TCU Continues Big 12 Road Swing at Nebraska
12/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2010
GAME #11
TCU (7-3) at NEBRASKA (7-2)
TCU GAME NOTES 
| NU GAME NOTES | LISTEN LIVE 
| LIVE STATS | ESPN3.COM 
GAME DETAILS
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 | 1 p.m. CT | Lincoln, Neb. | Devaney Center (13,595)
Television: FSN Midwest, ESPN Full Court | Talent: Greg Sharpe (pxp), Erik Piatkowski (analyst)
Radio: 1460 AM (KCLE), 88.7 FM (KTCU) | Talent: Brian Estridge (pxp), John Denton (analyst)
Internet: ESPN3.com, GoFrogs.com (radio, live stats)
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 5-2 | Last Meeting: L, 77-90 in Lincoln (Nov. 21, 2009)
TCU Head Coach: Jim Christian (Rhode Island, '88)
Record at TCU: 34-39 (.466) in 3rd season | Overall: 172-97 (.639) in 9th season
NU Head Coach: Doc Sadler (Arkansas, '82)
Record at NU: 77-60 (.562) in 5th season | Overall: 245-117 (.677) in 12th season
FORT WORTH—TCU returns to the road for its second straight matchup against a team from the Big 12 Conference on Saturday, when it laces up against Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at the Huskers' Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The Horned Frogs look to build off one of the most impressive wins of head coach Jim Christian's three-season tenure, an 81-77 road victory Wednesday at Texas Tech. The win earned TCU its seventh victory nearly a month ahead of last season's pace, when it came on Jan. 2.
Nebraska, 7-2 on the season, brings a five-game winning streak into Saturday. The Huskers are a perfect 6-0 at home this season. TCU will look to duplicate the same success it had in snapping a five-game Texas Tech home streak on Wednesday.
The contest marks the third game of a four-game set that began in 2008-09 in Fort Worth. Nebraska took both previous matchups, including a 90-77 win last season in Lincoln. The teams meet again next season in Fort Worth.
TCU's matchup with NU will be broadcast live on the radio throughout the Metroplex on both 1460 AM KCLE and 88.7 FM KTCU with Brian Estridge and John Denton serving as the play-by-play team.
The game is the fourth of at least 20 TCU contests that will be televised this season. Coverage will be provided by FSN Midwest (DirecTV ch. 671, Dish ch. 5418), featuring the NU broadcast crew of Greg Sharpe (play-by-play) and former longtime NBA standout Eric Piatkowski (analyst). The game also will be carried on ESPN Full Court and streamed live via the Internet by ESPN3.com. Live stats and a link to an Internet radio feed will be available via TCU's official athletics website, GoFrogs.com.
FROG QUICK NOTES
- TCU recorded its seventh win on Wednesday, 25 days earlier than last season (Jan. 2).
- TCU is 3-2 in its last five games against Big 12 opponents.
- The Frogs own a +7.0 average rebounding margin over their last five games after entering the Nov. 27 win over Houston with a -4.8 average margin.
- TCU is averaging nearly five more offensive boards per game (4.8 rpg) since the Houston contest.
- J.R. Cadot is shooting a team-best 69.0% (29-of-42) from the field this season. He has made 18 of his last 21 shots dating back to the Houston victory.
- Garlon Green (59.0%) also has been hot from the field. He is shooting 47.4% from 3-point range this season and has shot 55.0% better in eight of TCU's 10 games.
- Ronnie Moss is only 10 assists shy of becoming only the 10th player in TCU history with 300 career helpers. He also is only 68 points shy of becoming the 30th Frog with 1,000.
- Hank Thorns leads the MWC and ranks No. 17 nationally in assists (6.3 apg). As of Thursday, he was the only player in the MWC this season with a double-figure assist outing. He has totaled 10 helpers three times.
- Thorns also paces the MWC in assist/turnover ratio (2.1).
- As of Thursday, TCU ranked among the leaders in the Mountain West Conference in defensive rebound percentage (No. 2) and 3-point field-goal defense (No. 3).
- Of the 14 players who have played this season, nine had never previously seen game action for the Frogs.
- Only six Frog letterwinners return from last season's squad, which is tied for the fewest total in the Mountain West Conference with New Mexico and Utah.
SCOUTING THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Nebraska, led by fifth-year head coach Doc Sadler, enters Saturday's game with a 7-2 record following Wednesday's 78-57 home win over Alcorn State, the squad's 19th straight home non-conference victory. NU's other wins have come against South Dakota (76-68), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (83-40), Hofstra (62-47), USC (60-58), Jackson State (76-57) and Creighton (59-54). TCU also has defeated both USC (81-69) and Jackson State (86-62) this season.
The Huskers return 10 letterwiners and four starters from last season's squad that went 15-18 overall and 2-14 in the Big 12 while finishing in 12th place.
Only one Nebraska player is averaging double figures in scoring this season in senior guard Lance Jeter (10.9 ppg), although seven players own averages of at least 5.0 point per contest. Sophomore center Jorge Brian Diaz (9.8 ppg) is second on the team in scoring, while junior guard Caleb Walker (5.7 rpg) and junior center Andre Almeida (1.2 bpg) are tops in rebounding and blocked shots, respectively. Jeter leads the team in assists (4.6 apg). As a team, Nebraska is shooting 48.0% from the field while holding opponents to a rate of only 36.6%. The squad has cleaned up on the glass, as it owns a +6.2 average rebounding margin.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Nebraska owns a 5-2 edge in the all-time series that stretches back to 1951, a one-point Frog overtime victory in Fort Worth. TCU also earned a 101-89 win in 1998-99 in Fort Worth. Nebraska has won each of the last two seasons and is 3-0 all-time against the Frogs in Lincoln.
TCU vs. NEBRASKA - ALL-TIME MEETINGS
Date — W/L — Score — Site
Dec. 20, 1951 — W — 58-57 (OT) — Fort Worth
Dec. 11, 1970 — L — 64-69 — Fort Worth
Dec. 11, 1972 — L — 58-72 —Lincoln
March 24, 1983 — L — 57-67 — Lincoln
March 15, 1999 — W — 101-89 — Fort Worth
Nov. 19, 2008 — L — 50-62 — Fort Worth
Nov. 21, 2009 — L — 77-90 — Lincoln
LAST TIME WE MET: NU 90, TCU 77
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nov. 21, 2009)—Ryan Anderson scored seven consecutive Nebraska points to lead a late surge that sealed a 90-77 win over TCU.
Nebraska (2-1) led 70-69 when Anderson hit a wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the circle with 4:04 left. Forty seconds later, a pair of Anderson free throws put Nebraska up 75-69.
TCU (2-2) got a basket from Ronnie Moss with 2:38 left, but Anderson immediately countered with a short jumper that made the score 77-71. Nebraska then made 11-of-12 free throws in the final 2:13 to seal the win.
Freshman center Jorge Brian Diaz led NU with 22 points. Anderson and Brandon Richardson totaled 15 points each, and Sek Henry chipped in 11.
Ronnie Moss led TCU with 23 points. Garlon Green and Greg Hill finished with 11 points each for the Frogs.
FROGS HOLD ON AGAINST TECH ON ROAD
Sammy Yeager scored a career-high 22 points, and TCU hit the offensive glass with some serious purpose Wednesday during an 81-77 road win over Texas Tech.
The Frogs trailed by four points at halftime, 36-32, before erupting for 49 points in the second half. TCU dominated the boards during the game, outpacing the Red Raiders by a 48-34 margin in rebounds. Included in the total were 23 offensive boards, including 13 in the second half.
Yeager had a standout game, making 9-of-15 attempts from the floor, including 3-of-4 attempts from 3-point range. He also matched a career best with nine rebounds in addition to totaling three blocks, which marked a personal best and TCU individual season high.
Four other Frogs also scored in double figures, including Ronnie Moss, who notched 16 on 6-of-16 shooting. J.R. Cadot recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Five of Cadot's boards came on the offensive end, while he also went 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.
Garlon Green scored 12 points, including 10 in the second half. Nikola Cerina put together his best game of the season so far, totaling 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with six rebounds.
The Frogs trailed by eight points early in the second half before rallying with 22 of the game's next 26 points. TCU locked down on defense, holding Tech to only one field goal in a stretch of eight minutes.
The Frogs extended their lead to 13 points with 9:09 remaining on a jumper by Green, but the Red Raiders did not fold. The squad slowly chipped away at the lead, with the help of a strong performance at the free-throw line.
The game's final minute ended in a flurry after Tech was able to climb within one point, 78-77, with 21 seconds remaining. But a couple of missed Tech shots, along with two late clutch free throws by Moss, held the Red Raiders at bay.
TCU-TEXAS TECH POSTGAME NOTES
- TCU ended a seven-game losing streak in contests played away from Fort Worth.
- TCU won for the second straight time in Lubbock following an 85-80 victory on Jan. 6, 2009.
- J.R. Cadot's double-double marked the Frogs' third overall this season. Hank Thorns owns the other two.
- Cadot, who made his first shot of the game from the floor, ran his streak of consecutive made field goals to 16 before a first-half miss.
- TCU set a season high with 23 offensive rebounds, the most since the squad also totaled 23 in its 2009-10 season-opening win over Mid-America Christian.
- TCU's 49 second-half points matched the opening half of the Nov. 16 home win over SMU for the team's highest total in a period this season.
- Texas Tech set a TCU-opponent record for free-throw shooting at 95.8 percent (23-of-24). The previous mark of .938 (15-of-16) was set by Arkansas on Feb. 14, 1959.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Ronnie Moss also is 10 assists short of becoming only the 10th Frog ever with 300 helpers in a career.
- Moss also needs only 68 points to become the program's 30th all-time 1,000-point scorer.
KEY FIGURES
- TCU is 6-0 when shooting better than 42.0% from the field and 7-0 when outshooting its opponent.
- TCU is 6-0 when holding the opponent under 46.8% shooting from the field.
- TCU is 7-0 when scoring more than 61 points.
- TCU is 3-1 against teams that qualified for postseason play a season ago.
REBOUND TURNAROUND
TCU's success on the glass has seen a major spike over the last five contests after the squad was outrebounded by an average of 9.9 rpg in back-to-back games against Bradley and UMass at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic in Springfield, Mass.
- TCU's average rebound margin over the last five games is +7.0. The Frogs have won the battle on the glass in each of the contests by at least four boards.
- The Frogs entered the first game of the stretch against Houston with a -4.8 average rebound margin this season.
- J.R. Cadot has fueled TCU's rebounding efforts, averaging 6.5 rpg overall this season, including 2.7 rpg on the offensive end.
- Sammy Yeager (6.6 rpg) and Garlon Green (5.2 rpg) also have been strong on the boards in the five-game stretch.
