By
Joel Welser
Texas
Christian needs to build off their nice NIT run where they
had road victories at MAC foes Miami (OH) and Western Michigan
before finally getting knocked off at Maryland. Heading into the
Mountain West will be difficult as Coach Neil Dougherty has to
replace three starters.
Who’s Out:
Corey Santee and Marcus Shropshire will leave a gaping hole in
the TCU backcourt. Santee led the squad with 14.3 points and 3.6
assists per game. Shropshire added 11.7 points per contest.
Marcus Sloan started 34 games last year averaging 3.6 points and
4.7 rebounds. Fellow forward Aaron Curtis played in all 35
games, averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 boards. Also running out of
eligibility is seldom used Corey Valsin.
Who’s In:
Wing players Dallas Hunter and Clarence Masters will get the
opportunity to see some playing time in Fort Worth. Hunter has
the most potential to make a big impact this season. Masters, a
6-5 200 pound Cedar Hill, Texas native could see some playing
time as a freshman. Center Allen Taylor already has the size to
compete in the MWC. He’s a decent scorer under the basket and
should see plenty of minutes in the years to come. Aliou Kane,
on the other hand, is ready to play immediately. The junior
spent time at Minnesota before attending Collin County (TX)
Community College, where the 6-10 center averaged 6.7 points and
4.8 rebounds. Kane is an efficient rebounder whose offensive
game continues to improve. He’ll battle for a starting gig right
off the bat and, at the least, provide a quality big man off the
bench for TCU.
Who to Watch:
The frontcourt is deep with Chudi Chinweze
returning after playing just eight games last season due to a
knee injury, Judson Stubbs seeing quality minutes and Femi
Ibikunle starting 34 games last year. The backcourt is young
with Brent Reese-Hackett and Neiman Owens coming off of freshmen
seasons that saw limited minutes. The key is Nile Murry. Murry,
a 6-4 senior, must hold together the young backcourt. He is
leading returning scorer with 12.5 points per game. Murry also
added 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest and may be asked
to run the point if Reese-Hackett has too many troubles.
Projected Conference Rank:
There is no clear cut favorite in the
Mountain West and being the unknown team in the conference could
prove to be a big advantage for the Frogs. Brent Reese-Hackett
needs to prove that he can be the point guard TCU needs him to
be, otherwise it could be a tough season for Neil Dougherty’s
squad. A 5th place finish is a decent debut in the
MWC, but not good enough for a return trip to the NIT.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected Starting Five:
Brent Reese-Hackett, Sophomore, Guard, 2.9 points per game
Nile Murry, Senior, Guard, 12.5 points per game
Judson Stubbs, Senior, Forward, 6.5 points per game
Chudi Chinweze, Senior, Forward, 11.1 points per game
Femi Ibikunle, Junior, Center, 4.9 points per game
