TCU Hosts No. 10 Louisville Tuesday Night
2/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2004
Series History
TCU has never beaten Louisville in three previous meetings, all of which have come since the two became Conference USA foes in the 2002-03 season. The Horned Frogs suffered an 87-74 defeat to the 15th-ranked Cardinals in Freedom Hall last year in the most recent matchup. This is the first-ever trip to Fort Worth for the Cardinals. TCU's average margin of defeat is 15.0 points. The closest contest was a 93-85 Louisville win in the first meeting, on Jan. 12, 2002 in Louisville, Ky.
Out of the Blocks
The Horned Frogs are 5-5 in conference play, which is easily the best 10-game start in their brief C-USA history. TCU started out 2-8 in conference play in both 2001-02 and 2002-03. A TCU victory would push the Frogs to 6-5, which would match the best league start in the last five years and would equal the program's second-best start in the last 11 campaigns. The only time TCU had a better 11-game league record than 6-5 was in 1997-98, when the Frogs began 11-0 en route to a 14-0 Western Athletic Conference mark. Recent Conference Starts
Year Conference Thru 10 Game 11 Final
1992-93 SWC 2-8 L (2-9) 2-12
1993-94 SWC 3-7 L (3-8) 3-11
1994-95 SWC 6-4 L (6-5) 8-6
1995-96 SWC 2-8 W (3-8) 6-8
1996-97 WAC 5-5 L (5-6) 7-9
1997-98 WAC 10-0 W (11-0) 14-0
1998-99 WAC 5-5 L (5-6) 7-7
1999-00 WAC 6-4 L (6-5) 8-6
2000-01 WAC 5-5 W (6-5) 9-7
2001-02 C-USA 2-8 W (3-8) 6-10
2002-03 C-USA 2-8 L (2-9) 3-13
2003-04 C-USA 5-5 ??? ???
Tonight's Marketing Promotions
The TCU Athletics Department issuing a challenge to "Purple Out the DMC" for the Louisville game by encouraging everyone in attendance to wear purple. In addition, the first 500 students will receive a free purple t-shirt courtesy of Rosa's Cafe and the first 200 students will receive free pizza rolls courtesy of Double Dave's Pizza.
Out of the Blocks
The Horned Frogs are 5-5 in conference play, which is easily the best 10-game start in their brief C-USA history. TCU started out 2-8 in conference play in both 2001-02 and 2002-03. A TCU victory would push the Frogs to 6-5, which would match the best league start in the last five years and would equal the program's second-best start in the last 11 campaigns. The only time TCU had a better 11-game league record than 6-5 was in 1997-98, when the Frogs began 11-0 en route to a 14-0 Western Athletic Conference mark. Recent Conference Starts
Year Conference Thru 10 Game 11 Final
1992-93 SWC 2-8 L (2-9) 2-12
1993-94 SWC 3-7 L (3-8) 3-11
1994-95 SWC 6-4 L (6-5) 8-6
1995-96 SWC 2-8 W (3-8) 6-8
1996-97 WAC 5-5 L (5-6) 7-9
1997-98 WAC 10-0 W (11-0) 14-0
1998-99 WAC 5-5 L (5-6) 7-7
1999-00 WAC 6-4 L (6-5) 8-6
2000-01 WAC 5-5 W (6-5) 9-7
2001-02 C-USA 2-8 W (3-8) 6-10
2002-03 C-USA 2-8 L (2-9) 3-13
2003-04 C-USA 5-5 ??? ???
Where Are We?
The Horned Frogs are coming off a three-game road trip that spanned 12 days and included stops in Milwaukee, Tampa and New Orleans. This is TCU's first home game in the month of February. The last home game was a 75-69 loss to Memphis on Jan. 31. The Horned Frogs had not played three straight on the road since the 2000-01 season. TCU has another road game on Saturday (at East Carolina), meaning that the team will have played four road games in 19 days after playing four road contests in the season's first 73 days.
Closing In On 1,000 TCU is just three victories shy of the 1,000th in the program's 93-year history. The Horned Frogs currently own a 997-1135 all-time record.
Winnin' and Grinnin'
TCU has already recorded two more conference wins (5) this season than the team did in all of the 2003 league season (3). With six games left to play, TCU is already just one win short of tying the Frogs' best Conference USA season. TCU had six league victories (6-10 record) in its first C-USA season of 2001-02. In addition, TCU reached its win total from last year (9) in 20 games. The 2002-03 team finished 9-19, earning its final victory in the last game of the season.
Taking the High Road
Prior to a one-point loss at Tulane, TCU had won two straight conference road games in the same season for the first time since 1998, when the Frogs went 7-0 away from home in the Western Athletic Conference. The three-game road trip was a nailbiter, as the three games were decided by a total of just 10 points.
If You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It
TCU, 3-2 this year in league road matchups, has already surpassed the number of Conference USA away wins that the program had in its first two years combined. TCU is now 5-16 (.238) all time in Conference USA road contests. The team went 2-6 in 2001-02 and 0-8 in 2002-03. TCU's victories are over UAB and Tulane in 2002 and Houston, Marquette and USF in 2004. With one more away victory, TCU would ensure itself of just its second .500 or better league road record in the past 12 seasons. The three league wins already match the second-most wins by a TCU team over that stretch.
Conference Home and Road Records
Year Conference Road Home Overall
1992-93 SWC 0-7 2-5 2-12
1993-94 SWC 2-5 1-6 3-11
1994-95 SWC 3-4 5-2 8-6
1995-96 SWC 2-5 4-3 6-8
1996-97 WAC 2-6 5-3 7-9
1997-98 WAC 7-0 7-0 14-0
1998-99 WAC 3-4 4-3 7-7
1999-00 WAC 3-4 5-2 8-6
2000-01 WAC 2-6 7-1 9-7
2001-02 C-USA 2-6 4-4 6-10
2002-03 C-USA 0-8 3-5 3-13
2003-04* C-USA 3-2 2-3 5-5
Close Encounters Of the Conference Kind
Excluding TCU's 28-point loss at Cincinnati and 12-point win over Southern Miss, TCU's remaining eight league games have been decided by just 39 points, an average of 4.9 per game. TCU's five conference wins are by a total of 27 points, an average of 5.4 per game. Figured in are four wins by six points or less (Tulane 70-65, Houston 55-54, Marquette 85-79 and USF 54-51). The Frogs were 1-4 in their first five regular-season games decided by 10 points or less. Since then, TCU is 4-3 in the close contests.
Cardiac Kids
Each of TCU's last four games have been decided by six points or less, and TCU is 2-2 in those games. In addition, each of those games has been a one-possession game in the final 30 seconds. The last two games have seen critical shots misfire in the waning moments. USF's Terrence Leather had a contested 23-foot three-point attempt at the buzzer carom off the rim last Monday which would have sent the game into overtime. Then on Saturday, down one with four seconds remaining, TCU's Marcus Shropshire's fade-away 17-foot jumper was short off the front iron and the Horned Frogs were unable to get a tip-in to drop as time expired. Earlier in the season, the Horned Frogs' Chudi Chinweze had a game-winning putback at the buzzer to defeat the Houston Cougars 55-54.
Fort Worth: Where the Best Begins
TCU has already hosted then-No. 1 Kansas and 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt this year prior to taking on No. 9 Louisville in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Saturday. It is the first time that the Horned Frogs have played at least two top-25 teams at home in the same season since the 1982-83 campaign and it is the first time that TCU has ever hosted three top-25 teams in the same campaign.
Against the Best
After falling 85-57 to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Jan. 17, the TCU Horned Frogs are now 10-81 (.110) all time against teams ranked in the nation's top 25. TCU's last victory over a ranked opponent came just over three years ago on Feb. 15, 2001, when the team downed No. 20 Fresno State 102-88 in Daniel-Meyer. Since that time, the Frogs have lost nine straight to top-25 squads. TCU is 4-34 (.105) all time against top-10 squads.
Have Ball, Will Play
Louisville will be the ninth ranked opponent that TCU has played in Coach Dougherty's 50th game at the helm of the program. Prior to his arrival, the Horned Frogs played just seven ranked teams from the 1998-99 season through the 2001-02 campaign a span of 124 games. While TCU is 0-8 against top-25 teams under Dougherty, TCU had second-half leads at No. 10 Creighton (L, 79-89) and home against No. 11 Marquette (L, 68-79) in 2002-03 and this season led No. 1 Kansas after intermission before falling 85-66 in Daniel-Meyer.
A Little Help From the Three Ball
In TCU's nine wins, the Frogs are 59-for-153 (.386) from trey land, while in the 12 losses, the team is 77-for-252 (.306). TCU connected on a season-high 12 three-pointers out of 23 attempts against Marquette.
Committee on the Boards
TCU currently does not have a player averaging more than 5.0 rebounds per game this season, as Femi Ibikunle leads the squad with an average of 4.9. Since the 1955-56 season, no player has ever led the Frogs with fewer than 5.0 boards per game. The lowest average over that time was in the 1983-84 season when Paul Kapturkiewicz had a team-best 123 rebounds in 24 games (5.1 per contest).
Tightening Up the D
TCU is holding its opponents to just 68.8 points per game, which is the best figure for a Horned Frog team since 1991-92, when opponents averaged 66.3 points. TCU allowed 80.4 points per game last year as teams shot 47.4 percent from the floor. This year, TCU is limiting opponents to 43.3 percent.
Clamping Down
TCU has kept 18 of its first 21 opponents under the 80-point mark. Last year, the Frogs allowed fewer than 80 points just 10 times in 28 games. In addition, TCU has held five teams to 60 or fewer points already this year. The last time TCU held at least five teams to 60 or under was in 1991-92.
Shutting Down the Unranked
While TCU's season defensive average is 68.8 points per game, the three teams ranked in the top 25 when the schools met (Kansas, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati) averaged 88.3 per tilt. That means the the rest of the teams TCU has played are scoring at just a 65.5 clip.
What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Since opening the season 1-4, the Horned Frogs have played .500 basketball, having been victorious in eight of the last 16 games.
Different Strokes For Different Folks
TCU is averaging 75.0 points per game in the team's nine victories, topping the 70-point mark in six of those games. In the Frogs' 12 losses this year, the team is averaging 60.2 points per game and has not broken 70 in any contest.
Defense Wins Championships
In TCU's nine victories, its opponents have shot just 38.7 percent (191-for-494) from the field, while in the Frogs' 12 losses the opposition has made 46.6 percent of its attempts (323-for-693).
It's 80s Night
TCU is now 7-28 (.200) under Coach Dougherty when scoring fewer than 80 points and 11-3 (.786) when reaching the 80-point mark. TCU has scored 1,469 points (81.6 points per game) in Coach D's 18 victories and 1,965 points (65.5) in the 31 losses.
Showing Improvement When Getting to 70
TCU was winless (0-9) when scoring fewer than 70 points in the 2002-03 campaign, but this season, the team is 3-12. When the Frogs reached 70 points last season, the team went 9-10. This year's squad is a perfect 6-0 when getting to the 70-point plateau.
Some Future Hall of Famers In the Bunch
TCU has faced a number of successful coaches this season, including six that have combined for a total of 13 Final Four appearances and own four national titles. In the distinguished group below, Knight, Huggins, Calipari and Pitino all began the season ranked among the top 12 active coaches in winning percentage. Below is a list of the coaches and their NCAA Tournament accomplishments. Coach Current School
Dick Bennett Washington State
* Guided Wisconsin to the 2000 NCAA Final Four
Bill Self Kansas
* Led underdog Tulsa to the 2000 Elite Eight (2000)
Bob Knight Texas Tech
* Directed Indiana to three NCAA Titles (1976, 1981, and 1987) and Final Fours in 1973 and 1992
Bob Huggins Cincinnati
* Took the Bearcats to the 1992 Final Four
John Calipari Memphis
* Made a trip to the Final Four with UMass in 1996
Tom Crean Marquette
* Coached the Golden Eagles in the 2003 Final Four
Rick Pitino Louisville
* Steered Kentucky to the 1996 NCAA Title and the `93 and `97 Final Fours and Providence to the 1987 Final Four.
And This Backcourt Will Be Back
In their first year as backcourt running mates, juniors Corey Santee and Marcus Shropshire have become one of the most prolific scoring backcourts in Conference USA. Here is how the duo has performed against fellow starting backcourts in C-USA play. Opponent (Players) TCU Opp
Saint Louis (Fisher, Bryant) 29 22
Tulane (Camper, Kinzer) 31 18
Houston (Oliver, Owens) 18 25
Cincinnati (N. Williams, F. Williams) 18 20
DePaul (D. Diener, Mejia) 27 21
Southern Miss (Haygood, Stiggers) 48 2
Memphis (Burks, Rice) 38 21
Marquette (T. Diener, Mason) 36 35
USF (Graham, Swift) 34 17
Tulane (Camper, Kinzer) 29 10
Total 308 191
