Frogs Set to Host Colgate in Preseason NIT
11/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2009
Game 5 - TCU (2-2) vs. Colgate (0-2)
Fort Worth, Texas • Daniel-Meyer Coliseum
Monday (November 23) • 8:00 p.m. Central Time
Radio - KHFX 1460 AM and KTCU 88.7 FM (Brian Estridge and John Denton)
Game Notes - Colgate in PDF Format 
Too Tuff to Handle
• TCU sophomore Ronnie "Tuffy" Moss originally signed with Kent State, but was granted his release and signed with the Frogs after Christian was announced as the new head men's basketball coach in the Spring of 2008.
• Moss posted a career-high 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including five three-pointers, to go along with six assists, five rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot in 32 minutes of action in TCU's 74-69 victory over Mid-America Christian. The TCU sophomore became the first player since Junior Blount in 2002 to open the season with 25 or more points in a game.
• Through four games this season, Moss is averaging a team-high 20.8 points per game while connecting on 46.4 percent (26-of-56) of his field goal attempts. The TCU sophomore has collected at least 17 points in each of the team's first four games, including a pair of 20-plus scoring performances, and ranks third in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (20.8 P-G).
• In addition, Moss is ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game (3.0 3FGM-G) and assists per game (5.25 A-G) and sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.444 | 12-of-27). Moss is the only player in the Mountain West Conference to be ranked in the top-three in scoring average, assists per game and three-point field goals made.
• The TCU sophomore is the first player since Junior Blount during the 2002-03 campaign to average over 20 points over the first four games of the season. Blount started off the 2002-03 campaign by averaging 21.8 points per game and finished the season averaging 17.7 points per game.
Buljan Ranked Among League's Best
• 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.
• 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. On the season, Buljan is the only player in the Mountain West Conference to be averaging a double-double (11.0 P-G and 11.8 R-G). In addition, Buljan is ranked first in the conference in rebounds per game (11.8 R-G) and defensive rebounds per game (8.0 R-G) and second in offensive rebounds per game (3.75 R-G).
• Ranked as the 21st-best international player in the country last season by The Sporting News, Buljan has continued his strong play for the Frogs as the TCU senior has posted at least eight points and eight rebounds in three of the team's first four games.
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).
Season Opener Proves to be Good Sign
• 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, 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.
TCU Athletics Media Relations
