March 15, 2005
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Setting the Scene
The TCU Horned Frogs have earned a postseason berth for the first time since 1999 under third-year head coach Neil Dougherty, as TCU (19-13) will face Miami (OH) (19-10) on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. (ET)/ 6 p.m. (CT) in Oxford, Ohio, in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Frogs are in search of their first 20-win season since the club went 20-11 in 2000-01 and for the 11th time in school history. TCU and Miami have never met on the hardwood. TCU is 3-9 on the road this season, while Miami is 13-0 at home. TCU has struggled offensively over the last three contests, averaging just 61.7 points per game on 63-for-179 (.352) shooting from the field and 28.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc (23-for-80).
Series History
The TCU Horned Frogs and Miami RedHawks have never met on the hardwood.
Staying Connected
TCU and Miami have plenty of ties, as TCU Athletics Director Eric Hyman was the AD at Miami prior to moving to Fort Worth. In addition, Associate Athletics Director Kevin O'Connell and radio play-by-play man Brian Estridge also spent time at the Oxford school. TCU senior guard Corey Santee and Miami junior guard William Hatcher are former high school rivals and friends from Flint, Mich.
All-Time in the NIT
TCU is making its first postseason tournament appearance since the 1998-99 season, which was capped off by a showing in the 1999 National Invitation Tournament. That year, the Frogs finished the campaign with a 21-11 record and reached the third round of the NIT after victories over Kansas State and Nebraska. TCU was upended by Oregon just one game prior to reaching the NIT semifinals in New York City. The Horned Frogs have appeared in five NITs, owning a 7-5 record (.583) over that time. TCU has reached the second round in all five appearances and reached the quarterfinals in both 1983 and 1999. In addition, TCU head coach Neil Dougherty and assistant coach Rick Callahan were assistants on the Vanderbilt staff in 1990, when the Commodores won the Postseason NIT.
Excited to Play Some More
Of the 15 players on TCU's roster, only one (Nile Murry) has appeared in postseason play during their collegiate careers. The junior guard saw action in both the 2002 and 2003 National Invitation Tournaments while playing for Temple University. His 2002 Owl squad reached the semifinals in New York City prior to losing to Memphis. Temple ultimately defeated Syracuse in the consolation game to place third at the tournament.
Seeing 20-20
TCU is just one win away from its first 20-win season since the 2000-01 campaign (20-11). TCU has posted a total of 10 20-win seasons in the school's basketball history. On Mar. 9 against Marquette, TCU recorded its 19th victory of the season, which is already seven more than last year's win total of 12 and more than double the 2002-03 figure of nine. TCU's 19 victories are the most since the 2000-01 season, when the team went 20-11. In the past 13 seasons, TCU has won at least 20 games just four times.
Against 2005 NCAA Squads
Seven TCU opponents on the 2004-05 schedule advanced to the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The teams and their seeds include: #3 Kansas, #4 Louisville, #6 Texas Tech, #7 Charlotte, #7 Cincinnati, #11 UAB and #12 Old Dominion. TCU had a 2-6 record against those teams, but played five of the games on the road.
Against 2005 NIT Teams
TCU faced four teams (DePaul, Houston, Marquette and Memphis) that reached the 2005 NIT a total of seven times this season. The Horned Frogs posted a 4-3 record against those foes. TCU was 2-0 against Marquette, 1-1 vs. Memphis, 1-1 against Houston and 0-1 vs. DePaul. Of TCU's 32 games, 15 were against teams that reached postseason play (either NCAA or NIT).
The Three Amigos
TCU's trio of starting guards (Corey Santee, Marcus Shropshire and Nile Murry) have accounted for 1192 of the 2252 points (52.9 percent) this year for TCU. However, over the last three games, the trio has shot just 29.1 percent (30-for-103) from the floor and scored 88 of the team's 185 points (47.6 percent).
