TCU Concludes MW Homestand Wednesday vs. Air Force
1/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2012
GAME #19 - AIR FORCE (11-6; 1-2 MW) vs. TCU (11-7; 1-2 MW)
TCU GAME NOTES 
// AF GAME NOTES // LIVE AUDIO 
// 
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 // 6:30 p.m. // Fort Worth, Texas // Daniel-Meyer Coliseum (7,201)
Series Record: Air Force leads, 8-6 // Last Meeting: March 2, 2011 at USAFA (L, 65-70)
Television: The Mtn. (DirecTV ch. 616) // Talent: Chuck LaMendola (pxp), Jeff Lewis (analyst)
Radio: 1460 AM (KCLE), 88.7 FM (KTCU) // Talent: Brian Estridge (pxp), John Denton (analyst)
Internet: GoFrogs.com (radio, GameTracker)
TCU Head Coach: Jim Christian (Rhode Island, `88)
Record at TCU: 49-65 (.430) in 4th season // Overall: 187-123 (.603) in 10th season
AF Head Coach: Jeff Reyonolds (UNC Greensboro, `78)
Record at AF: 63-78 (.447) in 5th season // Overall: 145-112 (.564) in 9th season
FORT WORTH--TCU finishes off a two-game homestand Wednesday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum when it plays host to Air Force. Tip-off for the contest, which will be televised live by The MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.), is set for 6:30 p.m.
The Horned Frogs will look to even their Mountain West record at 2-2 after earning their first conference victory of the season at home last Saturday vs. Boise State. TCU is 8-2 at home overall, including wins in each of its lastthree matchups. A Wednesday victory over the Falcons also would give the Frogs consecutive conference wins for the first time since 2008-09.
Air Force, 11-6 overall and 1-2 in MW play, enters Wednesday's game on a two-game losing streak following setbacks to Wyoming at home and at San Diego State. The squad, which won its previous five contests heading into its current skid, opened the league schedule with a win at Boise State.
TCU and Air Force will be meeting for the 15th time in the all-time series. The Falcons staked an 8-6 series advantage by winning both of last season's matchups.
Saturday's contest marks TCU's 11th televised game of the season and its seventh on the MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.). The TCU broadcast crew of Chuck LaMendola (play-by-play) and Jeff Lewis (analyst) will handle play-by-play duties.
Fans can also follow the TCU-Air Force contest on the radio throughout the Metroplex on 1460 AM KCLE and 88.7 FM KTCU with Brian Estridge (play-by-play) and John Denton (analyst) calling the action. Links to both the live radio Internet feed and live stats will be available via TCU's official athletics website, GoFrogs.com.
FROG QUICK NOTES
* Hank Thorns needs only five more assists for 500 in his career.
* Despite having played only 50 games as a Frog, Thorns is just 11 helpers shy of entering the program's career top-10 list (321).
* Kyan Anderson is averaging a team-best 15.0 ppg in conference action, which is tied for No. 5 in the MW.
* Anderson is 7-of-14 on 3-pointers in conference play after entering the stretch only 5-of-24.
* Anderson is No. 3 among all MW freshmen in scoring average (8.0 ppg) and No. 2 in assists (2.39 apg).
* TCU is 8-1 in games decided by six points or fewer. The squad was 2-5 in such contests last season.
* The eight wins mark the most for TCU by six or fewer points in a single season since 1998-99 (10-5).
* TCU is forcing an average of 17.9 turnovers per game, 1.8 more than any other Mountain West team.
* TCU is No. 2 in the MW and No. 25 nationally in average turnover margin (+3.28). The Frogs are scoringnearly 20 ppg off turnovers (19.2 ppg).
* Thorns is No. 4 in the MW in assists (4.72 apg); No. 5 in minutes (32.28 mpg); No. 7 in 3-pointers made (1.82 3pg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.58); No. 9 in steals (1.50 spg); and No. 10 in scoring (13.1 ppg).
* Since the Dec. 19 loss at USC, Thorns has dished out 33 assists against only 12 turnovers. Prior to that point, he had recorded 46 assists and 42 miscues on the season.
* Amric Fields leads TCU with averages of 14.0 points and 1.4 steals over the last five games. He also paces the squad in field-goal percentage (57.4%) in the stretch.
* Fields ranks No. 20 in the MW in scoring average (10.3).
* Garlon Green is No. 2 in the MW in free-throw shooting (85.2%) and tied for No. 18 in scoring (10.9 ppg). His free-throw rate would rank No. 8 in TCU single-season history.
* J.R. Cadot is No. 3 in the MW in offensive rebounds (2.67 rpg); No. 4 in total rebounds (6.7 rpg); tied for No. 6 in defensive rebounds (4.00 rpg); and tied for No. 10 in steals (1.44spg).
* Cadot leads MW guards and all league players shorter than 6-8 in rebounding. He is the only player averaging more than 6.6 boards per contest (SDSU's Jamal Franklin; 6.6 rpg).
* TCU is 7-0 when shooting 45.0% or better from the field, 6-0 when outrebounding the opposition, 10-1when leading at halftime and 9-2 when scoring 70 points or more.
| AIR FORCE PROJECTED STARTERS | ||||||
No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Year | 2011-12 Statistics |
4 | Kamryn Williams | F | 6-4 | 195 | Fr. | 4.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.9 bpg |
5 | Mike Fitzgerald | F | 6-6 | 210 | Jr. | 11.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.7 spg |
10 | Todd Fletcher | G | 6-2 | 185 | Jr. | 9.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.1 apg |
14 | Michael Lyons | G | 6-6 | 198 | Jr. | 14.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 apg |
34 | Taylor Broekhuis | C | 6-10 | 220 | Jr. | 9.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 apg |
| TCU PROJECTED STARTERS | ||||||
No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Yr. | Year | 2011-12 Statistics |
5 | Kyan Anderson | G | 5-11 | 165 | Fr. | 8.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.4 apg |
10 | Hank Thorns | G | 5-9 | 165 | Sr. | 12.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.7 apg |
23 | J.R. Cadot | G | 6-5 | 210 | Sr. | 9.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.4 spg |
33 | Garlon Green | G/F | 6-7 | 215 | Jr. | 10.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.7 spg |
24 | Adrick McKinney | F | 6-8 | 260 | Jr. | 6.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.0 spg |
SCOUTING THE AIR FORCE FALCONS
Air Force, 11-6 overall this season and 1-2 in Mountain West play under fifth-year head coach Jeff Reynolds, enters Wednesday looking to snap a two-game losing streak following losses at home vs. Wyoming (64-53) and at San Diego State (57-44). The squad posted a 10-4 non-conference mark.
Air Force returned 11 lettermen and three starters from last season's team that finished with a 16-16 overall record and tied for sixth place in the MW standings with a 6-10 league mark. This season, the Falcons rank No. 2 in the conference in scoring defense (57.2 ppg) and 3-point field-goal defense (30.5%), while the squad is No. 3 in assists (14.76 apg) and overall field-goal defense (38.5%). The team is No. 8 in the league in scoring offense (64.4 ppg).
Junior guard Michael Lyons leads the team in scoring with a 14.4-pointaverage, while junior forward Mike Fitzgerald also averages double figures (11.1 ppg). Junior center Taylor Broekhuis, who ranks No. 7 in the MW in rebounding (5.4 rpg), leads the team's efforts on the glass. Senior guard Taylor Stewart (3.13 apg) and junior guard Todd Fletcher (3.12) rank No. 7 and 8 in the MW in assists, respectively. Stewart is No. 3 in the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.14).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Air Force grabbed an 8-6 lead in the all-time series with TCU last season by taking both of the teams' matchups. The Frogs had posted four consecutive victories prior to last season. TCU holds a 4-3 advantage in games played in Fort Worth, while the Falcons are 5-2 in Colorado Springs. The first game between the two programs was played on Jan. 21, 1999, a 114-87 TCU win in Fort Worth.
| TCU vs. Air Force - Last 10 Meetings | |||||
Date | W/L | Score | Site | ||
Jan. 23, 2007 | L | 39-72 | Colorado Springs | ||
Feb. 24, 2007 | W | 71-66 | Fort Worth | ||
Feb. 2, 2008 | L | 46-56 | Fort Worth | ||
March 5, 2008 | L | 36-57 | Colorado Springs | ||
Jan. 17, 2009 | W | 64-57 | Colorado Springs | ||
Feb. 18, 2009 | W | 62-50 | Fort Worth | ||
Jan. 6, 2010 | W | 59-50 | Fort Worth | ||
Feb. 6, 2010 | W | 65-51 | Colorado Springs | ||
Jan. 29, 2011 | L | 65-66 (ot) | Fort Worth | ||
March 2, 2011 | L | 65-70 | Colorado Springs | ||
LAST TIME WE MET: AIR FORCE 70, TCU 65 (MARCH 2, 2011)
Greg Hill tied a career high with 23 points to help TCU build a seven-point lead, but a red-hot second-half Air Force team sank the Frogs during a 70-65 setback in the 2011-12 regular-season finale March 2, 2011 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
TCU posted its top long-range shooting night of the season to help stake its early advantage, but the Falcons responded in the second half with a sizzling effort from the field. Air Force scored 16 of the first 19 points of the second half to turn a 34-27 deficit into a 47-37 advantage. The squad finished the game shooting an even 50%, including 66.7% (14-of-21) in the second stanza alone.
The Frogs trailed by 10 points on two separate occasions in the secondhalf but regrouped both times to tie the game. The final run saw the squad score 10 straight points over a two-minute period to bring itself even withonly 1:03 to play. Hank Thorns accounted for the tying basket on a layup. The Frogs had a chance to move in front on their next possession inside the final 20 seconds, but another Thorns layup attempt glanced off the rim.
Hill went 8-of-16 from the field to lead the Frogs, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. His individual effort helped the Frogs go 14-of-29 from beyond the arc.
DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK
TCU has posted two comeback victories this season in which it trailed by 10 or more points at one point.
* TCU's Jan. 21 home win over Boise State saw the Frogs overcome a 15-point deficit with 10:24 remaining. The comeback marked the largest for the Frogs in victory in Jim Christian's four-year tenure.
* TCU erased a 10-point deficit earlier this season during its Jan. 4 home win against Rice.
* TCU now has four double-digit comebacks in Christian's stint as head coach: 12 points vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 6, 2008 and 11 points at SMU on Dec. 2, 2009.
DYNAMIC FRESHMAN
Kyan Anderson provided the TCU program with a big lift last spring when he signed on to play with the Frogs out of North Crowley High School.
* Anderson has jumped out of the gate quickly in his career, ranking No. 2 on the team in assists (2.39 apg) and No. 5 in scoring (8.0 ppg). He has six double-figure scoring games.
* Anderson has led TCU in scoring in each of the last two games. After setting career highs in both points (20) and rebounds (six) during the Jan. 18 road loss at No. 14 UNLV, he totaled 16 points during the Jan. 21 home win over Boise State.
* Anderson is 7-of-14 on 3-pointers in conference play after entering the stretch only 5-of-24.
* Anderson is No.3 among MW freshmen in scoring average and No. 2 in assists.
* Anderson has started each of the last seven games for TCU at the two-guard spot, averaging 11.7 ppg and 2.7 apg during starts.
* Anderson has totaled five or more assists four times, including a career-high seven in TCU's latest outing vs. UTPA.
CARDIAC KIDS
TCU has shown the ability to win close games this season, as eight of the team's 11 wins have come by six points or fewer.
* Overall, TCU is 8-1 in games decided by six points or fewer this season. The Frogs' fortunes appear to have changed from last season, when they went only 2-5 in such contests.
* The eight close wins already rank as the most by six points or fewer in an entire season for TCU since 1998-99, when the squad went 10-5 in such games.
