Horned Frogs Set to Host Top-Five Kansas on Monday
11/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2003
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Last Time Out
The TCU Horned Frogs were handed their first loss of the year by the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 76-64, on Saturday night at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. TCU dropped to 1-1 on the year, while Tulsa improved to 2-1.
TCU struggled from the field, especially early, as the team made just three of its first 15 shots from the field as Tulsa jumped out to a 21-8 lead in the game's first 11 minutes. Included in that stretch was a 10-0 Golden Hurricane run that accounted for the double-figure advantage. Tulsa doubled up TCU (34-17) at the 6:19 mark, but the Frogs closed the gap to 11 at 41-30 by intermission.
Tulsa shot better than 53 percent in the field half, while TCU hit just 31 percent of its shots. Tulsa held an 18-point lead, its biggest lead of the game, 64-46, with under eight minutes to play in the game, but TCU went on a 16-4 run to close to within six points with just 58 seconds remaining. Tulsa, however, scored the final half dozen points of the game to account for the 76-64 final. TCU is now 2-16 under Head Coach Neil Dougherty when scoring fewer than 80 points. For the game, the Frogs were 21-for-67 (.313), while the Golden Hurricane went 28-for-55 (.509).
Junior guard Corey Santee was the top TCU scorer, registering 15 points. Sophomore forward Chudi Chinweze (13) was the only other TCU player in double-figures.
Freshman center Femi Ibikunle led the team with seven boards, as TCU outrebounded Tulsa 47-38. The Frogs had 21 offensive rebounds to just seven for Tulsa.
About the Series
Kansas leads the alltime series 2 games to 0. The last meeting resulted in a 94-78 KU win on Dec. 20, 1997 in Kansas City. The two teams have never squared off in Fort Worth.
A Clash of the Titans
Both TCU and Kansas were rated in the top 25 the last time the teams squared off. No. 24 TCU was upended by second-ranked Kansas by a 94-78 count on Dec. 20, 1997, in Kansas City, Mo.
Back in 1952
The first time that TCU and Kansas met was in the 1952 NCAA Tournament when the unranked Frogs played the eighth-ranked Jayhawks. The Western Regional game was played in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The Jayhawks won the game by a 68-64 count on Mar. 21, 1952. TCU finished that season with a 24-4 record and won the Southwest Conference title with an 11-1 league record. The Horned Frogs were led that year by first-team all-conference performers George McLeod and Johnny Ethridge.
Getting Comfortable
Head Coach Neil Dougherty is in his second year as head coach at TCU and overall. He owns a 10-20 (.333) record thus far. Among Dougherty's legendary coaching mentors are Roy Williams (North Carolina) and Mike Krzyzewski (Duke). Williams entered the season 418-101 (.805) all-time as a head coach, while Krzyzewski was 637-227 (.737). Dougherty was an assistant coach under Williams at Kansas for seven years and was recruited by and played college ball for Coach K at Army.
Dougherty Homecoming
TCU Head Coach Neil Dougherty, who calls Leavenworth, Kan., home, was an assistant coach at KU for seven seasons (1995-2002) under former coach Roy Williams. Kansas made the NCAA Tournament each of those seasons. In addition, Dougherty's sister, Lisa, lettered for the Jayhawks' women's basketball team for four seasons.
Early Jayhawk Sighting
Former Kansas point guard Kirk Hinrich, who helped the Jayhawks reach the 2003 NCAA Championship game, was spotted in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Monday. Hinrich, who currently plays for the NBA's Chicago Bulls, was visiting TCU Head Coach Neil Dougherty, a former KU assistant coach, prior to playing against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
No See-Saw Affairs
Amazingly, neither of TCU's games this season has featured even one lead change. The Horned Frogs led from the 19:54 mark of the first half against Texas-Arlington on Nov. 22 and never had the lead against Tulsa on Nov. 29. The TCU-Tulsa game was tied just once at 3-3. The score has been tied for a total of just 44 seconds in the 80 minutes played over two games.
It Doesn't Get Any Later Than This
After opening the season with a 7:05 p.m. start against Texas-Arlington, Saturday night's game had an 8:05 p.m. starting time for TCU-Tulsa. Tonight's game is later still, as the ESPN2 Big Monday contest is set to tip at 10:05 p.m.
Against the Top 25
The TCU Horned Frogs are 10-78 (.114) alltime against teams ranked in the nation's top 25. TCU's last victory over a ranked opponent came on Feb. 15, 2001, when the team downed No. 20 Fresno State 102-88 in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Since that time, the Frogs have lost six straight against top-25 squads. Kansas is the highest rated team that the Frogs have played since 1997, when TCU also played Kansas, then ranked second. The Frogs are 5-16 (.238) at home against top-25 teams.
Against the Top 10
TCU has won four games against top-10 teams in the school's history, with the first two coming at neutral sites and the last two in Daniel-Meyer. The Horned Frogs have beaten a No. 6, No. 8, No. 9 and a No. 10 team. Current TCU assistant coach Kevin Lewis was on the SMU team that was defeated by TCU in 1985.
Date Opponent Result Score
Mar. 14, 1953 vs. #10 Oklahoma City W 58-56
Mar. 11, 1983 vs. #6 Arkansas W 61-59
Feb. 20, 1985 #9 SMU W 72-64
Feb. 14, 1990 #8 Arkansas W 81-79
When the Best Come to Fort Worth
The TCU Horned Frogs have played four games in Fort Worth, the last three in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, against teams rated in the nation's top five. Here is a look at those games:
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 12, 1957 #4 SMU L 63-79
Feb. 11, 1978 #2 Arkansas L 57-87
Feb. 9, 1984 #5 Houston L 60-76
Jan. 15, 1991 #2 Arkansas L 73-93
Against the Top 25 Under Dougherty
Last season, TCU played five games against ranked teams, with just one taking place at home. The Horned Frogs went 0-5 against top-25 squads, but lost those games by an average of just 14.2 points. Four of the games were decided by fewer than 15 points, and TCU had second-half leads at No. 10 Creighton (L, 79-89) and home against No. 11 Marquette (L, 68-79). The other top-25 opponents were all on the road: No. 20 Tulsa (L, 65-78), No. 15 Louisville (L, 74-87) and No. 24 Memphis (L, 64-88).
Horned Frogs at Home
TCU has compiled a record of 349 wins and 203 losses (.632) in the 552 games at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since 1961. Since the 1981-82 season, the Horned Frogs sport an overall home record of 232 wins and 83 losses (.737).
Role Reversal
After shooting better than 50 percent in the season opener against Texas-Arlington and holding the Mavericks to 29 percent shooting, the Horned Frogs shot just 31 percent against Tulsa, while the Golden Hurricane were better than 50 percent.
Puttin' 'Em Up
The TCU Horned Frogs have attempted 30 more field goals than their opponents through two games this season, an average of 15 more shots per contest. TCU owns a slight advantage in shooting percentage (.412 to .406).
Countdowns to 1,000
TCU needs 11 victories to reach 1,000 all-time wins, while junior guard Corey Santee needs 62 points to become the 27th Frog player ever to reach 1,000 career points.
The Charity Stripe Hasn't Been That Giving
TCU is shooting just 53.1 percent from the free-throw line this season (26-for-49), while their opponents are 36-for-48 (.750).
Just Get Me to Eighty
TCU is 2-16 (.111) under Dougherty when scoring fewer than 80 points and 8-3 (.727) when reaching the 80-point mark. TCU has averaged 91 points per game in his 10 victories and 69 points in the 20 defeats.
On the Plus Side
TCU has outrebounded both Texas-Arlington (40-36) and Tulsa (47-38) this year for a rebound margin of +6.5. In addition, the Frogs have committed fewer turnovers than their opponents in both games and own a +5.5 margin in that category.
There's a Need to Be Defensive
TCU held Texas-Arlington to just 58 points and 29 percent shooting from the field in the season opener. Both were TCU bests under Head Coach Neil Dougherty. In addition, the defensive pressure was turned up a notch, as the Horned Frogs recorded 10 steals. Last year, the Frogs has a season-high 10 steals just twice. The seven blocked shots recorded were the second-most by a Dougherty team, just one behind the mark of eight set last year against Centenary.
Some Help Has Arrived
TCU point guard Corey Santee played just 27 minutes in the season opener. Last year, he played at least 30 minutes in 26 of the 28 contests and saw at least 35 minutes in 10 games. For the year, he averaged 33.9 minutes of action after seeing 31.1 as a true freshman. The last time he played fewer than 27 minutes was on Feb. 16, 2002, against USF (25).
Shrop 'Til You Drop
TCU junior transfer Marcus Shropshire scored 14 points, tying for the team lead, and added a team-best and career-high eight assists in the season opener. After having to sit out in accordance with the NCAA transfer policy, it was the first regular-season game for Shropshire since March of 2002. His point total was just one shy of his career high of 15 set when he played for Texas Tech. However, all of Shropshire's baskets came in the first half against UTA, as he went 5-for-6 from the floor. Since that time, he has made just 1 of his last 17 shots (.059).
The Team's Nucleus
TCU senior guard Nucleus Smith is the lone three-year letterwinner on the TCU roster. He has been extremely consistent in a starting role this year, registering seven points and four rebounds in each of the first two games. He was hampered by injuries his sophomore and junior seasons.
New Horned Frogs on Display
Six TCU players made their official Horned Frog debuts against UTA. The following players saw their first game time: junior guard Marcus Shropshire, junior forward Aaron Curtis, freshman guard Neil P. Dougherty, freshman forward Blake Adams, freshman forward Art Pierce and freshman center Femi Ibikunle.
I Heard a Second
Femi Ibikunle, who jumped center, became the first TCU true freshman since Corey Santee to start a season opener. Santee was the starting point guard against Northwestern State on Nov. 16, 2001.
Why Is He Not a Junior?
Neil Dougherty is now coaching his son, Neil P. Dougherty, who is a freshman guard for the Horned Frogs. It is just the second father-son, coach-player duo in Conference USA history. The only other father-son duo in league history was when former Memphis coach Larry Finch, coached his son, Larry Finch, Jr., from 1995-97. The reason that the Dougherty duo is not a Sr./Jr. combination is that the coach's given name is Cornelius Aaron Dougherty, while the player is Neil Patrick Dougherty.
TCU's Sultan of Swat
TCU junior forward Marcus Sloan has recorded six blocks in two games this season, picking up three in each game. Last year, the Houston native led the Frogs in blocks, but only had 12 in the team's 28 contests.
Now Starting...
The TCU Horned Frogs have seven players on the team's roster who have started at least 10 games at the Division I level. Corey Santee (52 starts) leads the way. He is followed by Corey Valsin (47), Ronald Hobbs (21), Nucleus Smith (13), Chudi Chinweze (11), Marcus Shropshire (10) and Marcus Sloan (10). All of Hobbs' and Shropshire's starts came as members of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The other players who have started for TCU are Aaron Curtis (2) and Femi Ibikunle (2).
Reunited and it Feels So Good
Former prep standout teammates at South Grand Prairie High School, Marcus Shropshire and Aaron Curtis are back together. Although Shropshire was one year ahead in high school, both players are juniors this season. Shropshire had to sit out one year at TCU after a previous two-year stint at Texas Tech. Curtis found Fort Worth after two years at Lon Morris Junior College.
Free and Easy For Chinweze
TCU sophomore Chudi Chinweze tied for team highs in points (14) and rebounds (6) against Texas-Arlington. He followed that up with a 13-point, five-rebound performance against Tulsa. Through two games, he is 10-for-11 from the field, good for 90.9 percent shooting. Last year as a true freshman, he topped TCU in shooting percentage at .565. He was the first-ever player signed by Neil Dougherty's staff.
Just Like Texas in 1880
Fort Worth once again appears to be a stopping point on the north-south Midwest cattle drive. First, the season began with Texas-Arlington, then advanced north to Oklahoma and finally Kansas, currently all on the I-35 corridor.
What's Going on Outside?
The $6 million Ed & Rae Schollmaier Basketball Practice Facility is currently being constructed southwest of Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on the grounds formerly occupied by the baseball stadium. TCU broke ground on the project in July of 2003, and the complex is expected to be finished in March of 2004. When completed, the 22,000-square-foot complex will feature office space for both coaching staffs, two NCAA regulation practice courts, meeting rooms, weight room, a lobby and courtyard.
Staying Close to Home
The TCU basketball staff has made an imprint in the Lone Star State. Of TCU's 14 players on this year's roster, 11 hail from the state of Texas, which is up from six just last year. Of the eight players that the Horned Frogs have signed since Dougherty's arrival, seven come from the Lone Star State.
Staying Close to Home II
TCU is playing its third game of a four-game homestand. The Horned Frogs will play nine of their 11 nonconference tilts in the friendly confines of Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The lone road swings during the nonleague season are to Washington State and Texas Tech.
New Signees
TCU Head Coach Neil Dougherty has announced that the Horned Frog men's basketball program has secured the talents of a pair of high school standouts from the state of Texas for the 2004-05 season. Brent Hackett, a 6-3, 185-pound guard from Fort Worth (Southwest H.S.), and Neiman Owens, a 6-4, 180-pound guard from Channelview (Channelview H.S.), signed during the early period. Hackett, who can play both guard positions, was rated as the No. 13 prospect in Texas by Mike Kunstadt of the Texas Basketball Review. As a junior, he averaged 26.5 points, 8.5 assists and 4.3 steals per game for the Raiders. The state's third-leading scorer in Class 4A, Hackett was named second-team all-area by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Owens averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game as a junior for the Channelview Falcons. The combo-guard was widely-regarded as one of Texas' top 20 prospects as a junior. In addition, Owens is currently rated 30th nationally among all shooting guards by Hoopmasters.com. At the 2003 adidas ABCD Camp, he was rated as the fifth-best high school shooting guard.
