Nov. 19, 2007

Game Notes - Grambling State in PDF Format

Game Day Information
Opponent: The TCU men's basketball program will conclude its' four-game homestand on Wednesday (Nov. 21) as the Horned Frogs welcome SWAC-member Grambling State to the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum for a 7:00 p.m. top-off.

Radio: KTCU (88.7 FM) and Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) in Dallas/Fort Worth
Jeff Williams (play-by-play) and John Denton (analyst) will call the game on the TCU/ISP?Sports Network. The game can also be heard online at www.GoFrogs.com and viewed on the TCU Athletics website via GameTracker.

Next on the Schedule: The Frogs will tackle their first road test of the season when the Purple and White travel to Lubbock for a match-up against Big XII Conference-foe Texas Tech on Wednesday (Nov. 28). The game can be heard on Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) and can be heard online at GoFrogs.com and viewed via GameTracker.

Frogs Looking to Remain Dominant over SWAC
• The Frogs have had a lot of success over members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference over the last few decades as the Purple and White have recorded an 19-1 overall record against the conference. The last loss for TCU versus a member of the SWAC came against Texas Southern on December 29, 1988, when the Tigers recorded a 103-78 victory at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

The Big Score
• The Frogs have scored 240 points through the first three games - averaging 80.0 points per evening - which is the most points scored in the opening two games since Neil Dougherty's first season in 2002-03 when the Purple and White opened up the campaign with 261 total points - an average of 87.0 points per game.

Win Three in a Row - That's a Winning Streak
• With a victory against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Frogs improved their record to 3-0 for third time in Dougherty's six seasons at the helm. The Frogs have averaged 17.0 wins (21 in 2002-03 and 13 in 2006-07) during those two seasons when beginning the campaign with a 3-0 record. It would also be the fourth time in the last 10 seasons that TCU?has started the campaign with a 3-0 record - average record at end of season: 19-12.

The Glass Cleaners
• Alvardo Parker and Luke Tauscher became the first set of teammates since Neil Dougherty's first season to each record a double-digit rebounding performance in the same game - a span of 131 games. The last set of Frogs to record double-digit rebounds came against UAB on Feb. 18, 2003, in Chudi Chinweze (13) and Bingo Merriex (11).

Statement Time in the Mountain West Conference
• In the 2007-08 pre-season rankings for the Mountain West Conference - the Frogs were predicted to finish seventh overall with a total of 58 points, holding advantages over the Air Force Academy (54 points)?and Colorado State (33 points).

• Prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, TCU was predicted to finish ninth overall, but the Frogs were able to more than double their win's record from six to 13 at the conclusion of the season.

• The Mountain West Conference recorded a strong first week as there are six teams undefeated and eight of the nine teams have each recorded at least two victories.

• Teams in the Mountain West Conference have combined for a record of 25-3 (.893 winning percentage) with New Mexico and San Diego State each off to a 4-0 start. TCU, BYU, UNLV and Air Force are all undefeated at 3-0 to start the 2007-08 campaign.

Frogs Improve to 3-0 with 75-61 Victory over UAPB
• The Frogs improved to 3-0 on the season for the third time under head men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty with a 75-61 victory over SWAC-opponent University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday (Nov. 17) at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

• The Purple and White used a 20-9 run over a three-minute stretch in the middle of the half to break a 13-13 tie and post a commanding 33-22 - which allowed the Frogs to hold a double-digit advantage over the Golden Lions for the remainder of the game.

• Brent Hackett led all scorers as the TCU senior finished with 18 points - connecting on five three-pointers - to go along with a 3-of-4 performance from the charity stripe. He connected on a pair of three-pointers to open the game as well as the second half for TCU.

• Kevin Langford recorded a season-high 16 points to go along with eight rebounds in a season-high 31 minutes of action. The TCU junior connected on 8-of-8 attempts from the charity stripe - which was a season-high for the Frogs in free throws made.

• Henry Salter collected 11 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes of action. It was the third straight game that the TCU junior collected double digits.

• The Frogs were able to force the Golden Lions to commit 23 turnovers in the game - which resulted in 24 points for the Purple and White. It was the third straight game that TCU has held the advantage in points off of turnovers in a game this season.

• The Frogs came into the contest ranked third in the country in rebounds per game (55.5 boards per evening), but were held to a season-low 38 rebounds. The Golden Lions were the first team this season to hold an advantage over the Purple and White on the glass as UAPB notched the 41-38 count.

• The Purple and White connected on 25-of-37 attempts from the free throw line - which was the first time since January 21, 2006, that TCU has connected on 25 or more charity stripe attempts in a regulation game - a span of 43 games.

Frog Defense Standing Tall
• The TCU football team is known for having a strong defense under Gary Patterson, but now the Frog basketball team is making their own identity as a defensive force.

• In three games, the Frogs have limited opponents to a combined 35.1 percent (60-of-171) shooting performance and 26.7 percent (12-of-45) from behind the three-point arc.

• Since the 1960-61 season, the Frogs have never held opponents to a shooting percentage lower than .400 - their lowest field goal defense came during the 1985-86 season when opponents shot 41.5 percent from the field.

• The Frogs have forced opponents into 67 turnovers (22.3 turnovers per game) where they have scored 82 points off of the miscues of their foes - an average of 27.3 points.

Frogs Seeking 400th Victory at the DMC
• With their second straight victory at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, the Frogs have recorded their 389th triumph inside of the DMC since its' opening on December 18, 1961.

Charity Stripe Blues
• One of the areas still in need of improvement for the Frogs comes at the free throw line where TCU has connected on 62.2 percent (56-of-90) free throw attempts compared to 67.6 percent (48-of-71) attempts from the charity stripe for opponents.

Scouting the Opponents - Grambling State University
• Grambling State has fallen to the Frogs in each of its eight previous meeeting with five of those setbacks coming during the Neil Dougherty era. In the previous five meetings, the Tigers have been outscored by an average of 88.6 to 69.6 with TCU scoring above 90 points in three of those five contests.

• The Tigers will come into the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum with a 0-3 record after suffering setbacks to Texas College (86-82), Georgia (83-70) and South Alabama (76-56) - two of those three losses have come on the road. The Tigers have suffered 12 straight setbacks on the road to non-conference opponents in the last three seasons.

• Senior Andre Ratliff was a Pre-Season Southwestern Athletic Conference first team selection, but has yet to start in each of the Tigers' three games this season. The Grambling State guard has scored 10 points in those three contests - averaging 3.3 points per game.

• Grambling State is led offensively by Anthony Williams - who was selected as a Pre-Season Southwestern Athletic Conference second team award winner. The Tigers' forward is averaging a team-high 19.3 points per game to go along with 7.3 rebounds per game this season.

• The Tigers have been without 6-7 center Jamal Breaux - a Pre-Season Southwestern Athletic Conference selection - in each of their last two games. The Grambling State junior only appeared in 18 minutes during an 86-82 setback to Texas College in the season opener.

• Grambling State entered the 2007-08 season ranked 287th in The College Basketball News' RPI Report - which was sixth highest among all Southwestern Athletic Conference programs.

• The Tigers were predicted to finish second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings alongside the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff - who the Frogs defeated by a 75-61 count on Saturday (Nov. 17)?afternoon.

• Larry Wright begins his 10th season as head men's basketball coach at Grambling State where he has recorded an 81-144 overall record with the Tigers. A former All-American at Grambling State, Wright helped the Washington Bullets captured a NBA Championship in 1978 - his second season in the NBA.

• Andrew Prestley - a 6-5 small forward - is ranked second on the Tigers in scoring as the Grambling State sophomore is averaging 16.0 points per game and shooting 50.0 percent (15-of-30) from the field to go along with 66.7 (2-of-3) from behind the three-point line and 80.0 percent (16-of-20) from the charity stripe.

• Grambling State will be the second of five opponents from the Southwestern Athletic Conference that the Purple and White will play as TCU is still scheduled to face Texas Southern (Dec. 8), Prairie View A&M (Dec. 22) and Jackson State (Dec. 27). The Frogs have already defeated the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 17).

Always Be Ready to Play
• In TCU head men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty's system, every player has to be ready to play at any time. This season, all 14 players that have suited up in the Purple and White have played.

• During the 2006-07 campaign - that feat wasn't reached until the 24th game on the road at Colorado State.

Home-Grown Talent Pays Dividends for Horned Frogs
• The Horned Frogs will get plenty of scoring from a trio of home-grown talents in Brent Hackett (Southwest H.S.), Kevin Langford (North Crowley H.S.) and Luke Tauscher (Southwest H.S.).

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

• The Fort Worth duo are ranked first and fourth on the squad in scoring as Hackett is averaging 13. points per game - ranked 13th in the Mountain West Conference - while Langford has notched 10.3 points per evening.

• Langford and Hackett recorded their best years last season for the Horned Frogs as both players were selected as honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference award winners. The pair recorded 734 total points (Langford - 397 / Hackett - 337) and accounted for 38.8 percent of all the scoring for the Horned Frogs.

• The Frogs are also excited about another Fort Worth talent in Luke Tauscher - who begins his first season with the program after sitting out last season due to a red-shirt campaign. The 6-11 center - who is also the tallest member of the TCU squad - is ranked ninth in the Mountain West Conference with a 6.0 rebounds per game average while chipping into the offensive attack with a 4.3 scoring average.

The Frogs with Nine Lives
• Last season, TCU out-rebounded its opponents by one board - 1,018 to 1,017 - en route to recording their eighth straight season with a positive rebounding margin.

• This season, the Frogs are averaging 49.7 rebounds per game - which ranks them ninth in the country among all NCAA programs. The Purple and White are the top-ranked team in the State of Texas in rebounds per game.

The "Langford" Road Home
• In his first season with the Frogs, Kevin Langford was selected as an honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference selection after averaging a team-high 13.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

• Langford was selected by CBS Sportsline as a pre-season second team award winner for the Mountain West Conference.

• This season, the TCU forward is averaging 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and recorded his best game of the season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 17) with a 16-point, eight-board game.

The Hackett Man
• For the first time in his career, TCU senior Brent Hackett had the opportunity to work out with the Frogs this off-season as part of their strength and conditioning program. The hard work paid off for Hackett as he is the top scorer with a 13.3 scoring average - which is tied for 13th in the MWC.

• During his first three years - Hackett has appeared in 95 games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 61 occasions, missing only four starts in the last two seasons (two of those non-starting games coming on Senior Night).

• Hackett has been one of the top scorers for the Frogs over the last three seasons as he has recorded 10 or more points in 37 career games - 2 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 18 (Sophomore)

• The TCU senior only needs six points to reach the 800-point milestone - sitting at 794 career points.

Welcome to the Parker's
• TCU head men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty was expecting BIG things from forward Alvardo Parker, and after the first two games of the season, he was not disappointed. Parker recorded his second career double-double with a 10-point, 11-rebound performance against Rice (Nov. 13) and is ranked second in the conference with an 8.3 rebounding average.

• 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.

• Parker is ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage (72.7% / 16-of-22) with all of his field goal attempts coming in the paint this season. The TCU senior is ranked first in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (4.0 OR-G) and 11th in defensive (4.33 DR-G).

• With 65 career blocks under his belt, Parker only needs four more swats to move in the top-10 in the career record books for blocked shots.

Never Shy Away from the National Spotlight
• TCU?head men's basketball coach Neil Doughery is not one to shy away from a nationally-ranked opponent as the Frogs have competed against 16 squads ranked in the top-25 during his tenure. To put the numbers into perspective - TCU only played 19 nationally-ranked teams during the entire decade of the 1990s - a span of 303 games.

• The Frogs has recorded four victories over nationally-ranked opponents during Dougherty's tenure with their latest victim coming against 14th-ranked Air Force Academy where TCU notched a 71-66 win in February of 2007.

• TCU is 12-88 (.120) all-time against nationally-ranked teams and has dropped 15 of its last 17 match-ups against teams ranked in the top-25. The victory over the Falcons snapped a six-game skid against ranked opponents.

• The Frogs haven't had much success against nationally-ranked opponents on the road as they have dropped 47 of 48 match-ups when away from the DMC. Their lone victory came against Hawaii (83-79) on January 19, 1998.

The Score
• Coming into the 2007-08 campaign, the Frogs will have plenty of options when it comes to putting the ball in the bucket as six of their top scorers from a season ago return to the lineup in Kevin Langford (13.2 P-G), Brent Hackett (11.2 P-G), Alvardo Parker (8.8 P-G), Neiman Owens (7.1 P-G), Ryan Wall (6.4 P-G) and Keion Mitchem (5.3 P-G). The returning scorers for the Frogs will return 1,507 total points from the 2006-07 season - equaling 79.6 percent of their scoring from 2006-07.

Bangin' the Boards
• The Frogs have been dominate on the glass this season as they are out-rebounding their opponents 149 to 109 - and hold a rebounding of +13.3, which is tops in the conference.

• The Frogs have recorded 50 or more rebounds in each of their first two games - which is the first time since the first two games of the 2004-05 season that TCU has reached this feat - a span of 93 games. That season, TCU achieved that mark against UT?Arlington (55) and Shawnee State (53).

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 is the only member of the Purple and White to recorded a double-digit scoring performance in all three games.

• Salter was a NJCAA All-American third team member last season after finishing fourth in the country in scoring at 24.6 points per game. He was the only player in the country to rank in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding as he finished sixth with an 11.8 boards per evening.

• Salter is ranked 20th in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (11.7 P-G) and is ranked ninth in rebounding (6.0 R-G) and 13th in both offensive rebounds (2.0 OR-G) and defensive rebounds (4.0 DR-G) per game.

Standing "O" for Ortiz
• TCU newcomer John Ortiz has helped the Frogs off of the bench where the low post standout is averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He has done a tremendous job at getting to the free throw line where he is ranked second on the Frogs' squad in free throw attempts (18) and free throws made (10).

It's All About the Ebie, Baby!
• TCU sophomore Jason Ebie has made a dramatic improvement from his freshman to his sophomore campaigns, and the Houston native will see plenty of court action this season at the point guard position. In his first three games, Ebie is averaging 3.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 17.7 minutes of action a night.

• Ebie is ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in assists-to-turnover ratio (4.5:1) as well as 11th in assists per game with a 3.0 average.

Neon Keion in Primetime
• One of the biggest additions to the Frogs' lineup will come in the return of sophomore Keion Mitchem, who appeared in the team's first 15 games of the 2006-07 season. The TCU guard is averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while connecting on 46.2 percent of his shots - including 45.5 percent from behiind the three-point line.

• Mitchem is currently ranked 14th in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goal percentage (45.5%) and tied for 15th in three-point field goals made per game (1.7 (3FGM-G).

Great Scott!
• The faithful of the Purple and White will quickly get to know the name of Mike Scott as the TCU freshman could see a lot of playing time in his first season with the Frogs. Scott won the starting point guard position for the team's first three games where he notched a career-high nine points against Rice (Nov. 13).

• Even though he is only a freshman, Scott is not the youngest member of the squad by any stretch as the City of Brotherly Love native is 21-years-old. The TCU guard is averaging 5.3 points, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Awaking the Sleeping Giant
• The Frogs could be one of the sleeper teams in the Mountain West Conferece after they return four starters from a season ago, but coaches in the conference still predicted TCU to finish seventh out of nine teams by season's end.

• This season, the Frogs are ranked in the top three in 12th statistical categories - including first in rebounds per game (55.5), rebounding margin (+13.3 R-G) and steals (11.0 S-G) and second in scoring offense (80.0 P-G).

Close Encounters of the Trey Kind
• TCU has made at least one three-pointer in 286 consecutive games dating back to the 1997-98 season where the last time that the Frogs failed to connect on a trey came against LIU-Brooklyn on November 22, 1997. The Frogs have connected on at least one three-pointer in 513 of their last 514 games.

• Prior to the failed connection, TCU recorded a three-pointer in 217 straight games dating back to the 1989-90 season when the Longhorns of Texas stopped the Frogs on February 11, 1990.

Home Sweet Home
• The Frogs have posted a mark of 389-231 (.628) since Daniel-Meyer Coliseum opened during the 1961-62 campaign.

• Over the past decade, the Horned Frogs have recorded a 129-56 (.697) overall record and have won at least 10 games at home in seven of the last 10 seasons.

Finding Nemo
• Senior Neiman Owens is one of the most experienced players on the Frogs as the TCU guard has appeared in 95 career games and has started 60 contests during his career. Owens did not start against Angelo State in the season opener, which snapped his 60-game starting streak dating back to the 2005-06 season.

• Owens is closing in on some memorable milestones as he needs four games to reach the century mark for his career and 12 points to reach the 400-point level - currently he stands at 388 during his Frogs' career.

The Wall
• Even though TCU has only been a member of the Mountain West Conference, TCU?senior Ryan Wall has been affiliated with the MWC for each of his five collegiate years. Wall was a member of the University of New Mexico's basketball team for two seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05) before transferring to TCU prior to the 2005-06 campaign. After red-shirting his first season, the Frog guard has appeared in 33 games while wearing the Purple and White.

• Wall has slowly been coming back from an off-season injury, but has played in his first three games of the season where he is averaging 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. The TCU senior collected seven points in his last game vs. Rice.

Cool Hand Luke
• The TCU coaching staff was anxious to see how red-shirt freshman Luke Tauscher would return to the lineup after missing last season due to injury. The 6-11 Fort Worth product hasn't disappointed anyone at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum as the TCU newcomer recorded his first double-digit rebounding performance against Rice with 12 boards.

• The Frog center/forward is currently ranked ninth in the Mountain West Conference after averaging 6.0 rebounds per game and third in offensive rebounds per game (3.0 OR-G) through the team's first three games.

• Tauscher is mostly known for his ability down-low, but he showcased his shooting range against Angelo State as he connected on a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining in the contest.

Family Ties
• Anyone affiliated with the TCU?men's basketball program knows that Neil Dougherty presents a family environment for the Frogs. Once a member of the basketball program, you quickly become a member of the family.

• Dougherty had the opportunity to coach his son, Neil P., for four seasons, and now assistant coach, Sean Woods, will also have the same opportunity as his son, Martiese Morones, is a sophomore with the Frogs.

• Woods 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 college basketball game of all-time. A member of the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame, Woods connected on the shot to give the Wildcats a 103-102 lead on the Blue Devils before Christian Laettner connected on the shot heard round the world.

The Scoring Frenzy
• In the Frogs' 89-70 victory over Angelo State, every member of the TCU squad that saw action on the court scored at least one point in the game. That feat was reached twice last season against San Diego State (Jan. 31) and Air Force (Feb. 24).

Welcome to the Program
• In the early signing period this past week, the Frogs signed a trio of players that will help the squad next season in Kevin Butler, Logan Lancon and James Blasczyk.

• A tremendous prospect from one of the top high school programs in the nation, Butler will bring great success to the Frogs' basketball program. He is ranked 16th in the State of Texas according to TexasHoops.com in the Class of 2008 after a stellar junior campaign, which was highlighted by earning MVP honors in the Texas State Championship Game.

• Lancon comes into the 2007-08 campaign as the 43rd top prospect according to TexasHoops.com. The newly-signed Frog averaged a team-high 11.3 points per game en route to earning first team All-District 24-5A honors.

• Blasczyk is listed as the 47th best prospect in the State of Texas according to TexasHoops.com after concluding a junior campaign where he averaged 8.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots per game.

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