Frogs look to make it three straight against Prairie View A&M
12/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2007
Game Notes - Prairie View A&M in PDF Format 
Game Day Information
Opponent: The TCU men's basketball program will look to make it three straight wins at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum as the Horned Frogs welcome Prairie View A&M for a Saturday afternoon tip-off slated for 1:00 p.m.
Radio: KTCU (88.7 FM) and ESPN Radio (103.3 FM) in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
Brian Estridge (play-by-play) and John Denton (anaylst) will call the game on the TCU/ISP Sports Network. The game can also be heard online at www.GoFrogs.com and viewed on the TCU Athletics website via GameTracker.
Next on the Schedule: The Frogs will be back in action for their first game after the Christmas holiday on December 27th when the Purple and White welcomes Jackson State to the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Faithful of the Frogs can listen to the game over the airwaves via KTCU (88.7 FM) and Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) beginning at 7:00 p.m.
The Big Score
• The Frogs have scored 688 points through nine games of the 2007-08 campaign - averaging 76.4 points per evening. The Purple and White is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average sitting behind nationally-ranked BYU, who has averaged 80.6 points per game.
• In their six victories this season - the Frogs have yet to be held to under 75 points while averaging 83.2 points per triumph. All six victories for the Frogs during the 2007-08 campaign have come at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Nine Lives
• The Frogs recorded their second straight victory as the Purple and White notched a 77-74 overtime victory over The University of Texas at Arlington on Monday (Dec. 17) en route to improving their record to 6-3 on the season.
• This is the second straight season that the Frogs have jumped out to a 6-3 start and the third time under head men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty.
Frogs Remain Dominant over Southwestern Athletic Conference
• The Frogs have had a lot of success over members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference over the last few decades as the Purple and White have recorded a 21-1 overall record against the conference. The last loss for TCU versus a member of the SWAC came against Texas Southern on December 29, 1988, when the Tigers recorded a 103-78 victory at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
• This season, the Frogs have posted victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (75-61), Grambling State (99-67) and Texas Southern (83-59) and will play two more teams from the SWAC in Prairie View A&M and Jackson State.
Statement Time in the Mountain West Conference
• Teams in the Mountain West Conference have combined for a record of 55-25 (.688 winning percentage) with BYU and New Mexico each at the top of the rankings with two losses a piece. The Cougars are ranked 25th in both national polls with an 8-2 overall record while the Lobos under first-year coach Steve Alford are also 8-2 on the 2007-08 season.
• The score after the first 20 minutes of action has been a strong indicator of the game's winner this season as programs from the Mountain West Conference have recorded a 51-6 record when they hold the lead heading into intermission.
• The Mountain West Conference is one of two conferences (along with the SEC) to have all of its teams boast winning records at this point in the 2007-08 campaign.
Frogs Snap UTA's Unbeaten Streak with 77-74 Victory
• The TCU men's basketball team snapped the eight-game unbeaten streak of cross-town rivals The University of Texas at Arlington with a 77-74 overtime victory at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Monday (Dec. 17).
• With the victory, the Frogs improved their overall record to 6-3 on the 2007-08 campaign, including a 6-1 mark on their home court, while the Mavs dropped to 8-1 on the season.
• Henry Salter recorded his first career double-double of the season with a 17-point, 14-rebound performance against the Mavs in 36 minutes of action.
• Kevin Langford collected his seventh straight double-digiti scoring performance as the TCU forward finished with 17 points - all of them coming in the second half of action.
• The Frogs had four players finish with double-digit scoring performances against the Mavs in Henry Salter (17), Kevin Langford (17), Brent Hackett (15) and Alvardo Parker (10) en route to connecting on 43.3 percent (29-of-67) of their field goal attempts.
• Jason Ebie played a career-high 29 minutes in the contest as he finished with five points, six assists and two steals against the Mavericks.
• Jermaine Griffin collected a double-double for the visiting squad as the UTA junior collected 12 points and 15 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots and two assists.
• The Purple and White held a 13-10 margin over the Mavs in the extra session en route to securing the victory. It was the second straight overtime affair between the programs.
Frog Defense Standing Tall
• Through the first nine games of the season, the Frogs have limited opponents to a combined 41.4 percent (223-of-539) shooting performance - including 33.1 percent (55-of-166) from behind the three-point arc.
• Since the 1960-61 season, the Frogs have never held opponents to a shooting percentage lower than .400 - their lowest field goal defense came during the 1985-86 season when opponents shot 41.5 percent from the field.
• The Frogs have forced opponents into 178 turnovers (19.8 turnovers per game) where they have scored 187 points off of the miscues of their foes - an average of 20.7 points.
• The Purple and White have limited their opponents to a scoring average of 67.1 points per evening at the DMC and 63.1 points per game in contests that the Frogs' win.
The Glass Cleaners
• Alvardo Parker and Luke Tauscher became the first set of teammates since Neil Dougherty's first season to each record a double-digit rebounding performance in the same game - a span of 131 games. The last set of Frogs to record double-digit rebounds came against UAB on Feb. 18, 2003, in Chudi Chinweze (13) and Bingo Merriex (11).
Time Well Spent
• Heading into the 2007-08 season, Neil Dougherty was excited about the depth on his bench and his style of play has shown it as the Frogs have nine players that are averaging double-digits in minutes played per evening.
• Kevin Langford is one of four players to average over 20.0 minutes per evening as the TCU junior is collecting 27.6 minutes of court time per evening. The Fort Worth talent is joined in that category by Henry Salter (25.7 M-P), Brent Hackett (24.4 M-P) and Alvardo Parker (22.9 M-P).
• There has been only nine occasions this season where a Frog has played over 30 minutes in a game with Langford leading the way with four times.
Scouting the Opponents - Prairie View A&M
• Prairie View A&M will come into the contest with a 2-8 overall record during the 2007-08 campaign, including five straight setbacks to Texas State, Air Force, New Mexico State, Utah State and SMU. In their last five setbacks, the Panthers have only scored 60 or more points in one of those games.
• The Purple and White have collected the only victory between the two programs as the Frogs notched an 84-59 triumph over the Panthers at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on December 28, 1989.
• The Panthers will come into the game averaging 61.4 points per game, but have only scored 60 or more points on four occasions against Schreiner (88), Texas State (78), Norfolk State (76) and Tennessee (75). Opponents have averaged 82.4 points per game (a difference of 21 points per evening against the Panthers).
• Opponents of Prairie View A&M have only had one program score below 70 points against them in the season opener against Schreiner (59). Against NCAA Division I opponents, Prairie View A&M is allowing their counterparts to average 85.4 points per game.
• Brian Ezeh is the top offensive threat for the Panthers as the PVAMU forward is averaging a team-high 10.3 points per game to go along with a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game. Ezeh has connected on 40.2 percent (35-of-87) of his field goal attempts, but only 14.8 percent (4-of-27) of his three-point field goal tries.
• Aaron Smith has started in eight of nine games for the Panthers and ranks second on the squad with a 10.0 points per game scoring average. He is the top three-point shooter on the Purple and Gold as the PVAMU guard has connected on a team-high 22 attempts - no other Panthers has more than seven treys.
• The Panthers have had 16 players see action in at least two games this season with 13 of them scoring at least two points in the contest.
• The defense has not been a strength for the Panthers this season as the Purple and Gold are allowing opponents to connect on 48.4 percent (269-of-556) of their field goal attempts, including 40.4 percent (72-of-178) of their connections from behind the three-point line.
• This will be the eighth road game of the season for the Panthers as they have yet to record a victory away from their home court. Prairie View A&M is 0-7 when not playing at home and 2-1 in front of their home crowd.
• The Panthers struggle from the free throw line as Prairie View A&M has only connected on 55.6 percent (95-of-171) and have one player - Dorian McDaniel - to connect on at least 70.0 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe when attempting more than 10 tries.
Frogs Closing in on 400th Victory at the DMC
• Following a 77-74 overtime victory over UT Arlington on Monday, the Purple and White recorded their 392nd triumph inside the confines of the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since its' opening on December 18, 1961.
Charity Stripe Blues
• This season, the Frogs have struggled at the charity stripe where the Purple and White have connected on 58.8 percent (124-of-211) of their free throw attempts compared to 64.5 percent (111-of-174) of attempts from their foes. On average - the Purple and White are leaving 9.67 points per evening at the charity stripe.
• Of the seven players that have attempts 10 or more free throws this season - only two players (Kevin Langford and Brent Hackett) are shooting above 70.0 percent at the charity stripe.
Always Be Ready to Play
• In Neil Dougherty's system, every player has to be ready to play at any given time. This season, all 14 players that have suited up for TCU have played - that feat wasn't reached until the 24th game on the road at Colorado State during the 2006-07 campaign. This season - all 14 players on the roster have played at least three games.
Home-Grown Talent Pays Dividends for Horned Frogs
• The Horned Frogs will get plenty of scoring from a trio of home-grown talents in Brent Hackett (Southwest H.S.), Kevin Langford (North Crowley H.S.) and Luke Tauscher (Southwest H.S.).
• Hackett was the first player that Neil Dougherty signed from the Dallas/Fort Worth Area when he became head men's basketball coach at TCU. Langford also had ties with Dougherty as his brother, Keith, was a recruited and coached by Dougherty at the University of Kansas.
• A pair of honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference players last season, Hackett and Langford are currently tied for second on the Frogs in scoring average with marks of 12.9 points per game, respectively.
• TCU newcomer Luke Tauscher sat out last season due to an injury, but the 6-11 center has averaged 2.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in his eight games on the floor for the Frogs. Tauscher missed his first game of the season against Texas Southern due to a stomach virus.
• Tauscher is ranked fifth among all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference in rebounds per game (3.3 R-G).
A Team Filled with Mr. Cleans
• This season, the Frogs are averaging 42.8 rebounds per game - which ranks them 10th in the nation in that statistical category. The Purple and White are ranked third in the State of Texas in boards per game behind Southland Conference foes - Texas State (45.1 R-G / 3rd) and Sam Houston State (44.3 R-G / 4th).
• The Frogs have collected at least 50 rebounds in three of the team's first nine games and have notched 40 or more boards in five of those games. The Purple and White are ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in rebounds per game (42.8 R-G) and offensive rebounds per game (15.75 R-G) and second in defensive rebounds per game (27.0 R-G).
• TCU recorded the top rebounding performance in the conference with a 59-board evening vs. Rice.
The "Langford" Road Home
• Kevin Langford is picking up where he left off last season as the Fort Worth native is ranked second on the team in scoring average (12.4 P-G) and leads the Frogs in free throws made (39), free throw attempts (55) and free throw percentage (70.9%).
• The TCU forward is currently ranked eighth in the Mountain West Conference in free throw percentage (70.9%), 11th in rebounds per game (5.6 R-G) and 17th in scoring average (12.9 P-G).
• Langford is riding a seven-game double-digit scoring streak and has collected five or more rebounds in six of eight games. During that seven-game stretch, Langford is averaging 14.4 points per game.
The Hackett Man
• An honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference performer last season, Hackett is enjoying another standout season as the TCU senior is ranked first on the team in three-point field goals made (26) and three-point field goal attempts (84) and second in scoring average 12.9 points per game.
• During his career with the Frogs - Hackett has appeared in 101 career games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 66 occasions - missing only four starts in the last three seasons.
• Hackett has been one of the top scorers for the Frogs over the last four seasons as he has collected 10 or more points in 42 career games - 6 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 18 (Sophomore). The TCU senior has recorded 870 career points to go along with 163 career three-pointers - which ranks seventh in the TCU career record books.
• Hackett is currently ranked first in the conference in three-point field goals made per game (2.89 3FGM-G), third in three-point field goal percentage (31.0%) and 17th in scoring average (12.9 P-G).
Welcome to the Parker's
• Alvardo Parker has been one of the main defensive standouts for the Frogs this season as the TCU forward is ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots per game (1.44 B-G), fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.22 R-G) and ninth in rebounds per game (5.9 R-G).
• The TCU senior has recorded 74 career blocked shots with the Frogs surpassing Doug Arnold for 10th in the all-time record books. The next person in sight for Parker will be Marquise Gainous - who holds ninth place with 77 career blocked shots.
• Parker has notched at least one blocked shot in every game this season and is ranked 19th among the career leaders for the Mountain West Conference in that statistical category.
• This is only the fourth year of organized basketball for the Turks & Caicos Islands' native as he spent his first two seasons at Frank Phillips Junior College followed by his TCU career.
Never Shy Away from the National Spotlight
• Neil Doughery is not one to shy away from a nationally-ranked opponent as the Frogs have competed against 16 squads ranked in the top-25 during his tenure. To put the numbers into perspective - TCU played 19 nationally-ranked teams during the entire decade of the 90s - a span of 303 games.
• The Frogs has recorded four victories over nationally-ranked opponents during Dougherty's tenure with their latest victim coming against 14th-ranked Air Force Academy where TCU notched a 71-66 win in February of 2007 - snapping a six-game losing skid against nationally-ranked opponents.
• TCU is 12-88 (.120) all-time against nationally-ranked teams and has dropped 15 of its last 17 match-ups against teams ranked in the top-25.
• The Frogs haven't had much success against nationally-ranked opponents on the road as they have dropped 47 of 48 match-ups when away from the DMC. Their lone victory came against Hawaii (83-79) on January 19, 1998.
Frogs Adding a Little Salter to Their Diet
• TCU newcomer Henry Salter has made a tremendous impact on the Frogs' lineup in his first season with the program as he has collected 10 or more points in eight of the team's first nine games. The Gulfport, Miss., native has recorded the fourth-most double-digit scoring performances this season in the Mountain West Conference.
• Salter is ranked 10th in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (14.2 P-G) and 11th in rebounds per game (6.6 R-G) and is only one of four players in the conference to be ranked in the top-11 in both categories joining Trent Plaisted (BYU), Brad Jones (Wyoming) and Luke Nevill (Utah).
• The former NJCAA All-American is also ranked fifth in the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage (49.5%) and seventh in three-point field goals made per game (2.0 3FGM-G). Salter is also the fifth-highest junior scorer and rebounder in the Mountain West Conference.
• The TCU junior is ranked first on the Frogs in scoring average and has been a force on the boards as well as Salter has collected five or more rebounds in seven of the team's first nine games this season. Salter recorded his first career double-double against UT Arlington with a 17-point, 14-rebound performance in the overtime affair.
Standing "O" for Ortiz
• TCU newcomer John Ortiz has played a pivotal role for the Frogs coming off of the bench as he is averaging 5.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game - which ranks him 17th in the conference. Ortiz has done a tremendous job at getting to the free throw line where he is ranked second on the team in free throws made (20) and free throw attempts (35).
• Ortiz recorded a career-high 10 points on the road at Texas Tech (Nov. 28) and has notched nine or more points in four of the team's last seven games. This season, Ortiz has also grabbed four or more rebounds in six games.
It's All About the Ebie, Baby!
• TCU sophomore Jason Ebie has been an important ingredient in the Frogs' lineup this season as he is averaging 4.1 points, 3.88 assists, 2.56 steals and 1.9 rebounds per game while competing in 18.3 minutes per evening.
• Ebie is ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in steals per game (2.56 S-G), sixth in assists per game (3.88 A-G) and seventh in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.92:1 A-T Ratio). The TCU guard is the only player in the Mountain West Conference to be ranked in the top-eight in all three statistical departments.
• Ebie is ranked 23rd in the nation in steals per game (2.56 S-G) and has recorded three or more steals in five of eight games this season. The TCU sophomore has also dished out four or more assists on seven occasions and seen action in 15 or more minutes in six of nine games.
Neon Keion in Primetime
• Sophomore Keion Mitchem has given the Frogs an added burst of energy off of the bench as the TCU guard is averaging 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while connecting on 36.1 percent of his field goal attempts. Mitchem has scored five or more points in four games and connected on seven points in eight minutes against Texas Southern.
Great Scott!
• TCU newcomer Mike Scott has made an immediate impact on the Frogs' lineup as the freshman has started in all nine games. Scott is averaging 5.2 points and 2.78 assists per game this season while hitting on 48.6 percent of his shots.
• The Frogs' point guard scored a career-high 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting to go along with four rebounds in 19 minutes of action against SMU (Dc. 5). Scott has notched five or more points in four games this season for the Frogs.
• Though he's only a freshman, Scott is not the youngest member for TCU as the Philadelphia native is 21-years-old.
Close Encounters of the Trey Kind
• TCU has made at least one three-pointer in 291 consecutive games dating back to the 1997-98 season where the last time that the Frogs failed to connect on a trey came against LIU-Brooklyn on November 22, 1997. The Frogs have connected on at least one three-pointer in 518 of their last 519 games.
• Prior to the failed connection, TCU recorded a three-pointer in 217 straight games dating back to the 1989-90 season when the Longhorns of Texas stopped the Frogs on February 11, 1990.
• This season, the Purple and White has connected on at least seven three-pointers in eight of their first nine games and are ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game (8.0 3FGM-G).
Home Sweet Home
• The Frogs have posted a mark of 392-232 (.630) since Daniel-Meyer Coliseum opened during the 1961-62 campaign.
• Over the past decade, the Horned Frogs have recorded a 132-57 (.725) overall record and have won at least 10 games at home in seven of the last 10 seasons.
• The Frogs have won 15 of their last 22 games at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, including eight of their last 10 games on their home court. The last two losses for the Frogs at home came against Oklahoma (90-66 / December 2nd, 2007) and BYU (85-72 / February 10th, 2007).
Finding Nemo
• Senior Neiman Owens is one of the most experienced players on the Frogs as the TCU guard has appeared in 102 career games - including 60 starts during his career with the Purple and White. Owens did not start against Angelo State in the season opener - which snapped his 60-game starting streak that dated back to the 2005-06 season.
• Owens competed in his 100th career game for the Purple and White on December 5th against SMU and reached another milestone against UT Arlington as he recorded his 400th career point for the Frogs.
The Wall
• Even though TCU has only been a member of the Mountain West Conference for three seasons, Ryan Wall has been affiliated with the MWC in each of his five collegiate years. Wall was a member of the University of New Mexico for two seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05) before transferring to TCU prior to the start of the 2005-06 campaign. After a red-shirt campaign during the 2005-06 campaign, Wall has appeared in 39 career games while wearing the Purple and White.
• Since coming back from an off-season injury, Wall has started to see more action on the court and has played seven or more minutes in each of the last four games. He has also started to feel his shooting touch as the TCU senior has connected on a trio of three-pointers in two of the last four games - connecting on 43.5 percent of his trey attempts.
Cool Hand Luke
• After missing the 2006-07 season due to back surgery, Luke Tauscher made his return to the Frogs' lineup this season where he has averaged 8.9 minutes of court time. On four occasions, the TCU freshman has played in 10 or more minutes and has recorded at least four rebounds in three of eight games this season.
• Tauscher recorded his first career double-digit rebounding evening against Rice where the Frogs' forward grabbed a game-high 12 boards. Tauscher is ranked fifth among all MWC freshmen in rebounds per game with a 3.3 average.
Family Ties
• Anyone affiliated with the TCU men's basketball program knows that Neil Dougherty presents a family environment for the Frogs. Once a member of the basketball program, you quickly become a member of the family.
• Dougherty had the opportunity to coach his son, Neil P., for four seasons, and now assistant coach, Sean Woods, will also have the same opportunity as his son, Martiese Morones, is a sophomore with the Frogs.
• Woods was a standout at the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the "Unforgettables" on the 1992 team that fell 104-103 to Duke in the NCAA Elite Eight in what is considered the greatest college basketball game of all-time. A member of the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame, Woods connected on the shot to give the Wildcats a 103-102 lead on the Blue Devils before Christian Laettner connected on the shot heard round the world.
The Scoring Frenzy
• Twice during the 2007-08 campaign, every member of the Purple and White that saw action on the court scored at least one point in the game. The Frogs accomplished this feat against Angelo State (Nov. 10) and Grambling State (Nov. 21). The same feat was reached twice all of last season against San Diego State (Jan. 31) and Air Force (Feb. 24).
Welcome to the Program
• In the early signing period, the Frogs signed a trio of players that will help the squad next season in Kevin Butler, Logan Lancon and James Blasczyk.
• Butler comes from one of the top high school programs in the nation in Duncanville and came into his senior season ranked 16th in the State of Texas according TexasHoops.com in the Class of 2008.
• Lancon comes into the 2007-08 campaign as the 43rd top prospect according to TexasHoops.com. The newly-signed Frog averaged a team-high 11.3 points per game en route to earning first team All-District 24-5A honors.
• Blasczyk is listed as the 47th best prospect in the State of Texas according to TexasHoops.com after concluding a junior campaign where he averaged 8.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per game.
Putting 40 Minutes Together
• The Frogs have been extremely successful in the first half of action where the Purple and White have built up a lead heading into intermission in eight of their first nine games. The Frogs have notched a 6-2 mark when leading at halftime with their two losses coming against Texas Tech (Nov. 28) and SMU (Dec. 5). The only game that the Frogs were down at halftime came at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum against the University of Oklahoma (Dec. 2).
Win Big or Go Home
• Close games have become a rarity for the Frogs this season as only two of the team's first nine games was decided by 10 or less points. The Frogs have notched a 5-2 record when the advantage on the scoreboard shows 10 or more for the winning team. The lone games for the Frogs that have been under 10 points came against SMU and UT Arlington.
• The Frogs have seen 77.8 percent of their games be decided by 10 or more points this season - which is tied with Utah for the most in the Mountain West Conference. TCU and Utah are followed by Wyoming (75.0%), BYU (75.0%), Colorado State (75.0%), UNLV (75.0%), New Mexico (60.0%) and Air Force (60.0%) in that category.
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