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Basketball
team to play Fresno State tonight By Matt Stiver TCU men’s basketball head coach Billy Tubbs bristled at the question presented by junior guard Greedy Daniels. Judging by the way he threw open the door in front of Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, Tubbs is not scared of Fresno State and its coach, Jerry Tarkanian. “I’ve beaten Tark more than he’s beaten me,” Tubbs said. However, Tarkanian is gaining, having defeated Tubbs and the Frogs in three consecutive contests, including a 94-82 victory on Jan. 10. Having lost four of their last seven, including two losses to Rice, the Frogs return home tonight with glaring questions before them. Their postseason dreams are rapidly turning to nightmares and their shooting touch, once reliable, has faded. While the No. 20 Bulldogs (20-3, 9-1 Western Athletic Conference) are playing for NCAA seeding, the Frogs are increasingly playing for WAC Tournament seeding.With a Ratings Percentage Index ranking of 60 (34 teams are granted at-large berths in the 65-team field) and the National Invitation Tournament a more realistic option, Tubbs refuses to rule out an NCAA bid.
“The only team guaranteed of getting in is the one that wins the conference tournament,” Tubbs said. “Our goal is to get better with each game. We still haven’t peaked yet.” The WAC, after a one-year hiatus, had its automatic bid restored by the NCAA this season. The WAC Tournament will be held March 6-10 at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa. If the season ended today, the Frogs would open the conference tournament against Texas-El Paso with the specter of Fresno State in the second round. Daniels said the players still cling to their goals. “We know our chances are slim, but the season isn’t over yet,” Daniels said. The Frogs must find a remedy for their shooting woes. After leaping out to a 47-39 half-time lead against Rice Saturday, the Frogs shot only 5-of-29 from the field in the second half. Senior forward Ryan Carroll, TCU’s leading scorer at 17.2 points a game, shot only 3-of-12 from the floor. Senior center Derrick Davenport found net on 1 of 7 shots. “We didn’t come out with the same intensity,” Daniels said. “We were still in the game, but no one could make a play.” The Frogs have failed to hit shots down the stretch. During road losses to Tulsa (Jan. 6), UTEP (Feb. 3) and Rice, the Frogs have found themselves with a propensity for missing shots in the second half. During its loss to Fresno State, TCU held a 37-35 half-time lead, but the Bulldogs scored 59 second-half points on 61-percent shooting. “We play better the last five minutes at home,” Tubbs said. The Frogs will be without the services of senior forward Myron Anthony, who sprained his left ankle against Rice and will miss Saturday’s contest against Nevada. Tubbs said Anthony suffered a “real sprain, not a twist” and would not be 100 percent for at least two weeks. Anthony is ranked fourth on the team in scoring and second in rebounds (7.4). Without Anthony, sophomore Bingo Merriex and junior Marlon Dumont will likely share time at forward. Against Rice, Merriex and Dumont combined for 20 points and six rebounds. Fresno State brings one of the most prolific offenses in the WAC, averaging 84.1 points a game with a 27.9-point margin of victory. The Bulldogs are led by a trio of all-WAC performers. Freshman Tito Maddox (14.7 points, 6.04 assists), senior Melvin Ely (15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds) and senior Demetrius Porter. Junior transfer Chris Jefferies leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.3) and three-point shooting (44 percent). Daniels said the Frogs can match Fresno’s quartet. “We have five players who can play defense,” Daniels said. “If we play defense the best way TCU knows how, if we play our game, we’ll be fine.”
Matt Stiver |
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