Frogs look for boost from SMU matchup
Tubbs downplays importance of season’s first meeting with WAC rival Mustangs

By Matt Stiver
Skiff Staff

Entering the season, the Horned Frogs, some publicly and most privately, believed they were capable of making a run at a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Though the calendar reads January, the Frogs face a postseason type game 3 p.m. Saturday against Southern Methodist at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Not halfway through the Western Athletic Conference schedule, three conference losses have the Frogs facing the prospect of seeing their postseason aspirations disappear faster than junior guard Greedy Daniels can steal the ball.

Head coach Billy Tubbs, after watching his team sleepwalk through a 120-95 victory over Grambling State Wednesday, said he expects an increase in intensity.

“If we’re not up for this one, we won’t be up the rest of the year,” Tubbs said.

David Dunai/SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Junior center Marlon Dumont skies for a dunk Wednesday vs. Grambling State at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

Tubbs downplayed the notion that the SMU game could make or break the Frogs’ season.

“It’s just another conference game,” Tubbs said. “Anytime you play the contenders, the Fresnos, the Tulsas, the SMUs, that has a lot more impact because they are good teams. But that’s it.”

For one reason or another, the Frogs seem to give SMU their best performance. TCU beat the Mustangs in both meetings last year, 92-75 in Fort Worth and 86-83 in Dallas.

Sophomore guard Bingo Merriex said the Frogs will be ready again Saturday.

“This is the game we’ve been focusing on,” Merriex said. “We’re not focusing on the rivalry, we’re not worried about the rivalry, but we know we need to go out and win the game.”

Senior guard Ryan Carroll (18.2 points a game) slightly sprained his right ankle during practice Thursday. However Tubbs said Carroll will play against SMU.

Saturday begins a stretch in which the Frogs will play three of their next four games against teams ahead of them in the conference race: Tulsa (12-6, 3-2 WAC), Texas-El Paso (15-2, 4-1 WAC), and No. 18 Fresno State (16-2, 5-0 WAC). The Bulldogs defeated the Frogs 94-82 in Fresno Jan. 10.

Their postseason dreams, already on life-support following a 73-66 loss to Rice Saturday, will probably not survive two losses during that run.

“Every team in conference is good this year,” Tubbs said. “We were lucky to beat San Jose (65-58 on Jan. 6). There are no easy games.”

The Mustangs are led by senior guard Jeryl Sasser and junior guard Damon Hancock (17.1 points, 38 percent from three-point range).

Sasser has been playing particularly well of late. During an 83-69 loss to UTEP Monday, Sasser hit a career-high 39 points. During the second half, he scored all but one of SMU’s field goals. Despite a season scoring average of 18.8 last season, the Frogs held Sasser to a combined 18 points on 5 of 29 shooting (17 percent).

Merriex said the Frogs will not deviate from their game plan.

“We’ll just try to lock him up and play good defense,” Merriex said.

In the first meeting with SMU last season, Merriex came off the bench to score 16 points, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, and sparked the victory.

Though his deep shot has been erratic of late (1 of 4 against Grambling State and 1 of 5 against Rice), Merriex said an energetic atmosphere should end his woes.

“The juice will be flowing,” Merriex said. “I think I’ll be able to go out and knock down some big shots.”

Matt Stiver
m.r.stiver@student.tcu.edu