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Frogs look to even score with Utah at home
Feb. 26, 2008
Game Notes - University of Utah in PDF Format
Game Day Information
Radio: Fox Sports Radio (1460 AM) and KTCU (88.7 FM) in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
Next on the Schedule: The Purple and White will travel to UNLV on Saturday for a Mountain West Conference showdown In Las Vegas, Nev., with 6:00 p.m. Central Time tip.
Stealing the Show
• 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 49th among all NCAA Division I student-athletes in steals per game as the TCU sophomore has recorded an average of 2.0 steals per game. The TCU point guard has collected two or more steals in 14 games and has notched at least one steal in 24 of 25 contests - including 23 consecutive games.
Rebirth at the Free Throw Line
• The Frogs have posted a perfect 1.000 (15-of-15) free throw percentage against UNLV - which marked the fifth time in program history that TCU has finished with a flawless rating at the charity stripe.
Statement Time in the Mountain West Conference
• BYU - who enters this week of action ranked 25th in the country in the latest polls - currently possesses a 10-2 conference record while the Cougars are followed by UNLV (9-3), New Mexico (9-4), San Diego State (8-5) and Utah (6-6) round out the top-five. • The Horned Frogs have notched a 5-7 conference record and sit in seventh place in front of the University of Wyoming and Colorado State in the conference ranks. The Purple and White is one-game behind Air Force for sixth-place in the conference standings. • The Purple and White have notched five victories in Mountain West Conference action - which is their highest tally since joining the league three seasons ago. During their first season in the Mountain West Conference, the Horned Frogs notched two victories followed by four triumphs during the 2006-07 campaign.
Frogs Record 66-64 Victory over Colorado State
• Brent Hackett finished with a team-high 19 points - including 11-of-11 from the free throw line - to go along with two rebounds, two steals and one assist in 32 minutes of action. The TCU senior connected on his last six free throw attempts over the final two minutes of the 66-64 triumph for the Purple and White. • The Purple and White connected on 96.4 percent of their free throw attempts as the Horned Frogs drained 27-of-28 attempts from the charity stripe - including their final 26 free throws of the game. The free throw percentage for the Horned Frogs was the highest tally in program history in any games with 22 or more free throws. • John Ortiz finished with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting - including 4-of-4 from the free throw line - to go along with two steals in 17 minutes of court time. • With the victory over the Rams, the Horned Frogs notched their 12th victory at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum this season - which is only the 10th time in its 46-year history. • Marcus Walker finished with his first career double-double as the CSU guard connected on a game-high 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds in 37 minutes of action. • The Frogs entered the game ranked 10th in the country in steals per game and notched their 14th game this season with 10 or more picks as the Purple and White finished with 13 steals against the Rams. TCU forced 24 turnovers against Colorado State and recorded 25 points off of turnovers - which was more than its last three games combined. • The Frogs held a big advantage in points off of the bench as they out-scored the Rams by a 26-10 margin. Alvardo Parker led the way with eight points while Ryan Wall notched seven points and Neiman Owens tallied six points for the Horned Frogs.
Frog Defense Standing Tall
The Glass Cleaners
Time Well Spent
• Kevin Langford is one of four players to average over 20.0 minutes per evening as the TCU junior is collecting 29.6 minutes of court time per evening. The Fort Worth talent is joined in that category by Brent Hackett (25.8 MP-G), Henry Salter (25.3 MP-G) and Jason Ebie (20.7 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 (19.2 MP-G), Neiman Owens (14.6 MP-G), Mike Scott (13.2 MP-G) and Keion Mitchem (12.5 MP-G).
Scouting the Opponents - University of Utah
• Johnnie Bryant will enter the game as the top offensive threat for the Runnin' Utes as the Utah guard is averaging 14.5 points per game - which ranks him eighth in the Mountain West Conference. Bryant dropped 24 points against the Frogs in their last meeting - including a program record eight three-pointers en route to earning Mountain West Conference Player of the Week laurels. • Luke Nevill is one of the top all-around players in the Mountain West Conference as the Utah center is averaging 14.2 points to go along with 6.6 rebounds per game. He is currently ranked first in the conference in blocked shots per game (1.64 B-G), second in field goal percentage (54.0%) and fourth in boards per game (6.6 R-G). • Luka Drca is ranked fifth in the Mountain West Conference in assists per game (3.41 A-G) after dishing out a team-high 86 assists this season. The Utah squad is also averaging 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. • Johnnie Bryant and Luke Nevill both join the 1,000-point club for the University of Utah this past season as they became the 32nd and 33rd players in program history to reach the milestone. In the 100-year history of Utah basketball, this was only the third time that teammates reached the 1,000-point mark in the same season. • Four players on the Runnin' Utes have started all 25 games this season in Luke Nevill, Tyler Kepkay, Lawrence Borha and Shaun Gree while Carlon Brown has made 21 trips to the starting rotation for Utah. • Last season, the University of Utah ranked 322nd out of 326 NCAA Division I teams in field goal percentage, and this season - the Runnin' Utes have made a big improvement as they are ranked sixth in the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage (41.8%) and second in league-only games (39.9%). • The Runnin' Utes have a wide variety of nationalities on their squad as the 14-play squad is made up of 10 players from the United States, two Europeans - Kim Tillie (France) and Luka Drca (Serbia), one from Australia (Luke Nevil) and one from Canada (Tyler Kepkay).
Frogs Closing in on 400th Victory at the DMC
Charity Stripe Levels on the Rise
• 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 12 conference games, the Frogs have moved up three spots to sixth in the league in free throw percentage at 66.8 percent (348-of-521). • The Frogs have connected on 66.3 percent (234-of-353) of their free throw attempts at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum and 82.7 percent (86-of-104) 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
Home-Grown Talent Pays Dividends for Horned Frogs
• 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 21 games on the floor for the Frogs.
Frogs Adding a Little Salter to Their Diet
• The TCU junior is currently ranked sixth in the country in three-point field goal percentage as he has connected on 47.7 percent of his attempts and 85th in three-point field goals made per game. • Salter is ranked 13th 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
• 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 21 of 25 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
• The TCU guard is also ranked fifth in the all-time record books in three-point field goals attempted (549), sixth in three-point field goals made (180) and eighth in career steals (116). • During his career with the Frogs - Hackett has appeared in 117 career games and has earned a spot in the starting lineup on 83 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 50 career games - 15 (Senior) / 18 (Junior) / 15 (Sophomore).
Welcome to the Parker's
• The TCU forward has recorded at least one blocked shot in 43 of 55 career games with the Purple and White and has notched at least one swat in 18 of 25 games in his final campaign. • Parker is ranked eighth among all Mountain West Conference players in blocked shots per game (1.88 B-G), ninth in offensive boards per game (1.88 R-G) and 18th 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
• 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 32.2 rebounds per game compared to 38.7 rebonds per game at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. • In games that the Frogs win - the Purple and White is averaging 40.8 boards per evening compared to 30.9 rebounds per game in contests where TCU suffers a defeat.
It's All About the Ebie, Baby!
• Ebie is ranked second in the Mountain West Conference in steals per game (2.0 S-G) and has produced at least two steals in 14 of 25 games and one steal in 24 of 25 contests - including 23 consecutive games - this season. • The Houston, Texas, native has appeared in all 25 games this season - including 10 trips to the starting lineup - while finding himself ranked fifth in the TCU record books with Al Thomas (1991) for steals per game average (2.0 S-G). Ebie needs only six steals over the final stretch of the season to break in the top-10 single-season marks for steals.
Great Scott!
• 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
• 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
• In his first collegiate start with the Frogs, Ortiz notched a career-high 11 rebounds against the University of Wyoming and has grabbed five or more rebounds in 14 of 24 games for the Purple and White • 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
• 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
• 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
• Over the past decade, the Frogs have recorded a 138-59 (.701) 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 12 victories at home this season - which marks the 10th time in the 46-year history of the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum that the Frogs have notched 12 or more wins in a season.
Finding Nemo
• Owens has appeared in more games than any other player on the Frogs' roster and appeared in his 100 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 436 points during his career with the Frogs. • The TCU senior has collected at least two rebounds in 19 of 25 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
The Woes of the Road
• With a victory at Colorado State, the Frogs snapped their 12-game road losing streak, but have dropped 15 of their last 16 games. In the Mountain West Conference, the road victory over the Rams was the second victory in league action. TCU Athletic Media Relations
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