Dec. 5, 2003
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Series History
TCU won the only meeting between the two teams by an 86-83 score on Nov. 30, 2002, in Fort Worth. The tightly-contested game featured 21 lead changes. Former Horned Frog guard Junior Blount scored TCU's final four points to seal the game, including a layup in the final second.
PAC-ing It In
TCU has played just 14 games all-time against schools that comprise the current PAC-10 Conference. USC is the only school in the conference that the Horned Frogs have never played, while they have played the Arizona State Sun Devils the most often, winning two of the three meetings.
Diesel or Un-Leaded?
The five lead changes and eight tie scores in the TCU/Murray State game on Wednesday night were more than the Horned Frogs had in their first three games combined. The first lead change of the year occurred in Game 3 when TCU's Corey Santee hit a three-pointer at the 19:16 mark of the second half against No. 1 Kansas to give the Frogs a 41-39 lead. After two tied scores, Kansas grabbed the lead for good with 17:37 left to play. In their previous games, the Horned Frogs jumped on top of Texas-Arlington just six seconds into the game on Nov. 22 and never led against Tulsa on Nov. 29.
Traditionally Speaking
The TCU Horned Frogs have suffered three defeats, but all have been to teams with great basketball tradition. In the last 10 years, the three schools--Kansas (10), Tulsa (8) and Murray State (5)--have combined to make 23 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Bumps in the Road
The Horned Frogs have lost 11 straight road games and were just 2-12 outside of Fort Worth during the 2002-03 season. In addition, TCU has won just four of its last 19 road games, a .174 winning percentage. TCU's last win outside of the state of Texas came on Mar. 2, 2002 at East Carolina (66-63).
Making News at 11
When Nucleus Smith led the Horned Frogs in scoring with 11 points against Murray State on Dec. 3, it marked the lowest point total for a TCU high scorer in a decade. The last player to lead TCU with 11 points was Kurt Thomas against Princeton on Dec. 28, 1993, in a 48-43 loss to the Tigers at the NDB Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis, Ind.
Looking For 20
TCU has not had a 20-point scorer in any of the first four games of the 2003-04 season. The last time TCU went four consecutive games in a single season without a player reaching the 20-point mark was during the 1992-93 season (Dec.12-Jan.12). The last time that the Frogs went five straight games without a 20-point performer occurred in the 1988-89 season (Nov. 25-Dec. 5)
Horned Frogs at Home
TCU has compiled a record of 349 wins and 205 losses (.630) in the 554 games at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since 1961. Since the 1981-82 season, the Horned Frogs sport an overall home record of 232 wins and 85 losses (.732). TCU has lost three straight home games for the first time since the 1993-94 season, when they lost consecutive tilts to SMU, Texas A&M and Texas.
Puttin' 'Em Up
The TCU Horned Frogs have attempted 36 more field goals than their opponents through four games this season, which is an average of 9.0 more shots per contest. Murray State became the first team to have more shot attempts than the Frogs this year (57-52).
Countdowns to 1,000
TCU needs 11 victories to reach 1,000 all-time wins, while junior guard Corey Santee is 34 points shy of becoming the 27th Frog player ever to reach 1,000 career points.
He Can Dish It Out
Corey Santee has moved into a three-way tie for sixth place on TCU's all-time assist list with 339. He is on pace for more than 600 career assists. The school's all-time assist leader is Prince Fowler with 514.
The Charity Stripe Hasn't Been That Giving
TCU is shooting just 59.3 percent from the free-throw line this season (54-for-91), while their opponents are 66-for-89 (.742). In seven of the last nine years, TCU has shot better than 70 percent for the season from the charity stripe. The last time the Frogs shot less than 60 percent from the line in a season was 1992-93 (.595).
In Need of 70
The Horned Frogs have been held under 70 points in each of the last three games. The last time that TCU scored fewer than 70 points in four consecutive games occurred in the 1992-93 season (six straight games from Feb. 6 to Feb. 24, 1993).
80 is Enough
TCU is 2-19 (.095) under Dougherty when scoring fewer than 80 points and 8-3 (.727) when reaching the 80-point mark. TCU has scored 881 points (88.1 points per game) in his 10 victories and 1,557 points (70.8) in the 22 defeats.
We Must Protect This Ball
The Frogs have committed fewer turnovers than three of their first four opponents this year and own an impressive +4.5 margin in that category. TCU is averaging just 14.0 turnovers per contest after averaging 15.4 per game last year. Meanwhile, their opponents have been forced into 18.5 turnovers per game, as opposed to 14.6 last year.
Shrop 'Til You Drop
TCU junior transfer Marcus Shropshire scored 14 points, tying for the team lead, and added a team-best and career-high eight assists in the season opener. After having to sit out in accordance with the NCAA transfer policy, it was the first regular-season game for Shropshire since March of 2002. His point total was just one shy of his career high of 15 set when he played for Texas Tech. However, all of Shropshire's baskets came in the first half against UTA, as he went 5-for-6 from the floor. Since that time, he has made just 5 of his last 31 shots (.161).
The Team's Nucleus
TCU senior guard Nucleus Smith is the lone three-year letterwinner on the TCU roster. He has been very solid in his stating role this year, averaging 9.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. His 13 points against Kansas were his most since he scored 14 against Grambling State on Dec. 30, 2002. He has scored double figures in back-to-back games for the first time since his freshman season of 2000-01.
Sloan More Than Halfway There
TCU junior forward Marcus Sloan has recorded seven blocks in four games this season. Last year, the Houston native led the Frogs in blocks, but only had 12 in the team's 28 contests.
Santee Can Handle It
Point guard Corey Santee has been an outstanding ball handler this season, as he has just five turnovers in 135 minutes of play. Those figures equate to one turnover per 27.0 minutes. In addition, he has 18 assists, good for a 3.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Free and Easy For Chinweze
TCU sophomore Chudi Chinweze tied for team highs in points (14) and rebounds (6) against Texas-Arlington. He followed that up with a 13-point, five-rebound performance against Tulsa. Through four games, he is 17-for-23 from the field, good for 73.9 percent shooting. Last year as a true freshman, he topped TCU in shooting percentage at .565. He was the first-ever player signed by Neil Dougherty's staff.
Hobbs Granted Waiver
On Dec. 2, the TCU Men's Basketball Program announced that senior guard Ronald Hobbs has been granted a waiver from the Administrative Review Subcommittee (ARS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and will be eligible to participate in competition effective immediately. Hobbs was allowed to practice with the team, but was forced to miss the first three regular-season games of the year due to the pending committee action. The native of Everman, Texas, averaged 3.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game last year in his first season at TCU. Following the year, Hobbs was the recipient of the Dr. James Cash Student-Athlete Award, which is given to the team's top performer in the classroom.
Time to Tip It Up
TCU is playing its fourth game in a stretch in which the team has seven games in 15 days. The tough period started with a game against Tulsa on Nov. 29 and ends with a matchup against North Texas on Dec. 13. It is TCU's fourth game in eight days.
Local TV Schedule Announced
TCU/ESPN Regional General Manager Brian Florko has announced the following games which will be televised locally on UPN-21 in Fort Worth/Dallas. The first in the three-game series will take place this Saturday when TCU takes to the road to battle Pac-10 team Washington State at 7:00 p.m. (CT).
Date Opponent Time (CT)
Dec. 6 at Washington State 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 10 Tulane 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 14 at Tulane 7:00 p.m.
Staying Close to Home
TCU has now completed its season-opening four-game homestand. It is the first time TCU had four straight home games to open the season since the 1984-85 season. The Horned Frogs will play nine of their 11 nonconference tilts in the friendly confines of Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The lone road swings during the nonleague season are to Washington State (Dec. 6) and Texas Tech (Dec. 10).
History Made
Kansas was the second No. 1 team that TCU has ever faced, joining Houston's Phi Slamma Jamma squad in 1983. History was made in Fort Worth on Monday, as Kansas became the first top-ranked team ever to visit Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, which opened in 1961.
That Crowd Was Crowded
TCU set an arena record with an attendance of 7,267 on Dec. 1 against Kansas. The previous record was 7,262 set when the women's basketball team hosted Tennessee in 2000. The largest men's crowd previously came when TCU hosted Houston in 1983 (7,260).
