Official TCU Game Notes - Senior Night vs Bulls

[Brad]

Wednesday's Senior Night vs. USF Caps Men's Basketball Home Season

Official TCU Game Notes

 

Setting the Scene

The TCU Horned Frogs (17-11, 7-7 C-USA) will look to clinch the team's first-ever .500 record in Conference USA play when they face the USF Bulls (11-14, 4-10) on Wednesday night at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. It is the final home game for five Horned Frog seniors: Corey Santee, Marcus Sloan, Corey Valsin, Marcus Shropshire and Aaron Curtis. TCU has won the last two meetings between the schools, including a 54-51 win last year in Tampa. A victory would be the 14th home triumph of the season for TCU, which would match the third highest home win total in school history. TCU has won four of its last six games, while USF has dropped four of its previous five contests.

Series History

TCU trails the all-time series with USF 4-3 but has won the last two meetings with the Bulls. Two of the last three games have been decided by four points or less, including a 54-51 TCU victory in Tampa, Fla. last February. The last time the Bulls visited Fort Worth, they left following a 75-63 defeat in TCU's final game of the 2002-03 campaign. TCU's lone home loss to USF came on Feb. 16, 2002, when the Horned Frogs suffered an 88-74 setback in their inaugural Conference USA campaign.

The Last Meeting

Corey Santee scored 25 points, including 13 of his team's 22 second half points, to lead TCU to a 54-51 victory over USF in Conference USA basketball. TCU used an 11-2 run to start each half and led by as many as 14 points. But USF held TCU scoreless for a 5:38 stretch late in the game, cutting the Horned Frogs' lead to 50-49 with 3:32 left to play. TCU's Marcus Shropshire ended the drought with a 15-foot jumper to make it 52-49. The Bulls, who never led in the game, had a chance to tie when Terrence Leather missed a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer. Leather led the Bulls with 20 points and nine rebounds. Brian Swift was USF's only other double-figure scorer with 13 points. TCU also got double-digits from Chudi Chinweze, with 10, while Femi Ibikunle helped by pulling in nine rebounds.

TCU Individuals vs. USF

Corey Santeee has averaged 16.4 points and 6.0 assists in five previous meetings with USF. He recorded one of his three career double-doubles against the Bulls as a freshman, when he scored 18 points and doled out 11 assists. Last year, he poured in 25 of TCU's 54 points in a 54-51 victory. Marcus Sloan and Corey Valsin have also played five games against the Bulls. Sloan had seven rebounds in the 2002-03 season finale, while Valsin had eight points in that meeting. Marcus Shropshire scored nine points in last year's game, while Aaron Curtis added seven points and three rebounds.

Home is Where the Wins Are

TCU owns a 13-3 mark at home this season, which is the most home victories in a year since the 2000-01 squad went 15-1 in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Since the building's opening in 1961, TCU has amassed a 369-214 (.633) record at home. Over the past 11 seasons, TCU's homecourt advantage has been even more pronounced, as the Frogs have posted an overall home mark of 131-44 (.749). TCU's 13 home wins rank as the sixth most in school history. A victory on Wednesday would match the third-highest total in school annals.

Thinkin' `Bout Postseason

TCU is looking to make its first postseason tournament appearance since the 1998-99 season, which was capped off by a showing in the 1999 NIT. 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. TCU's lone trip to the NCAA Tournament over the past 18 seasons came in 1998.

Planting the Seed

If the Conference USA Tournament started today, the TCU Horned Frogs (7-7) would be the No. 8 seed and would face the 9th-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles (6-8) in the tournament's first round. TCU has won three straight meetings with Marquette over the past two seasons. TCU can be no higher than the fifth seed at the tournament and no lower than the No. 9 seed. The top 12 teams in the conference standings earn a trip to Memphis for the event, which will be played from March 9-12 at the FedExForum.

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