TCU Wraps Up Paradise Jam Monday vs. Ole Miss
11/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2011
GAME #5 - TCU (3-1) vs. OLE MISS (3-1)
U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam
TCU GAME NOTES 
// LIVE AUDIO 
// LIVE STATS
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Mon., Nov. 21, 2011 // 7 p.m. AST // St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. // UVI Sports Fitness Center (3,500)
Series Record: Ole Miss leads, 2-1 // Last Meeting: L, 64-66 (Dec. 21, 1984)
TCU Head Coach: Jim Christian (Rhode Island, '88)
Record at TCU: 41-59 (.410) in 4th season // Overall: 179-117 (.605) in 10th season
Ole Miss Head Coach: Andy Kennedy (UAB, '91)
Record at Miss: 108-65 (.624) in 6th season // Overall: 129-78 (.623) in 7th season
TV: FSN, FCS // Talent: Steve Physioc (pxp), Larry Conley (analyst), Laura McKeeman (sidelines)
Radio: 1460 AM (KCLE), 88.7 FM (KTCU) // Talent: Jeff Williams (pxp), Herb Stephens (analyst)
Internet: GoFrogs.com (radio), ParadiseJam.com (live video stream, live stats)
FORT WORTH--TCU concludes its stay at the 12th annual U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Monday, when it plays Ole Miss in the third-place game at 7 p.m. AST (5 p.m. CST) at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports Fitness Center. The game will be televised nationally by both Fox Sports Net and Fox College Sports.
The Horned Frogs will be looking to finish off their showing at the Paradise Jam on a high note after splitting its opening two games. Following an impressive opening win over Virginia on Friday (57-55), TCU was defeated in Sunday's semifinal round by Norfolk State (66-53).
The Frogs own a 3-1 record overall this season and will look to move to 4-1 for the first time under head coach Jim Christian and the first time overall since 2007-08.
TCU and Ole Miss will be meeting for the third time ever and the hardwood. The Rebels have won the teams' last two meetings, including a 66-64 decision in the most recent matchup during first round of the 1984 Gator Bowl Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla. TCU is 47-126 all-time against teams that currently comprise the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Following Monday's game, TCU will head back to Fort Worth before traveling to Houston for a Nov. 26 matchup against the Houston Cougars at Hofheinz Pavilion.
Fox Sports Net and Fox College Sports will provide television coverage for Monday's third-place Paradise Jam contest. Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Larry Conley (analyst) and Laura McKeeman (sidelines) will serve as the broadcast team.
TCU's matchup against the Rebels can also be heard live on the radio throughout the Metroplex on both 1460 AM KCLE and 88.7 FM KTCU with Jeff Williams (play-by-play) and former Frog player Herb Stephens (analyst) serving as the play-by-play team. A link to the live radio Internet feed will be available via TCU's official athletics website, GoFrogs.com, while live stats can be found on the tournament's official website, ParadiseJam.com.
FROG QUICK NOTES
* A win Monday vs. Ole Miss would give TCU its first 4-1 start under Jim Christian and first overall since 2007-08.
* TCU is making its first appearance in the Paradise Jam and its first regular-season trip outside the contiguous U.S. since the 1999 Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.
* TCU's last trip outside the U.S. came in Summer 2007, when former head coach Neil Dougherty's squad took a 10-day, five-day tour of Central America.
* TCU has one native of the U.S. Virgin Islands on its roster in Craig Williams, who hails from Christiansted on the island of St. Croix.
* In addition to Williams, TCU also has two other players from Caribbean Islands in Nate Butler (Puerto Rico) and J.R. Cadot (Bahamas).
* TCU has featured a balanced scoring attack this season. Its top-5 scorers all average between 11.8 and 9.0 ppg.
* TCU has forced an average of 26.8 turnovers in its opening four games leading to a +8.8 average turnover margin.
* The Frogs have forced at least 14 turnovers in the first half of each contest.
* TCU's returning players accounted for 55.8% of scoring, 54.3% of rebounds, 67.5% of assists, 54.3% of steals and 64.9% of blocked shots last season.
* Hank Thorns, who has played only 36 games with the Frogs, is just 76 assists shy of entering the team's career top-10 list.
* Thorns, a Preseason All-MW selection, is No. 3 among the nation's top returning assist men (7.0 apg) from a year ago and No. 9 among the leaders in assist/turnover ratio (2.71)
* Garlon Green leads TCU in career games played (68), starts (39) and points (546) as a Frog.
* Eight Frog letterwinners, including three starters, return from last season's squad. TCU is one of four teams in the Mountain West to return at least three starters.
SCOUTING OLE MISS
Ole Miss, led by sixth-year head coach Andy Kennedy, owns a 3-1 record this season after falling in the Paradise Jam semifinals to No. 19 Marquette, 96-66. The squad downed Drake in the opener by a 63-59 count after beginning their season with home wins over Louisiana Monroe (60-38) and Grambling State (69-39).
The Rebels return six letterwinners and three starters from last season's squad that went 20-14 overall and tied for third in the SEC West Division with a 7-9 league mark. The team reached the first round of the NIT last season.
Terrance Henry leads the squad in scoring at 12.5 ppg, while Dundrecous Nelson also averages double figures (10.8 ppg). Nelson also is averaging nearly three steals per outing, while Murphy Holloway is the squad's top rebounder (10.0 rpg). As a team, Ole Missis scoring 64.5 ppg and owns an average season rebounding margin of +6.8.
INSIDE THE SERIES: TCU VS. OLE MISS
TCU and Ole Miss will be meeting for the fourth time in the all-time series Monday. The two squads split a pair of home-and-home matchups during the 1976-77 season, with TCU winning 70-61 in Fort Worth (Nov. 27, 1976) and the Rebels taking a 68-63 decision in Oxford on Dec. 4, 1976. Ole Miss took the series lead with a 66-64 decision in the most recent matchup during first round of the 1984 Gator Bowl Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla. (Dec. 21, 1984).
TCU vs. OLE MISS - ALL-TIME MEETINGS
Date * W/L * Score * Site
Nov. 27, 1976 * W * 70-61 * Fort Worth
Dec. 4, 1976 * L * 63-68 * Oxford
Dec. 21, 1984 * L * 64-66 * Jacksonville, Fla.
FROGS FALL TO SPARTANS IN PARADISE JAM SEMIFINALS
TCU suffered its first loss of the season Sunday in the semifinal round of the Paradise Jam to Norfolk State, 66-53.
TCU experienced its worst offensive night of the season against the Spartans, shooting only 25.4% for the game, including a 1-of-18 performance from 3-point range. Despite making only 7-of-31 field goals in the first half, the Frogs kept themselves in the game by relying on their strength to this point in the season—pressure defense. The squad forced 16 turnovers in the opening period, which it turned into 17 points. TCU also attacked the basket, which resulted in 12 free throws in 16 attempts in the half.
TCU trailed by only two points at intermission, 28-26, but its woes continued in the second half. A 10-0 Norfolk State run coinciding with a four-minute Frog scoring drought gave the Spartans a 14-point advantage, 46-32, with just over 10 minutes remaining. NSU would push the lead to 17 points just a minute later on a basket by guard Chris McEachin.
The Frogs were able to cut their deficit to only six points on layup by Adrick McKinney layup with two minutes remaining, but McEachin responded with his fourth 3-pointer to essentially ice the game for the Spartans.
McKinney was one of TCU's few offensive bright spots, as he led the team in scoring for the first time with a career-high 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting. He added six rebounds and a career-best three steals. McKinney helped keep the Frogs in the game in the first half by scoring 10 of TCU's 17 points.
