Feb. 8, 2008

Game Notes - San Diego State in PDF Format

Game Day Information
Opponent: The TCU men's basketball team will begin the second round of Mountain West Conference action when the Horned Frogs host San Diego State at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum for an afternoon 2:00 Central Time tip.

Radio: KTCU (88.7 FM) and Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) 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.

Television: The Mtn. Network
Bill Doleman (play-by-play) and Blaine Fowler will handle the game-day duties for The Mtn. Network.

Next on the Schedule: The Purple and White will be back in action on Wednesday (Feb. 13) when the Frogs travel to Laramie, Wyo., for a Mountain West Conference showdown against the University of Wyoming.

The Big Score
• The Frogs have scored 1,501 points through 21 games of the 2007-08 campaign - averaging 71.5 points per evening. The Purple and White is currently ranked fourth in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average sitting behind BYU, University of New Mexico and UNLV.

• The Purple and White is averaging 76.7 points per game at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and have scored 70 or more points in 10 of 13 games when playing in front of their home crowd.

Stealing the Show
• The Frogs will enter the game against the Falcons ranked sixth in the nation in steals per game with an average of 10.1 picks per evening. In the NCAA rankings, the Frogs are slated behind VMI (Virginia Military Institute) at 13.2 steals per game followed by Minnesota, Tennessee, Clemson and Seton Hall.

• The defense of the Purple and White has notched 12 games of 10 or more steals this season with their season-high coming against Texas Southern with a 17-steal performance - which is the second-highest tally among all Mountain West Conference programs.

• Jason Ebie is ranked 46th among all NCAA Division I student-athletes in steals per game as the TCU sophomore has recorded an average of 2.05 steals per game. The TCU point guard has collected three or more steals in seven of 21 games this season and has notched at least one steal in 20 of 21 games during the 2007-08 campaign.

Statement Time in the Mountain West Conference
• Teams in the Mountain West Conference have combined for a record of 119-77 (.607 winning percentage) with BYU leading the way with a 7-1 mark in conference action followed by UNLV and San Diego State - both at 6-2 in league play.

• After the first round of Mountain West Conference games, the Frogs have recorded a 3-5 record - which lands them in seventh place in league action. The Purple and White have won six games in Mountain West Conference action over the past two seasons.

• The Frogs have notched a 2-2 record against Mountain West Conference programs at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and a 1-3 mark on the road against conference foes.

Frogs Suffer Fourth Straight Setback with 83-72 Defeat
• The TCU men's basketball program dropped its fourth straight game as the Horned Frogs fell to Mountain West Conference leaders BYU by an 83-72 setback at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Wednesday.

• Trent Plaisted finished with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting - including 7-of-9 at the free throw line - to go along with four rebounds in 33 minutes of action.

• Jonathan Tavernair finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field - including a quartet of three-pointers - to go along with five assists, two steals, two rebounds and one blocked shot in 25 minutes of action.

• With the victory, the Cougars have triumphed in 43 consecutive games at the Marriott Center - which is the second longest streak in the country. The 11-point victory over the Frogs was the Cougars' second closest home victory this season.

• The setback for the Frogs was the first time all season that the Purple and White has tasted defeat when scoring 26 or more points in the paint. The Frogs had 34 against the Cougars and had previously been 9-0 in such games.

• Ryan Wall was one of five players to reach double figures for the Frogs as the TCU senior finished with a team-high 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting - including four three-pointers (two of which he banked) in 14 minutes of action.

• Brent Hackett became the 28th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone as he accomplished the feat at the 12:18 mark in the second half following his second three-pointer of the game. For his career, Hackett has 1,001 career points for TCU.

• Kevin Langford notched his 19th consecutive double-digit scoring performance as he finished with 13 points to go along with a career-high five assists against the Cougars.

Frog Defense Standing Tall
• The defense of the Purple and White has been one of the strong points for the Frogs this season as TCU is holding opponents to a shooting percentage of 44.8 percent - which is on-pace to be the fifth-lowest shooting percentage for a foe in program history.

• The Frogs have forced opponents into 377 turnovers (18.0 turnovers per game) where they have scored 430 points off of the miscues of their foes - an average of 20.5 points.

• In Mountain West Conference action, the Frogs have forced opponents to connect on 35.7 percent (61-of-171) of their three-point field goal attempts. Mountain West Conference foes have only connected on more than three treys in three of eight games.

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 29.4 minutes of court time per evening. The Fort Worth talent is joined in that category by Brent Hackett (25.9 M-P), Henry Salter (25.5 M-P) and Jason Ebie (20.5 M-P).

• The Frogs have five other players who are averaging double-digits in minutes played in Alvardo Parker (19.7 M-P), John Ortiz (19.2 M-P), Neiman Owens (15.0 M-P), Mike Scott (14.4 M-P) and Keion Mitchem (12.7 M-P).

Scouting the Opponents - San Diego State
• San Diego State will enter the contest against the Horned Frogs tied for second overall in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-2 mark in league action to go along wtih a 16-6 overall record. The Aztecs are on a two-game winning streak after defeating Colorado State on the road then Air Force at Cox Arena.

• The Aztecs have matched their best start in their first 22 games of the season with a 16-6 in the last 23 seasons. The last San Diego State team to have a better start then this season's Aztecs came during the 1984-85 campaign when they began the year with a 17-5 mark.

• Steve Fisher is one of the top coaches in the Mountain West Conference as well as the country as he has guided the Aztecs to one of the top winning marks in the country since the end of the 2005 calendar season. San Diego State has earned a pair of post-season tournament berths in the last two seasons.

• Lorrenzo Wade is playing some of his best basket recently as he has posted four games of 20 or more points in the last 10 outings and is averaging 16.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game during that span.

• Forward Billy White is having a stellar freshman campaign as the Aztec newcomer became the sixth freshman in Mountain West Conference history to earn Player of the Week laurels earlier this season. He has shot 60 percent or better from the field in eight of his last 12 games.

• Center Ryan Amoroso has notched eight or more rebounds in eight of the last 13 games for the Aztecs and is ranked fourth in the conference games of the Mountain West with a 7.8 boards per evening mark. He has started to shoot the ball extremely well lately - connecting on 54.1 percent of his field goal tries in the last five games.

• The Aztecs achieved a rare feat in the Mountain West Conference as they had three players earn a double-double in a single-game as Ryan Amoroso (23 points / 11 boards), Lorrenzo Wade (18 points / 10 boards) and Billy White (17 points / 10 boards) hit the mark against Colorado State.

• San Diego State has been known for late dramatics as the Aztecs have won a pair of games this season in the last 35 seconds of the contest against Colorado State and Sam Houston State.

Frogs Closing in on 400th Victory at the DMC
• Following a 74-72 victory over New Mexico on Tuesday (Jan. 15), the Purple and White recorded their 396th triumph inside the confines of the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum since its' opening on December 18, 1961.

Charity Stripe Blues
• This season, the Frogs have steadily improved on their shooting percentage at the charity stripe as the Purple and White has connected on 64.9 percent (276-of-425) of their free throw attempts compared to 65.9 percent (247-of-375) for their opponents. The Frogs notched a perfect 15-of-15 against UNLV on January 30th.

• Of the 10 players that have attempted 10 or more free throws - only three players (Kevin Langford, Brent Hackett and Mike Scott) are shooting above 70.0 percent at the charity stripe.

• The Frogs have started to improve their free throw shooting ability since the beginning of Mountain West Conference action as the Purple and White have connected on 76.1 percent (89-of-118) of their attempts.

• The Purple and White has connected on 70.2 percent (85-of-121) of their free throw attempts on the road compared to a shooting percentage of 62.8 percent (191-of-304) at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

Always Be Ready to Play
• In Neil Dougherty's system, every player has to be ready to play at any given time. This season, all 14 players that have suited up for TCU have played - that feat wasn't reached until the 24th game on the road at Colorado State during the 2006-07 campaign. This season - all 14 players on the roster have played at least five games.

Home-Grown Talent Pays Dividends for Horned Frogs
• The Horned Frogs will get plenty of action from a quintet of Dallas/Fort Worth 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 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.

• 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 14.3 points and 11.8 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 1.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in his 18 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 17 of the 20 games. Following an ankle injury against UNLV, the Frogs' guard made his return against BYU where he scored 10 points.

• The TCU junior is currently ranked fourth in the country in three-point field goal percentage as he has connected on 50.5 percent of his attempts and 57th in three-point field goals made per game.

• Salter is ranked 11th in the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (13.9 P-G) and 16th in rebounds per game (5.1) and is the only player in the conference to be ranked in the top-15 in six statistical categories.

• The former NJCAA All-American is also ranked first in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game with an average of 2.8 treys per contest and has connected on at least four three-pointers in each of the Frogs' four of seven conference games. Salter has connected on 53.8 percent (21-of-39) of his three-point field goal attempts against conference opponents.

The "Langford" Road Home
• Kevin Langford is picking up where he left off last season as the Fort Worth native is ranked first on the team in scoring average (14.3 P-G) and leads the Frogs in free throws made (107), free throw attempts (144) and free throw percentage (74.3%).

• 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.

• Langford is riding a 19-game double-digit scoring streak and currently holds the longest streak among all players in the Mountain West Conference for double-digit scoring performances.

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 his career following an 11-point evening against BYU on Wednesday.

• An honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference performer last season, Hackett is enjoying another standout season as the TCU senior is ranked first on the team in three-point field goals attempts (142), second in three-point field goals made (41) and third in scoring average (11.8 P-G).

• During his career with the Frogs - Hackett has appeared in 113 career games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 79 occasions - missing only four starts in the last three seasons.

• 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 50 career games - 14 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 18 (Sophomore). The TCU seniro has connected on 177 career three-pointers - which ranks him seventh in the record books.

Welcome to the Parker's
• Alvardo Parker has been one of the main defensive standouts for the Frogs this season as the TCU forward is ranked sixth in the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots per game (1.10 B-G) and 20th in rebounds per game (4.7 R-G).

• The TCU senior has recorded 83 career blocked shots with the Frogs - which ranks him for sixth place in the all-time record books. Parker needs three more blocked shots to surpass Craig Sibley for fifth place in the record books.

• Parker has notched at least one blocked shot in 16 of 21 games this season and is ranked 17th among the career leaders for the Mountain West Conference in that statistical category.

• 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.

Team Filled with Mr. Cleans
• This season, the Frogs are averaging 37.0 rebounds per game - which ranks them 92nd in the nation in that statistical category. The Purple and White is ranked seventh in the State of Texas in boards per game behind Texas State, Sam Houston State, Texas A&M, University of North Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and University of Texas-Arlington.

• At one point in the 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 32.4 boards per contest compared to 39.8 rebounds at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

• In games that the Frogs win - the Purple and White is averaging 42.5 boards per evening compared to 30.8 rebounds per game in contests where TCU suffers a defeat.

It's All About the Ebie, Baby!
• TCU sophomore Jason Ebie has been an important ingredient in the Frogs' lineup as the Purple and White point guard is ranked 52nd in the nation among NCAA Division I players in steals per game with 2.05 picks per evening.

• Ebie is ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in steals per game (2.05 S-G) and ninth in assists per game (3.19 A-G). The TCU guard is one of two players in the Mountain West Conference to be ranked in the top-10 in assists per game, steals per game and assist-to-turnover ratio along with Wink Adams of UNLV

• The Houston native has recorded three of more steals in seven of 20 games and collected at least one steal in 20 of 21 contests. The TCU sophomore has started six of eight Mountain West Conference games where he is averaging 5.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game while appearing in 23.6 minutes per evening.

Great Scott!
• TCU newcomer Mike Scott has made an immediate impact on the Frogs' lineup as the freshman has started in 15 of 21 games. Scott is averaging 4.1 points and 2.7 assists per game this season while hitting on 40.8 percent of his shots.

• The Frogs' point guard scored a career-high 11 points on two occasions during his rookie campaign with the Purple and White against SMU and Jackson State. Scott has notched five or more points in eight games 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 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game while connecting on 41.3 percent of his field goal attempts. Mitchem has scored five or more points in nine of 21 games - including a season-high 10 points against the Air Force Academy.

• The TCU sophomore earned his first trip to the starting lineup as he started at shooting guard against Air Force.

Standing "O" for Ortiz
• TCU newcomer John Ortiz has played a pivotal role for the Frogs in the low post as he is averaging 5.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game - which ranks him 11th in the conference. Ortiz has done a tremendous job at getting to the free throw line where he is ranked second on the team in free throw attempts (54) and third in free throws made (29).

• Ortiz notched his first collegiate start against the University of Wyoming where he posted a career-high 11 rebounds and scored a career-high 13 points versus Colorado State in his third start of the season.

Never Shy Away from the National Spotlight
• Neil Doughery 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 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 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 - snapping a six-game losing skid against nationally-ranked opponents.

• TCU is 12-89 (.118) all-time against nationally-ranked teams and has dropped 16 of its last 18 match-ups against teams ranked in the top-25.

• The Frogs haven't had much success against nationally-ranked opponents on the road as they have dropped 48 of 49 match-ups when away from the DMC. Their lone victory came against Hawaii (83-79) on January 19, 1998.

Close Encounters of the Trey Kind
• TCU has made at least one three-pointer in 302 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 519 of their last 520 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.

• This season, the Purple and White has connected on at least seven three-pointers in 18 of their 21 games and are ranked fourth in the Mountain West Conference in three-point field goals made per game (7.86 3FGM-G).

Home Sweet Home
• The Frogs have posted a mark of 396-234 (.629) since Daniel-Meyer Coliseum opened during the 1961-62 campaign.

• Over the past decade, the Purple and White has recorded a 136-59 (.697) overall record and have won at least 10 games at home in seven of the last 10 seasons - including 10 victories during the 2007-08 campaign at the DMC.

• The Frogs have won 18 of their last 27 games at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, including seven of their last 10 games on their home court. The Frogs have dropped three home games this season to Oklahoma, UNLV and Air Force.

Finding Nemo
• Senior Neiman Owens is one of the most experienced players on the Frogs as the TCU guard has appeared in 114 career games - including 60 starts during his career with the Purple and White. Owens did not start against Angelo State in the season opener - which snapped his 60-game starting streak that dated back to the 2005-06 season.

• Owens competed in his 100th career game for the Purple and White on December 5th against SMU and reached another milestone against UT Arlington as he recorded his 400th career point for the Frogs.

• The TCU senior has collected at least two rebounds in 18 of 21 games this season with a season-high seven boards coming against Jackson State. Owens notched one of his best all-around games against Grambling State where he collected six points, six assists and six rebounds in 18 minutes of action in the Frogs' home victory.

The Wall
• Even though TCU has only been a member of the Mountain West Conference for three seasons, Ryan Wall has been affiliated with the MWC in each of his five collegiate years. Wall was a member of the University of New Mexico for two seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05) before transferring to TCU prior to the start of the 2005-06 campaign. After a red-shirt campaign during the 2005-06 campaign, Wall has appeared in 51 career games while wearing the Purple and White.

• Wall 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 15. The TCU senior 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 8.3 minutes of court time. On eight occasions, the TCU freshman has played in 10 or more minutes and has recorded at least four rebounds in six of 18 games this season.

• Tauscher recorded his first career double-digit rebounding performance against Rice where he grabbed 12 boards and is ranked fifth among all freshmen in the Mountain West Conference with a 3.3 rebounds per game average.

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
• 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.

Putting 40 Minutes Together
• The Frogs have been successful in the first half of action where the Purple and White have built up a lead heading into intermission in 12 of 20 games this season. The Frogs have notched a 9-3 mark when leading at halftime with their three losses coming against Texas Tech, SMU and Rice.

The Woes of the Road
• The Frogs have dropped all three road decisions this season where they have held a double-digit lead against Texas Tech, SMU and Rice. The Purple and White has dropped decisions in all three contests when holding a second half lead of 10 or more points and suffered a setback to Texas where they had an early first half seven-point advantage.

• With a victory at Colorado State, the Frogs snapped their 12-game road losing streak, but have dropped 14 of their last 15 games. In the Mountain West Conference, the road victory over the Rams was the second victory in league action.

TCU Athletic Media Relations