004-05 to post a double-double in the season opener. The 16 rebounds for Buljan were the most for a Frog in the season opener since Kurt Thomas notched 18 rebounds against Midwestern State to begin the 1994-95 season.
• The 2008-09 Mountain West Conference Newcomer of the Year recorded a career-high 17 rebounds in the first round of the Preseason NIT against Cal State Northridge. Over the first two games of the season, Buljan has averaged 16.5 rebounds per game, which is the highest among all players in the Mountain West Conference.
• The Sporting News tabbed Buljan as the 21st-best international player in collegiate basketball last season and the second-best international player in the Mountain West Conference behind Utah's Luke Nevill, who was ranked fifth by the publication.
New Faces; New Team; Same Main Ingredient
• A key ingredient that Christian looks for when building his roster is finding and signing players from winning high school and junior college programs. This past signing class was no exception for Christian as all six players were part of teams that recorded at least 19 victories a season ago. During the 2008-09 campaign, the six newcomers to the TCU men's basketball program helped their programs to a 140-53 combined record (.725 winning percentage).
Christian Strong in Season Openers
• TCU head men's basketball coach Jim Christian has posted a 6-2 record in season openers during his eight seasons as a head coach. When his teams win their first game of the season, the program averages 19.8 victories to go along with three NIT appearances.
Hail to the Chief
• Upon capturing the Northeastern Prep School Championship at Bridgton Academy, Ronnie Moss and Greg Hill took a tour of the White House in Washington, D.C. Even though President George W. Bush was unable to meet with the team during their visit, Moss and Hill were able to get their picture taken with an up-and-coming Senator from Illinois named Barack Obama.
Board Doubles
• In the Frogs' season-opening victory over Mid-America Christian University, Buljan and Kevin Butler each posted double-digit performances on the boards. It was exactly two years to the day since the last time that the Frogs had a pair of double-digit rebounders in the same game (Alvardo Parker and Luke Tauscher vs. Rice on Nov. 13, 2007) - a span of 60 games.
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