Jan. 30, 2004
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Series History
Memphis has won all seven previous meetings between the two teams, which includes three that have taken place in Fort Worth. Last year, the Tigers, who advanced to the 2003 NCAA Tournament, defeated the Frogs 84-69 in Fort Worth on Feb. 8 and 88-64 in Memphis on Feb. 26. The other two games in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum have been decided by five points or less, as Memphis pulled out a 56-54 win in 1966 and claimed a 98-93 decision in 2002.
Out of the Blocks
The Horned Frogs currently own a league record of 3-3 (.500) which is the best six-game start in their brief C-USA history. TCU started out 0-6 in conference play in 2001-02, and opened 1-5 last year. In addition, it matches the best six-game conference start over the past six years. The last time TCU was better than 3-3 through six league games was in 1997-98, when the Frogs opened Western Athletic Conference play 6-0 and finished the slate with a perfect 14-0 mark.
Starting to Thaw Out
So far, the Frogs have won three games in the month of January, a figure that matches the total for the previous two Januarys combined. TCU was 2-6 in the month last season after going 1-7 in January of 2002.
What Have You Done For Me Lately?
After opening the season with just one win in the first five games, the TCU Horned Frogs have played .500 basketball the rest of the way, winning six of their last 12 games.
Closing In On 1,000
TCU is just five victories shy of the 1,000th in the program's 93-year history. The Horned Frogs currently own a 995-1135 all-time record.
TCU Phone Home
This is the final game of a three-game homestand for TCU, which begins a three-game road swing on Tuesday. The Frogs close the regular season with six of their final nine games taking place on the road.
Some Tough Competition
The current combined record of TCU's 11 nonconference opponents is 119-75 (.613). In addition, three teams that the Frogs have played are currently ranked in the Associated Press' top 25. Cincinnati is eighth, Texas Tech is No. 13 and Kansas ranks 15th. In addition, Vanderbilt is receiving votes, and currently sits in the 28th position.
Fort Worth: Where the Best Begins
TCU has already hosted then-No. 1 Kansas and 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt this year. It is the first time that the Horned Frogs have played two top-25 teams at home in the same season since the 1982-83 campaign. That year, TCU hosted 16th-ranked Houston on Jan. 12, 1983, and No. 7 Arkansas on Feb. 19, 1983. In addition, fans will be treated to at least one more top-25 team, as Louisville, currently rated fifth, comes to Fort Worth on Feb. 17. It would be the first time that TCU has ever hosted three top-25 teams in the same season and also would be the first time ever that two top-5 programs played in Fort Worth in the same season.
Against the Best
After falling 85-57 to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Jan. 17, the TCU Horned Frogs are now 10-81 (.110) 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. Since that time, the Frogs have lost nine straight to top-25 squads. TCU is 4-34 (.105) all time against top-10 squads.
Have Ball, Will Play
TCU has already played eight games against ranked teams under Coach D. Prior to his arrival, the Horned Frogs played just seven ranked teams from the 1998-99 season through the 2001-02 campaign. While TCU is 0-8 against top-25 teams under Dougherty, 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.
Maybe It Was Memphis
Memphis has been a big draw for TCU fans since the Horned Frogs joined Conference USA. The TCU-Memphis game in 2002 drew 5,782 fans and last year's matchup had 6,041 people in attendance. Those figures are much higher than the Frogs' season averages over the past two years (3,899 in 2001-02 and 4,835 in 2002-03). As of Thursday, fewer than 500 tickets remained in the 7,200-seat coliseum for Saturday's game.
Committee on the Boards
TCU currently does not have a player averaging more than 5.0 rebounds per game this season, as Chudi Chinweze leads the squad with an average of 4.6. 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).
Tightening Up the D
TCU is holding its opponents to just 68.9 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 43.7 percent.
Clamping Down
TCU has held 14 of its first 17 opponents under the 80-point mark this year. Last year, the Frogs allowed fewer than 80 points just 10 times in 28 games. In addition, TCU has held four opponents to 60 or fewer points already this season. The last time that TCU held as many as four teams to 60 or fewer points was in 1991-92.
Shutting Down the Unranked
While TCU's season defensive average is 68.9 points per game, the three teams ranked in the top 25 when the schools met (Kansas, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati) averaged 88.3 per tilt. That means the the rest of the teams TCU has played are scoring at just a 64.8 clip.
Doing Double Time
TCU has played at least 10 players in each of the first 16 games of the season. In other note, 10 Horned Frogs are currently averaging more than 10 minutes of playing time per game.
Reversal of Fortune
The Frogs had gone 12 straight games without attempting more shots than their opponents prior to outshooting DePaul 54-51. TCU also had more looks at the rim than Southern Miss, taking 56 shots while holding the Golden Eagles to an opponent-low 47 attempts.
Diff'rent Strokes
TCU is averaging 76.6 points per game in the team's seven victories, topping the 70-point mark in five of those games. In the Frogs' 10 losses this year, the team is averaging 58.6 points per game and has not broken 70 in any of those contests.
You Don't Think Defense Matters?
In TCU's seven victories, its opponents have shot just 37.4 percent (146-for-390), while in the Frogs' 10 losses the opposition has made 48.0 percent of its attempts (271-for-565).
In a Foul Mood
TCU was whistled for 27 fouls against Southern Miss, the second-most called against the Frogs this year. In the seven previous contests, TCU had not had as many as 20 fouls in a game and averaged just 16.9 fouls over that time. In the past eight games, the Horned Frogs have committed more fouls than their opponent just once. TCU has had just one player foul out this year (Marcus Shropshire vs. Murray State on Dec. 3).
Horned Frogs at Home
TCU has compiled a record of 354 wins and 209 losses (.629) in the 563 games at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since 1961. Since the 1981-82 season, the Horned Frogs sport an overall home record of 237 wins and 89 losses (.727) in 326 games.
Subs Point Production Sinking
Since Chudi Chinweze and Marcus Shropshire joined the starting lineup the TCU bench has not been as potent on the scoring end. With the duo coming off the bench in the first nine games of the season, TCU averaged 32.4 bench points per game and outstcored its opponents 292-178. Since they cracked the starting lineup eight games ago, TCU has averaged just 16.9 points from the substitutes and have been outscored by its opponents by a 171-135 margin.
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 (67 starts) leads the way. He is followed by Corey Valsin (54), Nucleus Smith (28), Ronald Hobbs (21), Chudi Chinweze (19), Marcus Shropshire (18), Femi Ibikunle (17) and Marcus Sloan (10). The only other player who has started at the collegiate level is Aaron Curtis (9).
It's 80s Night
TCU is now 6-26 (.188) under Dougherty when scoring fewer than 80 points and 10-3 (.769) when reaching the 80-point mark. TCU has scored 1,330 points (83.1 points per game) in Coach D's 16 victories and 1,896 points (65.4) in the 29 losses.
It's Ladies' Night
TCU hosted the first annual Coach D's Basketball Clinic for Women on Tuesday night at Daniel-Meyer Coliseun. The TCU coaching staff and players hosted 68 women who were eager to learn more about the sport. The women were treated to a fashion show, listened to Coach Dougherty speak and had question and answer sessions with the TCU coaches. All proceeds will go to Project Purple, which provides TCU Athletics tickets to underpriviledged children in the Fort Worth area.
Here's Something to Chudi On
Chudi Chinweze is currently second in Conference USA in field goal percentage at .608 (62-for-102). He had season highs in points (18) and rebounds (12) at Houston, recording the Frogs' first double-double of the season in the process. He also put back a Marcus Shropshire miss with no time remaining to give the Horned Frogs a thrilling 55-54 victory.
Here Comes Santee Claus
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 1,128 career points, which ranks 16th. He is on pace for more than 1,700 points, a figure that would rank third in school annals behind only Darrell Browder (1,886) and Carven Holcombe (1,734).
Gimme Femi
Femi Ibikunle has started all 17 games thus far for TCU, making him the first true freshman to start the first 17 games of a season since Juan Bragg in 1994-95. Bragg, who opened all 26 games, was the Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year. Since 1990, just three true freshmen have started at least 26 games in a season for TCU (Damion Walker-27, Jeff Jacobs-27 and Bragg-26).
Shrop 'Til You Drop
Junior transfer Marcus Shropshire has led TCU in scoring a team-best 10 times through 17 games and has reached double figures in 11 of the last 13 games. 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 also owns TCU's only 20-plus scoring games of the season, notching 26 against Grambling State on Dec. 29 and registering a career-high and 29 points against Southern Miss on Jan. 28. The 29 points were the most by a TCU player since Junior Blount had 33 at SMU on Nov. 24, 2002.
Marcus, Don't Shrop Shootin' 'Em
After starting the year 1-for-3 from the free throw line, Marcus Shropshire has nailed 36 of his last 37 shots from the charity stripe. He made 26 straight free throws prior to a miss in his final attempt at Houston on Jan. 13. On Wednesday against Southern Miss he was 10-for-10 from the line. He was the 13th player in TCU history to be perfect from the line when shooting at least 10 free throws in a game.
If It's Free, It's For Me
Marcus Shropshire currently leads Conference USA in free throw shooting at 92.5 percent (37-for-40). In C-USA play, TCU owns the top two free throw shooters (Shropshire at 94.7 and Nucleus Smith at 89.3 percent). It is the second straight season that Smith has ranked among the league's top 10.
