Jan. 1, 2004
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Series History
TCU trails the all-time series with Vanderbilt by a 2-1 count, with all three matchups occurring between 1951 and 1963. The Commodores have won the last two games, including a 113-56 thrashing in Nashville on Dec. 18, 1963. This is the first-ever meeting in Fort Worth between the two private institutions.
Finding the Records Will Just Take a SEC
TCU is 47-124 all time against schools that currently comprise the Southeastern Conference. However, that figure includes a 38-104 mark against Arkansas, a former Southwest Conference rival. The only team in the SEC that TCU has never played is South Carolina.
Coaching Connections - Part I
TCU Head Coach Neil Dougherty and TCU Assistant Coach Rick Callahan were assistant coaches at Vanderbilt for four seasons (1989-93) under longtime coaching legend Eddie Fogler. During their time in Nashville, the Commodores earned a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament (1991, 1993) and two more to the NIT (1990, 1992). The 1992-93 squad grabbed the Southeastern Conference title with a school-best 28-6 mark and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Coaching Connections - Part II
In another connection, TCU Assistant Coach David Cason starred two years at guard (1993-95) and was a student assistant one season (1995-96) at Illinois State for current Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings. Cason led the Missouri Valley Conference in assists each of his two seasons and helped lead ISU to an NIT appearance in 1995. Cason, a native of Baltimore, Md., was a second-team all-conference performer, team MVP and was recognized as the top athlete at Illinois State his senior season.
Coaching Connections - Part III
Today's head coaches, TCU's Neil Dougherty and Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings, also are bonded through Roy Williams as well. Stallings was an assistant under Williams at Kansas from 1988-93, while Dougherty served at KU from 1995-2002.
Some Tough Competition
The current combined record of TCU's 11 nonconference opponents is 74-37 (.667). The Horned Frogs' strength of schedule is currently ranked 36th in the nation. Vanderbilt will be the third top-25 RPI team that the Frogs have played this year. Texas Tech is currently No. 8, Vanderbilt is rated 23rd and Kansas is 24th.
Under-Rated Squads Visit DMC
Most people know that TCU had a showdown with then-No. 1 Kansas this year, but few realize that the Horned Frogs have played three teams that are currently ranked in CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Top 25. The Murray State Racers (10-1) are eighth in themost recent poll (Dec. 29), while the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (7-2) sit 16th and the Arkansas State Indians (8-2) are 18th.
Clamping Down
TCU has held nine of its first 10 opponents under the 80-point mark this year. Last year, the Frogs allowed fewer than 80 points just 10 times in 28 games. The last time that TCU allowed fewer than 80 points nine times in any 10-game stretch occurred in the 1992-93 season (Dec. 11, 1992-Jan. 23, 1993).
Against the Top 25
The TCU Horned Frogs are 10-79 (.112) all time against teams ranked in the nation's top 25. TCU's last victory over a ranked opponent came on Feb. 15, 2001, when the team downed No. 20 Fresno State 102-88 in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Since that time, the Frogs have lost seven straight against top-25 squads. The Frogs are 5-17 (.227) at home against top-25 teams.
Against the Top 25 Under Dougherty
TCU has played six games against ranked teams under Coach D, with just two taking place at home. The Horned Frogs are 0-6 against top-25 squads, losing by an average of 15.0 points. However, just one has been by more than 20 points, and TCU had second-half leads at No. 10 Creighton (L, 79-89) and home against No. 11 Marquette (L, 68-79) in 2002-03 and this season led No. 1 Kansas after intermission before falling 85-66 in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Staying Close to Home
This is the fourth game of a six-game homestand for TCU. The Horned Frogs, who will play nine of their 11 nonconference tilts in the friendly confines of Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, will not travel again until a Jan. 13 contest at Houston.
Diff'rent Strokes
TCU is averaging 83.0 points per game in the team's four victories, topping the 80-point mark three times. In the six losses, the Frogs are averaging 61.2 points per game and have not broken 70 in any of those contests.
RPI Ratings
The TCU Horned Frogs are rated No. 157 in the most recent RPI ratings, with a strength of schedule ranked 36th in the country. To highlight how tough TCU's schedule is, just 17 schools that have losing records against Division I teams are ahead of 3-6 TCU.
Tightening Up the D
TCU is holding its opponents to just 68.5 points per game, which is the best figure for a Horned Frog team since 1991-92, when opponents averaged 66.3 points. TCU allowed 80.4 points per game last year as opponents shot 47.4 percent from the floor. This year, TCU is limiting opponents to 42.5 percent shooting.
Beginning to Rebound
TCU secured 87 rebounds over the first two games (43.5 per contest), before dragging down just 104 boards in the next four games (26.0 average). TCU has started to rebound again, winning the battle on the boards in three of the last four games, averaging 39.5 per contest.
Less Offensive on the Boards
TCU had 50 offensive rebounds in the first three games of the year, an average of more than 16 per game. However, in the last seven games, the Horned Frogs have just 70 offensive caroms (10.0 per game). In the first three games, the glass work gave the Horned Frogs 41 more shots than their opponents (13.7 per game), while in the last seven contests, TCU has had 52 fewer attempts at the rim (-7.4 per game) than the opposition.
Big Turnovers
Of the seven players who have played the most minutes for TCU (three guards, three forwards, one center), the Frog ball handlers have committed just 47 turnovers in 795 minutes (one per 16.9 minutes of play), while the four big men have made 86 in 752 minutes (one per 8.7 minutes).
First Half Defense
From Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, TCU's six opponents opened the game shooting lights out, combining for 53.3 percent (90-for-169) shooting in the first half. The Horned Frogs went 1-5 during that stretch. However, in the last three games, TCU's opponents have combined to shoot just 33.3 percent (31-for-93). TCU has gone 2-1 over its last three games.
You Don't Think Defense Matters?
In TCU's four victories, its opponents have shot just 34.6 percent (80-for-231), while in the six losses, the teams have made 47.9 percent of their attempts (160-for-334).
Committee on the Boards
TCU currently does not have a player averaging more than 5.0 rebounds per game this season, as Femi Ibikunle leads the squad with an average of 4.5. Since the 1955-56 season, no player has ever led the Frogs with fewer than 5.0 boards per game. The lowest average over that time was in the 1983-84 season when Paul Kapturkiewicz had a team-best 123 rebounds in 24 games (5.1 per contest).
Off the Bench and Into the Bucket
TCU's nonstarters have accounted for 327 of the team's 697 points this year (46.9 percent). In addition, the TCU bench has outscored the opponents' subs by a combined 327-185 total (14.2 points per game). TCU's reserve corp has been outscored just twice this season, by nine points against Kansas and by four points at Washington State. In the last two games, TCU's advantage off the bench is 72-17.
Game TCU Opp
Texas-Arlington 49 21
Tulsa 26 19
Kansas 24 33
Murray State 35 16
Washington State 25 29
Stephen F. Austin 37 15
Texas Tech 22 0
North Texas 37 35
Arkansas State 37 10
Vanderbilt 35 7
Totals 327 185
Seeing Double
TCU has played at least 11 players in each of the first 10 games of the season. In addition, 10 Horned Frogs are currently seeing more than 10 minutes of action per game.
I-20...Bingo!
When Marcus Shropshire went for 26 points against Grambling State on Dec. 29, he became the first TCU player to score at least 20 points in a game this season. Dating back to last year, the Horned Frogs had gone 10 games without a 20-point performer, the longest stretch since a 13-game skein from Dec. 4, 1987 to Jan. 17, 1988. Shropshire's points were the most by a TCU player since Chudi Chinweze tallied 28 against UAB on Feb. 18, 2003.
Now Starting...
The TCU Horned Frogs have eight players on the team's roster who have started at least 10 games at the Division I level. Corey Santee (60 starts) leads the way. He is followed by Corey Valsin (54), Ronald Hobbs (21), Nucleus Smith (21), Chudi Chinweze (12), Marcus Shropshire (11), Femi Ibikunle (10) and Marcus Sloan (10). The only other player who has started at the collegiate level is Aaron Curtis (9).
He Can Dish It Out
Corey Santee has moved into sole possession of fifth place on TCU's all-time assist list with 371. He narrowly missed his fourth career double-double on Dec. 29 against Grambling State, as he had 11 points and nine assists. Santee is on pace for more than 600 career assists. The school's all-time leader is Prince Fowler with 514.
80 is Enough
TCU is now 3-22 (.120) under Dougherty when scoring fewer than 80 points and 10-3 (.769) when reaching the 80-point mark. TCU has scored 1,126 points (86.6 points per game) in Coach D's 13 victories and 1,675 points (67.0) in the 25 losses.
Santee Joins Elite Group
TCU junior guard Corey Santee became the 27th player in TCU history to reach the 1,000-point plateau when he scored 16 on Dec. 10 in Lubbock. The native of Flint, Mich., now has 1,032 career points, which ranks 24th. He is on pace for 1,730 points, a figure that would rank second in school annals behind only Darrell Browder (1,886). If Santee continues at his career scoring pace, he would rank 11th all-time heading into his senior season.
TCU's Shrop Shooter
Junior transfer Marcus Shropshire has led TCU in scoring a team-best six times through 10 games, including five of the last six contests. On Dec. 10 he drained a then-career-best 18 points against his former team, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Sixteen of his team-high total came following intermission. He smashed his career-best performance with a 26-point outburst against Grambling on Dec. 29.
A Little Chinweze Music
TCU sophomore Chudi Chinweze is 40-for-63 from the field, good for 63.5 percent shooting. Last year as a true freshman he topped TCU in shooting percentage at .565. He is averaging 15.7 points per game over his last three outings. He was the first player signed by Neil Dougherty's staff.
The Femi-Nator
Femi Ibikunle, who jumped center, became the first TCU true freshman since Corey Santee to start a season opener. Santee was the starting point guard against Northwestern State on Nov. 16, 2001. Ibikunle has started all 10 games thus far for TCU, while Santee opened the first 11 games in 2001-02.
