Dec. 1, 2007
Game Notes - Oklahoma in PDF Format
Game Day Information
Opponent: The TCU men's basketball program will return home to the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum as the Horned Frogs will welcome the University of Oklahoma - a member of the Big XII?Conference - on Sunday for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.
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 and viewed on the TCU?Athletics website via GameTracker.
Television: The contest between the Frogs and Sooners can be seen on CSTV with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play) and Pete Gillen (analyst) handling the game-time duties.
Next on the Schedule: The Frogs will have a short travel down the road as the Purple and White will continue the oldest basketball tradition against SMU. This will be the 183rd meeting between the two programs. The game can be heard on Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) and KTCU (88.7 FM) as well as on www.GoFrogs.com via Yahoo Sports.
The Big Score
• The Frogs have scored 397 points through the first five games - averaging 79.4 points per game - which is the most points scoring in the opening five games since Neil Dougherty's first season in 2002-03 when TCU?opened up the campaign with 399 points - an average of 79.8 points per game.
• The Purple and White is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in scoring offense with an average of 79.4 points per game while BYU holds the top spot in the conference with an 83.7 points per game mark.
Good Things Happen When You Start Quick
• Following their first setback of the season, the Frogs stand at 4-1 heading into Sunday evening's game against the University of Oklahoma. The Frogs are off to a 4-1 start for the first time since the 1998-99 season when the Purple and White advanced to the NIT?Tournament that campaign and reached the semi-finals following victories over Kansas State and Nebrasa followed by a 77-68 setback to Oregon.
Frogs Remain Dominant over Southwestern Athletic Conference
• 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 a 20-1 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. This season, the Frogs have posted victories over Arkansas-POine Bluff (75-61) and Grambling State (99-67) as well as trio of upcoming contests against the SWAC.
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).
• Teams in the Mountain West Conference have combined for a record of 41-14 (.745 winning percentage) with New Mexico off to a perfect 7-0 start while TCU, San Diego State and BYU?all share one loss during the 2007-08 campaign. Every team in the Mountain West Conference has at least three victories and possesses a winning percentage of .600 or higher.
Frogs Suffer First Setback of Season to Texas Tech
• The Frogs dropped their overall record to 4-1 on the 2007-08 season as the Purple and White suffered a 71-58 setback to Bobby Knight and his Red Raider squad on Wednesday night at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
• The Purple and White controlled the first 25 minutes of the game and held a 13-point advantage at 48-35 with 15:55 remaining in the game until Texas Tech proceeded to out-score the Frogs by a 36-10 margin throughout the remainder of the game.
• Kevin Langford led the Frogs in scoring with a 14-point performance on 5-of-11 shooting, 3-of-6 at the free throw line and 1-of-2 from behind the three-point line. It was the third straight game that the TCU?junior has posted eight rebounds in a game.
• John Ortiz finished with a career-high 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go along with a career-high three steals adn two rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
• Martin Zeno led the Red Raider offense as the TTU forward finished with a double-double following a 26-point, 10-rebound performance. Zeno finished 9-of-14 from the field and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe while adding four assists in 40 minutes of action.
• The Red Raiders held a big advantage over the Frogs at the free throw line as Texas Tech connected on 24-of-36 free throw attempts compared to 7-of-14 for the Purple and White. The visiting squad was blown for 26 fouls in the game compared to 14 for the home team.
• The Frogs finished the game with 34 rebounds - which was their lowest total of the season - and the second time this season that the Purple and White was out-rebounded in a game. The Frogs collected 12 offensive rebounds compared to seven for the Red Raiders, but could only convert them into four points.
• For the fourth time in five games, the Frogs recorded double-digits in the steals' department as they finished with 10 in the game compared to seven for the Red Raiders. Jason Ebie played a big part in picking the TTU?pockets as the TCU sophomore notched his third straight game of four steals.
• The Frogs dropped their first road game of the season sixth time in the last seven seasons. The last time that the Frogs recorded a victory on their first road trip of the season came at North Texas on December 4, 2004.
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 five games, the Frogs have limited opponents to a combined 37.7 percent (107-of-284) shooting performance and 29.4 percent (25-of-85) 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 102 turnovers (20.4 turnovers per game) where they have scored 110 points off of the miscues of their foes - an average of 22.0 points.
• The Frogs have held three of their five foes to under 70 points in a game this season. The Purple and White have held three of their first five opponents to under 70 points in each of the last three seasons.
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).
Scouting the Opponents - University of Oklahoma
• This will be the 10th meeting between the TCU men's basketball team and University of Oklahoma. The Sooners possesses an 8-1 advantage over the Frogs with OU controlling the last two contest between the two programs, including a 63-35 victory last season in Norman, Oklahoma. The last victory for the Frogs came during the 1986-87 season when the Purple and White recorded a 95-82 victory in Oklahoma City.
• OU?newcomer Blake Griffin is one of the top freshman in the country as he currently ranks second in the Big XII Conference in double-doubles (three) and was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 2K?Sports College Hoops Classic Norman Regional. The Sooner forward is averaging a near double-double with 13.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while averaging 26.6 minutes of action.
• The Sooners will enter the game with a 5-2 record after suffering a recent setback to USC by a 66-55 margin, but Oklahoma has won three of their last four games, but are 1-2 away from their home court.
• Jeff Capel begins his second season with the Sooners, and the OU?head coach is the fourth-youngest head coach in NCAA?Division I?basketball at the age of 32. Capel is in his sixth season as a head coach after he recorded a record of 79-41 in his four seasons as head coach of Virginia Commonwealth.
• Longar Longar is one of the top centers in the Big XII Conference as the OU?senior is averaging 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while conneting on 50.9 percent of his field goal attempts. The Sooner center has recorded double figures in four of the team's last five games.
• Tony Crocker is averaging 10.1 points per game - which ranks him third on the OU roster - while connecting on 50.0 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from behind the three-point line.
• Omar Leary ranks fourth on the team with a scoring average of 8.3 points per game while averaging 21.3 minutes per evening. The junior guard has started in each of the last five games and is shooting 55.3 percent from the field this season while connecting on at least one three-pointer in each contest.
• As a team, the University of Oklahoma has connected on 46.6 percent (178-of-382) from the field, including 35.9 percent (47-of-131) from behind the three-point line. The Sooners are averaging 71.6 points per game in their first seven games of the season.
• The Sooners have four players who have connected on 50.0 percent or higher of their total field goal attempts while three others have notched a shooting percentage higher than 40.0 percent. Each of those seven players have averaged over 15.0 minutes per evening.
• The University of Oklahoma will be the second of three teams that the Purple and White will play from the Big XII Conference as the Frogs dropped an earlier decision to Texas Tech and play Texas in January.
Frogs Closing in on 400th Victory at the DMC
• Following the Frogs' 99-67 victory over Grambling State, the Purple and White recorded their 390th triumph inside the friendly confines of the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum 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 58.6 percent (78-of-133) free throw attempts compared to 68.7 percent (79-of-115) attempts from the charity stripe for opponents. On average - the Frogs are leaving 11.0 points per evening at the charity stripe.
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 third on the squad in scoring as Hackett is averaging 13.6 points per game - ranked 11th in the Mountain West Conference - while Langford has notched 11.8 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 - has averaged 4.4 boards per game while chipping into the offensive attack with a 3.0 scoring average.
A Team Filled with Mr. Cleans
• This season, the Frogs are averaging 46.6 rebounds per game - which ties them for fourth in the country in that category. The Purple and White are ranked second in the State of Texas in boards per game as Texas State has secured the top spot with a 47.7 boards per game average.
• The Frogs have collected at least 50 rebounds in three of their five games this season and currently sit at the top of the Mountain West Conference in three rebounding categories, including rebounds per game (46.6 R-G), rebounding margin (+9.8), offensive rebounds per game (17.80 OR-G) and second in defensive rebounds per game (28.8 DR-G). The Frogs also hold the top rebounding performance this season in the Mountain West Conference with a 59-board evening against Rice.
The "Langford" Road Home
• Kevin Langford is still looking to find his shooting touch, but that hasn't stopped the Fort Worth native from racking up the points on the scoreboard as he is ranked third on the team with an 11.8 points per game average. Over the course of the last three games, Langford is averaging 15.3 points per game as he has notched double-digit scoring performances agaisnt Arkansas-Pine Bluff (16), Grambling State (14) and Texas Tech (16).
• The TCU forward has also done a nice job on the glass for the Frogs as he has recorded eight rebounds in each of the three games and currently ranks seventh in the Mountain West Conference in rebounding (6.6 R-G) and offensive rebounding (2.0 R-G).
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 13.6 scoring average - which is 11th in the Mountain West Conference.
• During his first three years - Hackett has appeared in 97 games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 63 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 39 career games - 3 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 18 (Sophomore)
• After a 23-point evening against Grambling State, Hackett recently surpassed the 800-point milestone as he currently stands at 923 career points. This season, Hackett has recorded 15 or more points in three of the Frogs' five games and currently ranks second in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game with a 3.4 average.
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 seventh in the conference with a 6.6 rebounding average.
• Parker is ranked third in the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage (70.0% / 21-of-30) with all of his field goals made coming in the paint this season. The TCU?senior is ranked first in the conference in both blocked shots (1.6 B-G) and offensive rebounds per game (2.8 OR-G).
• With 69 career blocks under his belt, Parker has tallied 69 blocked shots for his career and recently moved in the top-10 in that category in the TCU all-time record books, tying Doug Arnold (1982-83).
• 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.
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.
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