Tulsa victory not out of reach
Men’s team needs to play ‘TCU basketball,’ players say

By Matt Stiver
Skiff Staff

The last time a TCU men’s basketball team beat Tulsa, a TCU player finished with the single-season steals record and the Frogs obtained a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Junior guard Greedy Daniels has already broken Mike Jones’ steals record. Now, the Frogs just have to beat Tulsa, and the latter challenge remains within the Frogs’ sights.

While beating Tulsa at 7 p.m. tonight at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum will not ensure the Frogs their first NCAA berth since 1998, head coach Billy Tubbs said a victory will provide much-needed momentum.

As of late, Tulsa has owned the Frogs, winning six straight. On their way to the Elite Eight last year, the Golden Hurricane defeated the Frogs three times, including a 94-73 victory in Fort Worth.

First-year Tulsa coach Buzz Peterson continued Tulsa’s mastery over TCU this year. The Frogs were soundly defeated 82-66 Jan. 17 in Tulsa. Trailing by seven at the half, the Frogs managed to cut Tulsa’s lead to one with 17:53 to play. The Golden Hurricane, however, took control of the game with pressure defense. Tulsa’s sophomore forward Kevin Johnson finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks.

Though losing three players from last year’s team, Tulsa has varied little from its game plan. The Golden Hurricane beat the Frogs with their inside game and timely perimeter shooting.

Tubbs said the Frogs have learned from their past mistakes.

“We went back and figured out where we could improve,” Tubbs said. “This is a whole different game. It’s in our place with our atmosphere. We’ll be ready to play.”

Daniels said the Frogs have everything they need to beat Tulsa.

“We just need to play TCU basketball,” Daniels said. “The coaches have given us a good game plan. If we do that, we’ll be fine.”

Coming off a 100-91 victory over Southern Methodist Saturday, the Frogs find themselves in another must-win situation. A victory would pull the Frogs into a tie for second place in the Western Athletic Conference behind Fresno State. Facing a tough road game at Texas-El Paso Saturday, Tubbs said the Frogs need to get a win against Tulsa.

“Every game is big because so many teams are bunched together (in the conference standings),” Tubbs said. “This is the fun part of the year. It’s time to put up or shut up.”

During the Frogs’ last four losses to Tulsa, TCU has been unable to break Tulsa’s zone defense.

Tubbs said Saturday’s win over SMU has helped breathe life back into a once struggling Frog team.

“We’re excited to play,” Tubbs said. “We really need our students to come out and give us some good support and create an intense atmosphere. I think we’re better prepared to play them here this year than we were last year.”

The Frogs will face a one-day turnaround before facing UTEP in El Paso Saturday. A victory in El Paso would give the Frogs sole possession of second place.

“It’s kind of a ridiculous situation to schedule like that,” Tubbs said. “Usually when you have a Thursday, Saturday turnaround, both games are on the road or at home.”

Despite the temptation of looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Daniels said the Frogs are focusing on the game at hand.
“Right now, all we’re thinking about is Tulsa,” he said.

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