Horned Frogs Seek Fourth Straight on Thanksgiving Night
11/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2004
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Setting the Scene
After an 83-68 victory over Texas Tech on Tuesday night, the TCU Horned Frogs are 3-0 for the first time since 2001-02 and for just the third time in the past seven seasons. The last time that the Horned Frogs started a season 4-0 was in 1997-98, which culminated in TCU's last trip to the NCAA Tournament. TCU has won its three games by double-figure margins, giving the team its first-ever three-game winning streak under head coach Neil Dougherty. This will be TCU's fourth game in seven days in a stretch that sees the Horned Frogs play six games in the first 10 days of the season. This is also the Horned Frogs' final game of a four-game homestand. TCU will not return to the court in Fort Worth until Dec. 12, when the Frogs take on Metroplex rival SMU.
About Tonight's Game
TCU hosts its fourth game of the season tonight when the Horned Frogs play Old Dominion in the second game of the Corpus Christi Challenge for both teams. It is the first-ever meeting between the two schools. TCU will play four games in the tournament, with the first two being played at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. TCU and ODU are each 1-0 in tourney play, as TCU downed Shawnee State 74-60 and Old Dominion beat Kent State 64-59. In addition, the Horned Frogs will play Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Florida State this weekend in Corpus Christi. The modified round-robin exempt tournament allows the Frogs to play three additional games (30 total) in the regular season.
Let's Try It Out
The Corpus Christi Challenge is one certified event that is trying out experimental rules from the NCAA this season. The DMC floor notes the following changes for these games:
1. Moving the three-point line 9 inches behind the current three-point line to create a new experimental distance of 20 feet, 6 inches.
2. Widening the free-throw lane by 1 1/2 feet on each side. (Note: The experimental lane serves as both the three-second lane and the free-throw lane.)
3. Placing a restricted area arc 2 feet from the center of the basket ring.
Some Early Bracketology
ESPN's guru on the field of 65, Joe Lunardi, has announced his preseason choices for teams that will play in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Among the initial field of 65 picks are eight schools on the Horned Frogs' schedule. The teams and seeds include: (1) Kansas, (3) Louisville, (6) Charlotte, (7) Memphis, (7) Cincinnati, (9) DePaul, (12) Marquette and (13) Old Dominion. In addition, three of his next five near-miss teams (UAB, Florida State and Texas Tech) are on the TCU slate.
Early and Often
The TCU Horned Frogs are going full tilt already, as the team plays six games in the first 10 days of the regular season. TCU had just one day between each of the squad's first four games, which were Friday-Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday. Following an off day on Friday, the Frogs then play back-to-back games in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Nov. 27 and 28 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Florida State. That means that 6 of the team's 30 regular-season games (20 percent) will already have been completed. The Frogs finally receive a six-day respite prior to traveling north on I-35 to Denton to take on the North Texas Mean Green on Dec. 4. A trip to top-rated Kansas awaits TCU on Dec. 9. TCU will not return home until Dec. 12, when the Frogs take on Metroplex rival SMU.
Starting With Three
TCU is 3-0 for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign and for just the third time in the past seven seasons (2000-01 and 2001-02). It is only the seventh time since the 1986-87 season (19 years) that the Frogs have opened 3-0. The last time that the Frogs began a campaign 4-0 was in 1997-98. That season marked TCU's most recent visit to the NCAA Tournament. Since 1986-87, only two TCU teams have won their first four games (1991-92 and 1997-98).
Three In a Row Makes Tic-Tac-Toe
TCU has won three consecutive games for the first time in the Neil Dougherty era. Prior to this streak, the Horned Frogs had not won three straight contests since Feb. 6-12, 2002. The last time that a Frog team won as many as four straight occurred from Dec. 4-20, 2001 (five straight wins).
That Just Double Figures
All three of TCU's victories have come by more than 10 points. After defeating Texas-Arlington by 29, TCU bested Shawnee State by 14 and Texas Tech by 15. The last time TCU won three straight games by double-figure margins was Nov. 16-20, 2001. In the first three games of that season TCU downed Northwestern State by 14, Arkansas-Monticello by 43 and UTEP by 22.
Getting the Lead and Staying There
TCU has taken control in each of its three victories and has not trailed at any point in the second half this season. The Horned Frogs led the final 34:01 in their victory over Texas-Arlington, the final 31:24 in their win over Shawnee State and the final 21:07 of their triumph over Texas Tech. The largest deficit that TCU has faced this year is six, 21-15, with nine minutes gone by against the Red Raiders.
Getting Things Iron Out
Since starting out the 2003-04 season with a 1-4 record, the Horned Frogs have gone 14-13. Included in that mark are a pair of wins last year over Marquette and a 25-point upset victory over 10th ranked Louisville during the 2004 Conference USA season. TCU went 7-9 in conference play last year in a league that received six NCAA Tournament bids and two NIT nods.
Turning Up the D
The Horned Frogs have limited each of their first three opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor this year (Texas-Arlington-33.3, Shawnee State-36.2 and Texas Tech-37.9). Last year it took the Frogs eight games in order to hold three teams under 40 percent shooting. The Red Raiders managed just 29 percent shooting in the second half (9-for-31).
I Thought They Weren't Playing Hockey This Season
The TCU Horned Frogs have been changing lines often this season. TCU has nine players who are averaging double figures in minutes, and 13 Horned Frogs saw first-half action against Texas Tech. Only senior guards Corey Santee (32) and Marcus Shropshire (30) have played more than 25 minutes in a game this year, with both coming against Tech on Tuesday night.
