Frogs Play Host to Rams Wednesday at DMC
2/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2011
GAME #27
TCU (10-16; 1-10 MWC) vs. COLORADO STATE (17-7; 7-3 MWC)
TCU GAME NOTES 
| CSU GAME NOTES | LISTEN LIVE 
| 
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 | 7 p.m. CT | Fort Worth, Texas | Daniel-Meyer Coliseum (7,201)
Television: The Mtn. (DirecTV ch. 616) | Talent: Dan Gutowsky (pxp), Bob Donewald (analyst)
Radio: 1460 AM (KCLE) | Talent: Brian Estridge (pxp), John Denton (analyst)
Internet: GoFrogs.com (radio, GameTracker)
Series Record: TCU leads, 10-8 | Last Meeting: Jan. 15, 2011 in Fort Collins (L, 69-79)
TCU Head Coach: Jim Christian (Rhode Island, '88)
Record at TCU: 37-52 (.416) in 3rd season | Overall: 175-110 (.614) in 9th season
CSU Head Coach: Tim Miles (Mary, '89)
Record at CSU: 49-70 (.412) in 4th season | Overall: 261-202 (.564) in 16th season
FORT WORTH--TCU continues its conference schedule Wednesday, when it plays host to Colorado State at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Tip-off for the contest, which will be televised live by The MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.), has been set for 7 p.m.
TCU, 10-16 overall this season and 1-10 in the Mountain West Conference, aims to avenge a road loss to CSU suffered back on Jan. 15 in Fort Collins, 79-69. The setback marked the first of the Frogs' current eight-game skid. The squad also will look to end a three-game home losing streak that stretches back to its last overall victory against Wyoming on Jan. 12.
Colorado State, 17-7 overall and 7-3 in the MWC, is in the midst of a breakout season that has seen the squad climb into third place in the league standings. The Rams, who have already surpassed their overall victory total from a season ago, have won four of their last five contests and three straight away from Fort Collins, Colo.
TCU owns a successful history against the Rams in Fort Worth, having won seven of eight previous matchups at the DMC. The Frogs lead the all-time series by a 10-8 margin, although CSU has taken three of the last four matchups.
Wednesday's game marks TCU's 14th televised matchup this season and its 12th on The Mtn. Broadcast duties will be handled by James Bates (play-by-play) and Bob Donewald (analyst). The Mtn. is available nationwide on DirecTV channel 616.
In addition to television coverage, the contest also will be broadcast live on the radio throughout the Metroplex on 1460 AM KCLE. Brian Estridge (play-by-play) and John Denton (analyst) will serve as the on-air talent. Live stats and a link to an Internet radio feed will be available via TCU's official athletics website, GoFrogs.com.
A LOOK AT THE STARTERS*
TCU Projected Starters
No. - Name - Pos. - Ht. - Wt. - Yr. - PPG, RPG, APG
4 - Amric Fields - F - 6-9 - 210 - Fr. - 7.5, 3.0, 0.5^
10 - Hank Thorns - G - 5-8 - 165 - Jr. - 10.2, 3.3, 6.4
12 - Nikola Cerina - F - 6-9 - 245 - So. - 4.5, 3.1, 0.7#
25 - Greg Hill - G - 6-2 - 205 - Sr. - 6.0, 1.6, 1.0
33 - Garlon Green - F - 6-7 - 210 - So. - 11.7, 4.8, 1.0
Colorado State Projected Starters
No. - Name - Pos. - Ht. - Wt. - Yr. - PPG, RPG, APG
1 - Travis Franklin - F - 6-7 - 215 - Sr. - 14.3, 4.9, 2.0
12 - Adam Nigon - G - 6-3 - 175 - Sr. - 6.5, 2.1, 1.1#
22 - Dorian Green - G - 6-2 - 170 - So. - 7.4, 3.1, 2.9
32 - Andy Ogide - F - 6-9 - 245 - Sr. - 16.0, 7.4, 0.5^
44 - Greg Smith - F - 6-6 - 200 - So. - 5.7, 2.6, 1.2
^-blocks per game; #-steals per game;
*-players determined by starters from each team's previous game
FROG QUICK NOTES
- Greg Hill is averaging 12.0 ppg over the last four games, tied for second on the squad with Garlon Green. Hank Thorns (13.5 ppg) leads the squad over the stretch.
- Hill has scored 12 or more points in three straight contests, his first career three-game stretch in double figures.
- Hank Thorns needs only eight assists to tie former Frog great Jamie Dixon for No. 9 on TCU's single-season assist chart with 168 (1986-87).
- Thorns' assist average (6.40 apg) would rank him third among TCU's top all-time individual seasons. Tony Edmond (1989-90) owns the TCU record with an 8.1-assist average.
- Thorns leads the MWC in assists and was No. 8 nationally as of Feb. 14. He also is No. 2 in the MWC and No. 17 in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (2.62).
- As of Feb. 14, Thorns was the only player among the nation's top 12 players in assists who also ranked among the top 36 in assist-turnover ratio.
- Thorns has six 10-assist games, four more than any other MWC player. He is one of only five players in the nation with at least six such efforts this season.
- Amric Fields ranks No. 2 among all MWC freshmen in scoring (7.5 ppg) and No. 5 in rebounding (3.0 rpg).
- TCU is shooting 51.6% from the field in its 10 wins and only 39.5% in its 16 losses. The squad owns an average rebounding edge of +4.8 in victories and is at -4.2 in losses.
- TCU is shooting 49.4% from the field at home with an average scoring margin of +8.1 ppg, compared to figures of 39.2% and -11.7 ppg away from Fort Worth.
- TCU is 10-1 when scoring over 70 points this season and 0-14 when failing to reach the mark.
SCOUTING THE COLORADO STATE RAMS
Colorado State, led by fourth-year head coach Tim Miles, is one of the surprise teams of the MWC this season. The squad is 17-7 overall this season and in sole possession of third place in the league standings with a 7-3 mark. The squad, which closed last season playing in the College Basketball Invitational tournament, returned eight letterwinners and four starters from last season's team that went 16-16 overall and tied for fifth place in the MWC standings with a 7-9 league mark.
As a team, Colorado State is third in the league averaging 73.7 ppg and No. 1 in field-goal percentage (48.3%). The squad is No. 3 in the MWC in 3-point shooting (36.2%).
Two Rams rank among the MWC's top-10 scorers in senior forwards Andy Ogide, No. 3 at 16.0 ppg, and Travis Franklin, No. 7 at 14.3 ppg. Ogide also leads the conference in field-goal percentage (57.8%) and is No. 4 in rebounding (7.4 rpg). Senior guard Adam Nigon is third in the league in 3-point shooting (44.4%) and sixth in 3-pointers made (1.83 3pg).
INSIDE THE SERIES
TCU owns a 10-8 advantage in the all-time series that began in 1971-72, including a 6-6 mark since the Frogs joined the MWC prior to the 2005-06 season. TCU opened the series with six wins in the last seven meetings and has taken four of the last seven. The Frogs are 7-1 in games played in Fort Worth.
TCU vs. Colorado State - Last 10 Meetings
Date - W/L - Score - Site
March 7, 2006 - L - 60-64 - Denver
Jan. 17, 2007 - L - 54-66 - Fort Worth
Feb. 13, 2007 - L - 66-82 - Fort Collins
Jan. 19, 2008 - W - 70-58 - Fort Collins
Feb. 20, 2008 - W - 66-64 - Fort Worth
Jan. 3, 2009 - W - 81-67- Fort Worth
Feb. 7, 2009 - L - 65-71 - Fort Collins
Jan. 27, 2010 - L - 57-63 - Fort Collins
Feb. 27, 2010 - W - 73-67 - Fort Worth
Jan. 15, 2011 - L - 69-79 - Fort Collins
LAST TIME WE MET: CSU 79, TCU 69
TCU's dropped a 79-69 road decision to Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo. on Jan. 15. CSU shot over 60% from the field, including better than 70% in the first half.
Amric Fields led TCU with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also totaled five rebounds and pair of steals. Joining Fields in double figures were Ronnie Moss and Hank Thorns, who scored 17 and 13 points respectively.
Four players scored in double figures to lead a hot-shooting CSU squad, including Andy Ogide, who recorded a double-double featuring 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting and a game-high 11 rebounds. Travis Franklin scored 14 points, while Dorian Green and Jesse Carr totaled 10 points each.
CSU used an extremely efficient offensive performance to keep the Frogs at bay throughout the evening. In addition to shooting 60.4% (32-of-53) for the game, the squad was credited with 22 assists and more than half (40) of its points in the paint.
TCU had a tough time keeping up with CSU in the first half, as the Rams controlled the action throughout the opening period by shooting 72.4% (21-of-29) from the field. CSU attacked the paint early and often against the Frogs, scoring 26 of their 46 first-half points in the paint. TCU shot well itself (53.8%), but was unable to go shot-for-shot with the red-hot Rams.
