March 4, 2008

Game Notes - Air Force Academy in PDF Format

Game Day Information
Opponent: The TCU men's basketball team will hit the road for its final road game of the season in Mountain West Conference action as the Purple and White travels to USAFA, Colo. for a showdown against the Air Force Academy on Wednesday evening at Clune Arena. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. Central Time between the Frogs and Falcons.

Radio: ESPN Radio (103.3 FM) and KTCU (88.7 FM) in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
Brian Estridge (play-by-play) and John Denton (anaylst) will call the game on the TCU/ISP Sports Network. The game can also be heard online at www.GoFrogs.com via Yahoo Sports.

Next on the Schedule: The Horned Frogs will return to the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum for their final regular-season game of the season as the Purple and White welcomes Mountain West Conference leaders BYU to the Fort Worth area. The Frogs will salute their four seniors - Brent Hackett, Neiman Owens, Alvardo Parker and Ryan Wall - prior to the game in addition to honoring the 1967-68 Southwest Conference Championship Team.

Stealing the Show
• The Frogs will enter the game against the Falcons ranked 14th in the nation in steals per game with an average of 9.41 picks per evening. In the NCAA rankings, the Frogs are slated behind VMI (12.7 S-G), Pepperdine, Robert Morris, Austin Peay State, Clemson, Marquette, Tennessee, Tennessee State, Siena, Seton Hall, Cal State Fullerton, Duquesne and Minnesota.

• The defense of the Purple and White has notched 14 games of 10 or more steals this season and have accumulated a record of 9-5 record in contests where the Frogs post double-digit pick tallies.

• The Frogs have posted two of the top-three steal performances this season in the Mountain West Conference with a 17-pick victory over Texas Southern and a 16-steal triumph over Jackson State. The only team in the conference to notch more picks in a game this season was San Diego State's 19-steal performance against Loyola-Marymount.

• Jason Ebie is ranked 72nd among all NCAA Division I student-athletes in steals per game as the TCU sophomore has recorded an average of 1.89 steals per game. The TCU point guard has collected two or more steals in 14 games and has notched at least one steal in 25 of 27 contests - including a string of 24 consecutive games.

Rebirth at the Free Throw Line
• For the majority of the season, the Frogs have been found towards the bottom of the Mountain West Conference standings in free throw percentage - but recently jumped up two spots from ninth to seventh after connecting on 96.4 percent (27-of-28) of their charity stripe against against Colorado State on February 20th at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

Statement Time in the Mountain West Conference
• Teams in the Mountain West Conference have combined for a record of 147-105 (.583 winning percentage) and has a trio of teams with at least 20 wins during the 2007-08 campaign in BYU (23-6), UNLV (22-6) and University of New Mexico (22-7).

• BYU - who enters this week of action ranked 25th in the country in the latest polls - currently possesses an 12-2 conference record while the Cougars are followed by UNLV (11-3), New Mexico (9-5) and San Diego State (9-6) round out the top of the standings.

• The Frogs have notched a 6-8 conference record and are tied for fifth-place in the Mountain West Conference standings along with Utah and Air Force Academy. Heading into the final two games of the season - Utah holds the advantage over both TCU and Air Force due to a tie-breaker with both programs in head-to-head competition.

• The Purple and White have notched six victories in Mountain West Conference action - which is their highest tally since joining the league three seasons ago and tie the number of total triumphs in the league over the past two seasons.

Frogs Fall to UNLV on Road by 74-55 Count
• The TCU men's basketball team had its two-game winning streak snapped at the Thomas & Mack Center to UNLV by a score of 74-55 on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, Nev., in Mountain West Conference action.

• Kevin Langford notched his second consecutive double-digit scoring performance against the Runnin' Rebels as the TCU forward finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes of action.

• John Ortiz collected a career-high 12 rebounds in the contest - including eight defensive - to go along with eight points after connecting on 2-of-6 attempts from the field and 4-of-5 tries from the charity stripe in 24 minutes of action.

• Wink Adams finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with four rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes of action while Joe Darger notched 15 points - including 4-of-6 from the free throw line to go along with four rebounds in 25 minutes of action.

• Rene Rougeau notched 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go along with 6-of-7 to go along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals in 23 minutes of court time.

• The Runnin' Rebels held a three-point advantage over the Purple and White at 31-28 at halftime - but came out in the second half of action and out-scored the Frogs by a 43-27 margin - in large part to a 59.3 percent (16-of-27) shooting performance in that frame.

• The Runnin' Rebels connected on 50.0 percent (26-of-52) of their field goal attempts in the game while the Frogs connected on 33.9 percent (19-of-56) of their field goal attempts. UNLV held advantages over the Purple and White in assists (21-9), rebounds (39-37), three-point field goals (6-4) and steals (9-3).

• With the setback, the Purple and White dropped to 14-13 overall and 6-8 in Mountain West Conference action while UNLV improved to 22-6 overall and 11-3 in league action. UNLV has also captured 31 of their last 33 games at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Frog Defense Standing Tall
• The Frogs have forced opponents into 476 turnovers (17.6 turnovers per game) where they have scored 502 points off of the miscues of their foes - an average of 18.6 points.

The Glass Cleaners
• Alvardo Parker and Luke Tauscher each recorded a double-digit rebounding performance against Rice on November 13th and became the first set of teammates to accomplish that feat in the same game since Chudi Chinweze (13) and Bingo Merriex (11) did it against UAB on February 18, 2003 - a span of 131 games.

Time Well Spent
• Heading into the 2007-08 season, Neil Dougherty was excited about the depth on his bench and its shown as the Frogs have nine players that are averaging double-digits.

• Kevin Langford is one of four players to average over 20.0 minutes per evening as the TCU junior is collecting 29.7 minutes of court time per evening. The Fort Worth talent is joined in that category by Brent Hackett (26.0 MP-G), Henry Salter (25.3 MP-G) and Jason Ebie (20.9 MP-G).

• The Frogs have five other players who are averaging double-digits in minutes played in John Ortiz (19.6 MP-G), Alvardo Parker (19.4 MP-G), Neiman Owens (14.8 MP-G), Mike Scott (12.9 MP-G) and Keion Mitchem (12.4 MP-G).

Scouting the Opponents - Air Force Academy
• The Air Force Academy comes into the contest with the Horned Frogs with the same record at 14-13 and 6-8 in Mountain West Conference action as the Falcons are locked in a three-way tied with the University of Utah and the Purple and White for the fifth, sixth and seventh spots in the league standings.

• The Falcons come into the conference having dropped four of their last five games after suffering road defeats to San Diego State, UNLV and BYU followed by home losses to Utah and New Mexico. The only two games that the Air Force Academy has won over the past six games came against Colorado State and Wyoming.

• The Purple and White faces one of the toughest challenges in the Mountain West Conference to play as the Air Force Academy has recorded a 66-6 record at Clune Arena over the last five seasons - including two perfect campaigns on their home court. This season - the Falcons have dropped four games at Clune Arena - but have still accumulated 10 victories.

• The Air Force Academy has notched a 10-1 record when the Falcons post 64 or more points on the scoreboard. The only setback that the Falcons have had this season when scoring 64 or more points in a game came against Wake Forest when the Demon Deacons won by a 78-67 decision.

• The Falcons are currently ranked ninth in the country for scoring defense and first in the Mountain West Conference in that statistical category as the Air Force Academy is allowing 58.6 points per game.

• Tim Anderson recently played in his 121st career game and now sits only four games behind Jacob Burtschi for career games played for the Falcons. The Air Force Academy senior has missed just two games in his career (both occurring in his freshman season) and has started every game over the course of the last two seasons.

• Freshman Phillip Brown appeared in his first collegiate game against BYU and finished with a strong performance against the 25th-ranked team in the country as the AFA newcomer finished with six points and four boards.

• The Falcons notched a 56-46 victory over the Purple and White in their last meeting as Tim Anderson finished with a game-high 18 points while Matt Holland collected 10 points. Anderson connected on 4-of-10 three-point field goal attempts while Holland collected two treys in a game that featured 48 three-point field goal attempts.

Frogs Closing in on 400th Victory at the DMC
• Following a 67-61 victory over the University of Utah on February 27th, the Purple and White recorded their 399th triumph inside the confines of the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since its' opening on December 18, 1961.

Charity Stripe Levels on the Rise
• Over the course of the Mountain West Conference schedule - the Horned Frogs have improved their shooting percentage from the free throw line as the Purple and White are ranked fourth in the league after connecting on 73.2 percent (191-of-261) of their charity stripe attempts through 14 games.

• Prior the beginning of conference action, the Frogs connected on 60.7 percent (187-of-308) of their free throw attempts - which ranked them last in the Mountain West Conference. After 14 conference games, the Frogs have moved up two spots to seventh in the league in free throw percentage at 66.4 percent (378-of-569).

• The Frogs have connected on 66.2 percent (251-of-379) of their free throw attempts at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and 78.0 percent (103-of-132) of their charity stripe tries at the DMC during conference action.

• The Purple and White connected on 15-of-15 of their free throw attempts against UNLV at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum - which tied a program record for free throw percentage in a single-game. The Frogs also connected on 96.4 percent (27-of-28) of their free throw tries against Colorado State - which was the highest free throw shooting percentage in program history for any game where TCU attempted 22 or more tries.

Always Be Ready to Play
• This season, all 14 players that have suited up for TCU have played - that feat wasn't reached until the 24th game at Colorado State during the 2006-07 campaign.

Home-Grown Talent Pays Dividends for Horned Frogs
• The Frogs have filled their roster with a quintet of DFW talents in Brent Hackett (Southwest H.S.), Kevin Langford (North Crowley H.S.), Ryan Wall (Coppell H.S.), Daniel Ford (Aledo H.S.) and Luke Tauscher (Southwest H.S.).

• Hackett was the first player that Neil Dougherty signed from the Dallas/Fort Worth Area, and he also ties with Langford as his brother, Keith, was a recruited and coached by the TCU head coach at the University of Kansas.

• A pair of honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference players last season, Hackett and Langford are currently ranked first and third on the Frogs in scoring average at 13.5 points and 11.4 points per game.

• Ryan Wall is in his second season with the Frogs' program after spending a pair of seasons at the University of New Mexico. The TCU guard connected on the game-winning three-pointer to defeat the Lobos on Jan. 15th. Wall's shot was ranked fifth on SportsCenter's Plays of the Day on Wednesday (Jan. 16th).

• TCU newcomer Luke Tauscher sat out last season due to an injury, but the 6-11 center has averaged 2.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in his 23 games on the floor for the Frogs.

Frogs Adding a Little Salter to Their Diet
• TCU newcomer Henry Salter has made a tremendous impact on the Frogs' lineup in his first season with the program as he has collected 10 or more points in 20 of the 24 games. The TCU guard has recorded double-digit scoring evenings in four of the last five games that he has appeared.

• The TCU junior is currently ranked seventh in the country in three-point field goal percentage as he has connected on 47.7 percent of his attempts and 84th in three-point field goals made per game.

• Salter is ranked 12th in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (13.3 P-G) and 16th in rebounds per game (5.0) and is one of four players (Lee Cummard, J.R. Giddens and Luke Nevill) to be ranked in the top-20 in more than six statistical categories.

• The former NJCAA All-American is also ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game with an average of 2.58 treys per contest and has connected on 46.6 percent (27-of-58) of his trey attempts against Mountain West Conference competition.

The "Langford" Road Home
• Kevin Langford has been one of the Frogs' top all-around players this season as the Fort Worth native is ranked first on the team in scoring average (13.5 P-G) and leads the Purple and White in free throws made (132), free throw attempts (183) and free throw percentage (72.1%). During his two-year career, Langford has attempted 420 free throws - which ranks eighth in the record books.

• The TCU forward was selected as the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on December 24th after averaging 24.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in a pair of victories for the Frogs. Langford scored a career-high 31 points against Prairie View A&M and became the first player since Junior Blunt during the 2001-02 season to score 30 or more points in a game.

• The Fort Worth native has notched a double-digit scoring performance in 23 of 27 games this season - including a Mountain West Conference-high 22 consecutive games that was snapped against the University of New Mexico on February 16th following a four-point output.

• Langford received his degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice this past December.

The Hackett Man
• Senior Brent Hackett recently etched his name in the TCU record books as he became the 28th player in program history to record over 1,000 points for the Purple and White and currently sits tied for 22nd place in the all-time rankings with 1,063 career scores.

• The TCU guard is also ranked fifth in the all-time record books in three-point field goals attempted (551) and three-point field goals made (182) and eighth in career steals (119).

• During his career with the Frogs - Hackett has appeared in 119 career games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 85 occasions - missing only four starts in the last three seasons.

• An honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference performer during the 2006-07 campaign, Hackett has been one of the top scorers for the Frogs over the last four seasons as he has collected 10 or more points in 52 career games - 16 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 18 (Sophomore).

Welcome to the Parker's
• Alvardo Parker has been a force for the Frogs under the basket for the past two seasons as the TCU senior is ranked third in the all-time record books in blocks per game (1.60 B-G) and fifth in career blocked shots (91).

• The TCU forward has recorded at least one blocked shot in 44 of 56 career games with the Purple and White and has notched at least one swat in 19 of 26 games in his final campaign.

• Parker is ranked sixth among all Mountain West Conference players in blocked shots per game (1.11 B-G), seventh in offensive boards per game (1.96 R-G) and 20th in boards per game (4.7 R-G).

• This is only the fourth year of organized basketball for the Turks & Caicos Islands' native as he spent his first two seasons at Frank Phillips Junior College followed by his TCU career.

Frogs Strong on the Glass
• The Frogs are currently ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in rebounds per game with a 35.9 boards per contest average - but sit at the top of the rankings in offensive rebounds per game where the Purple and White has collected 12.70 rebounds per game.

• At one point in the 2007-08 season - the Frogs were ranked as high as fourth in the nation in rebounds per game, but have struggled grabbing boards on the road where they are averaging 32.6 rebounds per game compared to 38.1 rebounds per game at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

• In games that the Frogs win - the Purple and White is averaging 40.1 boards per evening compared to 31.4 rebounds per game in contests where TCU suffers a defeat.

It's All About the Ebie, Baby!
• TCU sophomore Jason Ebie has made tremendous progression in the Frogs' lineup during his second campaign with the Purple and White as he is ranked 72nd in the nation in steals per game with a 1.89 picks per contest average.

• Ebie is ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in steals per game (1.89 S-G) and has produced at least two steals in 14 of 27 games and one steal in 25 of 27 contests - including a string of 24 games earlier this season.

• The Houston, Texas, native has appeared in all 27 games this season - including 12 trips to the starting lineup - while finding himself ranked fifth in the TCU record books with Al Thomas (1991) for steals per game average (1.96 S-G). Ebie needs only five steals over the final stretch of the season to break in the top-10 single-season marks for steals.

Great Scott!
• In his first season with the Purple and White, Mike Scott has made an immediate impact as he has started in 15 of 27 games this season while averaging 3.5 points, 2.3 assists, 1.1 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game.

• The Frogs' point guard scored a career-high 11 points on two occasions against SMU and Jackson State during his rookie season while notching eight games of five or more points this season.

• Though he's only a freshman, Scott is not the youngest member for TCU as the Philadelphia native is 21-years-old.

Neon Keion in Primetime
• Sophomore Keion Mitchem has given the Frogs an added burst of energy off of the bench as the TCU guard is averaging 4.2 points to go along with shooting 39.8 percent (39-of-98) from the field during his second season.

• Mitchem earned his first career trip to the starting lineup against the Air Force Academy where he finished with a season-high 10 points - including a trio of three-pointers - in addition to one assist and one steal.

• The TCU sophomore has surpassed career-highs in 17 statistical categories this season and has posted nine of more points in back-to-back games coming off of the bench on two occasions during the 2007-08 campaign.

Standing "O" for Ortiz
• Junior John Ortiz has played a vital role for the Frogs in the low post as he is averaging 5.4 points to go along with 5.2 rebounds per game during the 2007-08 campaign. The TCU newcomer is ranked fourth in the Mountain West Conference in offensive rebounds per game (2.12 R-G) and 12th in rebounds per game (5.2 R-G) this season.

• Ortiz notched a career-high 12 boards on the road at UNLV and posted an earlier performance of 11 boards against the University of Wyoming. The TCU forward has grabbed five or more rebounds in 15 of 26 contests this season.

• Ortiz has collected five double-digit scoring performances this season for the Frogs with a career-high 13 points coming at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum against New Mexico. He has notched 10 or more points in three conference games.

Never Shy Away from the National Spotlight
• Neil Dougherty is not one to shy away from a nationally-ranked opponent as the Frogs have competed against 17 squads ranked in the top-25 during his six-year tenure. To put the numbers into perspective - TCU played 19 nationally-ranked teams during the entire decade of the 90s - a span of 303 games.

• The Purple and White recorded four victories over nationally-ranked foes during Dougherty's tenure with their latest victory coming against 14th-ranked Air Force Academy where TCU notched a 71-66 victory at the February of 2007 at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum - which snapped a six-game losing skid against nationally-ranked opponents.

• The Horned Frogs are 12-89 (.118) all-time against nationally-ranked teams and has dropped 16 of their last 18 games against teams ranked in the top-25. The Frogs haven't had much success against ranked teams on the road as they have dropped 48 of their last 49 contests with their lone victory coming against Hawaii (83-79) on January 19, 1998.

Close Encounters of the Trey Kind
• The Frogs have made at least one three-pointer in 307 consecutive games dating back to the 1997-98 season where the last time that the Purple and White failed to connect on a trey came against LIU-Brooklyn on November 22, 1997. the Frogs have connected on at least on three-pointer in 524 of their last 525 games.

• Prior to that failed connection against LIU-Brooklyn, the Frogs recorded a three-pointer in 217 straight games dating back to the 1989-90 season when the University of Texas stopped TCU from behind the arc on February 11, 1990.

Home Sweet Home
• The Frogs have been very successful at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since its opening prior to the 1961-62 campaign as the Purple and White has notched a career mark of 399-234 (.630) on their home floor.

• Over the past decade, the Frogs have recorded a 139-59 (.702) overall record at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and have won at least 10 games at home in seven of the last 10 campaigns.

• The Purple and White have recorded 13 victories at home this season - which marks the seventh time in the 46-year history of the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum that the Frogs have notched 13 or more wins in a season.

Finding Nemo
• Senior Neiman Owens is one of the most experienced and durable players on the Frogs as the TCU guard has appeared in 120 games - including 60 starts during his career with the Purple and White. The TCU senior did not start against Angelo State in the season opener - which snapped his 60-game starting streak dating back to the 2005-06 campaign.

• Owens has appeared in more games than any other player on the Frogs' roster and appeared in his 102 consecutive game against Colorado State on February 20, 2008. The Channelview, Texas, native scored his 400th career point against UT Arlington on December 17, 2007 and has notched 443 points during his career with the Frogs.

• The TCU senior has collected at least two rebounds in 21 of 27 games this season with a season-high seven boards coming against Jackson State. Owens posted a season-high 10 points in his homecoming to the Houston area against Rice where he also added four rebounds, three steals and two assists in 26 minutes of action.

The Wall
• Even though TCU has only been a member of the Mountain West Conference for the last three seasons, Ryan Wall has been affiliated with the conference in each of his five collegiate seasons. The TCU senior was a member of the University of New Mexico for two seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05) before transferring to the Frogs prior to the start of the 2005-06 campaign en route to appearing in 57 career games with the Purple and White - including starts in the last two games.

• The TCU senior connected on the game-winning three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to give the Purple and White a 74-72 victory over the University of New Mexico on January 15th at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Wall's shot was highlighted on SportsCenter's Top-10 Plays of the Day as it registered as the Number-Five Play of the Day.

Cool Hand Luke
• After missing the 2006-07 season due to back surgery, Luke Tauscher made his return to the Frogs' lineup this season where he has averaged 8.0 minutes of court time. On eight occasions, the TCU freshman has competed in 10 or more minutes and has recorded at least three boards in 11 of 23 games during the 2007-08 campaign.

• The Fort Worth, Texas, native recorded his first career double-digit rebounding performance against Rice where he grabbed 12 boards and notched a pair of eight-rebound affairs against MWC-foes Colorado State and Utah. The TCU center is ranked sixth among all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference with a 3.1 boards per game average.

Morones Making Most of Opportunities
• TCU sophomore Martiese Morones has been making the most of his opportunities on the court as the Frogs' point guard has appeared in 21 games this season - including 10 or more minutes in five of the last six games.

• Morones has already set career-highs in 20 season statistical categories and career-highs in 15 single-game statistical categories this season while scoring a career-high three points on five occasions during the 2007-08 campaign.

• The Frogs' point guard is the son of TCU assistant coach, Sean Woods - who was a standout at the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the "Unforgettables" on the 1992 team that fell 104-103 to Duke in the NCAA Elite Eight in what is considered the greatest basketball game of all-time.

The Scoring Frenzy
• Three times during the 2007-08 campaign, every member of the Purple and White that saw action on the court scored at least one point in the game. The Frogs accomplished this feat against Angelo State, Grambling State and Colorado State. The same feat was reached twice all of last season against San Diego State and Air Force.

The Woes of the Road
• The Purple and White has struggled on the road this season where the Frogs have accumluated a 1-10 mark away from the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The Frogs dropped three games on the road where they held a double-digit lead in the second half of action - including a seven-point advantage over nationally-ranked University of Texas.

• With a victory at Colorado State, the Frogs snapped their 12-game road losing streak, but have dropped 20 of their last 22 games. In the Mountain West Conference, the road victory over the Rams was the second victory in league action.

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