Frogs continue conference homestand against New Mexico
1/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2008
Game Notes - University of New Mexico in PDF Format 
Game Day Information
Opponent: The TCU men's basketball program will continue their home stand as the Horned Frogs welcome Mountain West Conference-foe the University of New Mexico to the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Tuesday (Jan. 15) at 8:00 p.m Central Time.
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 via Yahoo Sports.
Television: The game between the Horned Frogs and Lobos will be televised on CSTV with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Shawn Farnham (analyst) handling the game-time duties.
Next on the Schedule: The Frogs will be back in action on Saturday (Jan. 19) when the Purple and White travels to Fort Collins, Colo., for a match-up against Colorado State. The Frog nation can listen to the game on ESPN Radio (103.3 FM), and the contest with the Rams will also be televised via The Mtn. Network.
The Big Score
• The Frogs have scored 1,123 points through 15 games of the 2007-08 campaign - averaging 74.9 points per evening. The Purple and White is currently ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average sitting behind BYU and University of New Mexico.
• In their nine victories this season - the Frogs have yet to be held to under 75 points while averaging 83.7 points per triumph. All nine victories for the Frogs have come at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum during the 2007-08 season.
Stealing the Show
• The Frogs will enter the game against the University of New Mexico ranked fourth in the nation in steals per game with an average of 10.9 picks per evening. In the NCAA Rankings, the Frogs are slated behind Virginia Military Institute (VMI) at 15.5 steals per game followed by Kansas and Tennessee.
• The defense of the Purple and White has notched 11 games of 10 or more steals this season with their season-high coming against Texas Southern with a 17-steal performance - which is the second-highest tally among all Mountain West Conference programs.
• The only four games this season that the Frogs did not record at least 10 or more steals came against Texas (9), Prairie View A&M (9), Grambling State (8) and Wyoming (8).
• Jason Ebie is ranked 39th among all NCAA Division I student-athletes in steals per game as the TCU sophomore has recorded an average of 2.27 steals per game. The TCU point guard has collected three or more steals in seven of 15 games this season and has notched at least one steal in 14 of 15 games during the 2007-08 campaign.
Statement Time in the Mountain West Conference
• Teams in the Mountain West Conference have combined for a record of 92-49 (.652 winning percentage) with New Mexico leading the way at the top of the rankings under first-year head coach Steve Alford with a 14-3 record.
• 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 74-10 record when they hold the lead heading into intermission.
• The Mountain West Conference has been dominant on their home floor as all nine programs are combined for a 60-11 mark on their home courts.
Horned Frogs Dominate Wyoming in Conference Action
• The TCU men's basketball team notched their first conference victory of the season as the Horned Frogs handed the University of Wyoming an 83-56 setback on Saturday (Jan. 12) at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in front of 3,686 Purple and White fans.
• The Frogs held the Cowboys scoreless for the first 4:35 of the game as the Purple and White was able to build a 13-0 lead highlighted by a trio of Henry Salter three-pointers during the early minutes of the first half.
• The Frogs were able to build a lead of 20 points in the first half on two occasions and notched their biggest lead of the game at 34 points at the 12:38 mark in the final frame.
• Henry Salter was the game's top scorer as the TCU junior finished with 20 points - including five three-pointers - to go along with six rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
• Kevin Langford notched his 13th straight double-digit scoring performance as the junior finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go along with a pair of assists and steals.
• Brent Hackett was the third member of the Frogs to post a double-digit scoring game as the senior notched 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting - including a perfect 6-of-6 from inside the three-point line. He also added four assists and three rebounds against the Cowboys.
• Jason Ebie had a career-game in his first collegiate start as the TCU sophomore notched seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals in 20 minutes of action.
• The defense of the Frogs held the Cowboys to a 28.0 percent (7-of-25) shooting performance in the first half of action - including 0-of-12 from behind the three-point line.
Frog Defense Standing Tall
• The defense of the Purple and White has been one of the strong points for the Frogs this season as TCU is holding opponents to a shooting percentage of 42.8 percent - which is on-pace to be the lowest shooting percentage for an opponent in program history.
• The Frogs have forced opponents into 292 turnovers (19.5 turnovers per game) where they have scored 338 points off of the miscues of their foes - an average of 22.5 points.
• The Purple and White have limited their opponents to a scoring average of 67.4 points per evening at the DMC and 64.9 points per game in contests that the Frogs' win.
The Glass Cleaners
• Alvardo Parker and Luke Tauscher each recorded a double-digit rebounding performance against Rice on November 13th and became the first set of teammates to accomplish that feat in the same game since Chudi Chinweze (13) and Bingo Merriex (11) did it against UAB on February 18, 2003 - a span of 131 games.
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 28.6 minutes of court time per evening. The Fort Worth talent is joined in that category by Henry Salter, Brent Hackett and Alvardo Parker.
• The Frogs have five other players who are averaging double-digits in minutes played in Jason Ebie, Neiman Owens, John Ortiz, Mike Scott and Keion Mitchem.
The Trend
• During the 2007-08 campaign, the Frogs have recorded a trend of winning four games followed by three setbacks and back again through the first 15 games of the season.
Scouting the Opponents - University of New Mexico
• The University of New Mexico enters the contest against the Horned Frogs with a 14-3 overall record - including a 1-1 mark in Mountain West Conference action after dropping a 72-67 decision to San Diego State at The Pit on Saturday (January 12).
• J.R. Giddens - the reigning Mountain West Conference Player of the Week - is one of the top offensive threats for the Lobos as the UNM guard is averaging 13.5 points per evening and is ranked second in the conference in rebounds per game with an average of 8.6 boards per contest.
• Chad Toppert is one of the top three-point threats in the Mountain West Conference as the UNM guard has connected on 46.8 percent (44-of-94) of his trey attempts - which ranks him second in the conference behind TCU junior Henry Salter. Toppert is averaging 11.3 points per game - ranking him second on the Lobo squad.
• Steve Alford is in the midst of his first season as head men's basketball coach for the Lobos as the UNM general has had previous stops at Missouri State and University of Iowa. During his 16 years as a head coach, Alford has notched a 322-186 overall record - including eight 20-win seasons during his tenure at the helm.
• The University of New Mexico is one of the top scoring teams in the Mountain West Conference as the Lobos are averaging 76.4 points per game - which is second only to BYU. The Lobos have scored 80 or more points in nine contests this season and have only been held to under 70 points on five occasions.
• The Lobos are ranked second in the Mountain West Conferece in three-point field goals made per game as they have connected on 8.41 treys per evening and have seven players that have notched at least 10 three-point field goals during the 2007-08 campaign.
• The Lobos have one of the most talented freshman in the Mountain West Conference in Dairese Gary - who is ranked third on the team in scoring average (10.3 P-G) and ranked seventh in the conference in assists per game (3.35 A-G).
• The University of New Mexico has recorded two seven-game winning streaks this season and have notched a 10-1 overall mark at The Pit. The Lobos have also notched a 4-2 mark when playing away from their home floor.
Frogs Closing in on 400th Victory at the DMC
• Following an 83-56 victory over University of Wyoming on Saturday (Jan. 12), the Purple and White recorded their 395th 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 61.7 percent (208-of-337) of their free throw attempts compared to 63.5 percent (188-of-296) of attempts from their foes. On average - the Purple and White are leaving 9.0 points per evening at the charity stripe.
• Of the 10 players that have attempted 10 or more free throws - only five players (Kevin Langford, Brent Hackett, Mike Scott, Ryan Wall and Luke Tauscher) are shooting above 70.0 percent at the charity stripe.
• The Frogs have recorded some of their best free throw shooting percentages in games in which they have suffered defeats - including 90.9 percent against SMU and 75.0 percent versus San Diego State.
• The Frogs have connected on 67.6 percent (48-of-71) of their free throw attempts on the road compared to a shooting percentage of 60.2 percent (160-of-266) at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
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 four games.
Home-Grown Talent Pays Dividends for Horned Frogs
• The Horned Frogs will get plenty of action from a trio of Fort Worth 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 ranked second and third on the Frogs in scoring average at 14.5 points and 11.2 points per game.
• TCU newcomer Luke Tauscher sat out last season due to an injury, but the 6-11 center has averaged 2.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in his 12 games on the floor for the Frogs.
• TCU has two other players from the DFW area in Ryan Wall (Coppell, Texas) and Daniel Ford (Aledo, Texas). Wall has been a two-year mainstay at the guard position for the Frogs after transferring to the Purple and White from the University of New Mexico while Ford is a first-year walk-on for his hometown program.
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 14 of the team's first 15 games. The Gulfport, Miss., native has recorded the fourth-most double-digit scoring performances.
• Salter is ranked fifth in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (15.5 P-G) and 10th in rebounds per game (5.9) and is only of three players in the conference to be ranked in the top-10 in both statistical categories - joining Trent Plaisted and Lee Cummard - both of BYU.
• 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 10 of the Purple and White's 15 games.
• The former NJCAA All-American is also ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game with an average of 2.93 treys per contest - which is also the 11th highest tally among all NCAA Division I players. He is also ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goal percentage with a mark of 51.2 percent (44-of-86).
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 (14.6 P-G) and leads the Frogs in free throws made (75), free throw attempts (106) and free throw percentage (70.8%).
• The TCU forward was selected as the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on December 24th after averaging 24.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in a pair of victories for the Frogs. Langford scored a career-high 31 points against Prairie View A&M and became the first player since Junior Blunt during the 2001-02 season to score 30 or more points in a game.
• Langford is riding a 13-game double-digit scoring streak and has increased his total to 35 career games in which the Fort Worth talent has notched a double-digit scoring performance.
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 attempts (109), second in three-point field goals made (33) and third in scoring average (11.5 P-G).
• During his career with the Frogs - Hackett has appeared in 107 career games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 73 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 46 career games - 10 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 18 (Sophomore). The TCU senior has recorded 926 career points to go along with 170 career three-pointers - which ranks seventh in the TCU career record books.
• Hackett is currently ranked fifth in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game (2.20 3FGM-G) and has connected on at least one trey in 13 of 15 games this season.
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 fifth in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots per game (1.27 B-G) and offensive rebounds per game (2.07 R-G) and 17th in rebounds per game (5.12 R-G).
• The TCU senior has recorded 80 career blocked shots with the Frogs - which ties him for seventh place in the all-time record books with Marlon Dumont. Parker needs 20 more blocks to become the fifth player in program history to notch the century mark in blocked shots.
• Parker has notched at least one blocked shot in 12 of 15 games this season and is ranked 18th 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.
Team Filled with Mr. Cleans
• This season, the Frogs are averaging 39.3 rebounds per game - which ranks them 41th in the nation in that statistical category. The Purple and White is ranked seventh in the State of Texas in boards per game behind Texas State, Sam Houston State, Texas A&M, University of North Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and University of Texas-Arlington.
• At one point in the season - the Frogs were ranked as high as fourth in the nation in rebounds per game, but have struggled grabbing boards on the road where they are averaging 29.6 boards per contest compared to 44,1 rebounds at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
• In games that the Frogs win - the Purple and White is averaging 45.3 boards per evening compared to 30.2 rebounds per game in contests where TCU suffers a defeat.
Great Scott!
• TCU newcomer Mike Scott has made an immediate impact on the Frogs' lineup as the freshman has started in 14 of 15 games. Scott is averaging 4.9 points and 2.7 assists per game this season while hitting on 40.4 percent of his shots.
• The Frogs' point guard scored a career-high 11 points on two occasions during his rookie campaign with the Purple and White against SMU and Jackson State. Scott has notched five or more points in six games this season.
• Though he's only a freshman, Scott is not the youngest member for TCU as the Philadelphia native is 21-years-old.
It's All About the Ebie, Baby!
• TCU sophomore Jason Ebie has been an important ingredient in the Frogs' lineup as the Purple and White point guard is ranked 39th in the nation among NCAA Division I players in steals per game with a 2.27 picks per evening average.
• Ebie is ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in steals per game (2.27 S-G) and eighth in assists per game (3.27 A-G). The TCU guard is one of two players in the Mountain West Conference to be ranked in the top-10 in both statistical departments along with UNLV's Wink Adams.
• The Houston native has recorded three of more steals in seven of 15 games and has posted four steals in three of those contests. In addition to his pick-pocketing duties, Ebie has dished out four or more assists on eight occasions. The TCU sophomore started his first collegiate game agaisnt Wyoming where he posted seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals in 20 minutes of action in a Frogs' 83-56 victory at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
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 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while connecting on 41.4 percent of his field goal attempts. Mitchem has scored five or more points in seven of 15 games - including a season-high nine points twice vs. Rice and Texas
• The TCU guard has tied a career-high in games played as he saw action in 15 games during the 2006-07 season.
Standing "O" for Ortiz
• TCU newcomer John Ortiz has played a pivotal role for the Frogs in the low post as he is averaging 5.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game - which ranks him 13th 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 both free throws made (22) and free throw attempts (44).
• Ortiz notched his first collegiate start against the University of Wyoming where he posted a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with four points in 17 minutes of action.
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 17 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 12-89 (.118) all-time against nationally-ranked teams and has dropped 16 of its last 18 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 48 of 49 match-ups when away from the DMC. Their lone victory came against Hawaii (83-79) on January 19, 1998.
Close Encounters of the Trey Kind
• TCU has made at least one three-pointer in 295 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 524 of their last 525 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 13 of their first 15 games and are ranked fourth in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game (8.20 3FGM-G).
Home Sweet Home
• The Frogs have posted a mark of 395-232 (.630) since Daniel-Meyer Coliseum opened during the 1961-62 campaign.
• Over the past decade, the Purple and White has recorded a 135-57 (.714) overall record and have won at least 10 games at home in seven of the last 10 seasons - including nine victories during the 2007-08 campaign at the DMC.
• The Frogs have won 18 of their last 25 games at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, including nine of their last 10 games on their home court. The last loss for the Frogs at home came against Oklahoma (90-66 / December 2nd, 2007).
Finding Nemo
• Senior Neiman Owens is one of the most experienced players on the Frogs as the TCU guard has appeared in 107 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 TCU senior has collected at least two rebounds in 12 of 15 games this season with a season-high seven boards coming against Jackson State. Owens notched one of his best all-around games against Grambling State where he collected six points, six assists and six rebounds in 18 minutes of action in the Frogs' home victory.
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 45 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 five of the last eight games. He has also started to feel his shooting touch as the TCU senior has connected on a trio of three-pointers in two games this season - connecting on 35.1 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 8.7 minutes of court time. On five occasions, the TCU freshman has played in 10 or more minutes and has recorded at least four rebounds in five of 13 games this season.
• Tauscher recorded his first career double-digit rebounding performance against Rice where he grabbed 12 boards and is ranked sixth among all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference with a 3.0 rebounds per game 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).
Putting 40 Minutes Together
• The Frogs have been successful in the first half of action where the Purple and White have built up a lead heading into intermission in 12 of their first 15 games. The Frogs have notched a 9-3 mark when leading at halftime with their three losses coming against Texas Tech, SMU and Rice.
The Woes of the Road
• The Frogs have dropped all three road decisions this season where they have held a double-digit lead against Texas Tech, SMU and Rice. The Purple and White has dropped decisions in all three contests when holding a second half lead of 10 or more points and suffered a setback to Texas where they had an early first half seven-point advantage.
• TCU has dropped their last 12 games on the road with their last victory away from the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum coming against Mountain West Conference-opponent Utah on January 6, 2007.
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