Utah's postseason chances are slipping away rather quickly, however, a strong finish could revive hopes of at least the NIT -- which would be a monumental step in the right direction. For Utah to do that, though, tonight's game is pretty much a must-win. A must-win because they face an opponent who -- like Utah -- has struggled at times this season. TCU, though better than the past two years, still is a game the Utes should easily win. The fact that it is on the road does offer some challenges, but Utah is the better team, has the match-up advantage and there is no excuse for losing this game.
Here's a quick look at the Frogs:
| Player | YR | P | GP | GS | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | MIN | PTS | REBS | AST | TO | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K. Langford | Jr | F | 25 | 25 | 41.9 | 23.1 | 73.4 | 29.6 | 13.5 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| B. Hackett | Sr | G | 25 | 25 | 36.0 | 27.7 | 79.7 | 25.8 | 11.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| H. Salter | Jr | G | 24 | 24 | 44.0 | 47.7 | 56.4 | 25.3 | 13.3 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| J. Ebie | So | G | 25 | 10 | 40.8 | 26.7 | 64.3 | 20.7 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| A. Parker | Sr | F | 25 | 14 | 54.6 | 0.0 | 40.7 | 19.2 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| J. Ortiz | Jr | F | 24 | 11 | 36.4 | 10.0 | 56.9 | 19.6 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| N. Owens | Sr | G | 25 | 0 | 39.6 | 28.6 | 55.0 | 14.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| M. Scott | Fr | G | 25 | 15 | 40.5 | 33.3 | 78.6 | 13.2 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| K. Mitchem | So | G | 24 | 1 | 41.3 | 38.3 | 62.5 | 12.5 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
And a small comparison:
| Stat | Utah | Texas Christian | Utah | Texas Christian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Games | 25 | 25 | 12 | 12 |
| Wins | 15 | 13 | 6 | 5 |
| Losses | 10 | 12 | 6 | 7 |
| Pct | 0.6 | 0.52 | 0.5 | 0.417 |
| Field Goals Made | 613 | 602 | 270 | 257 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 1268 | 1476 | 596 | 651 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 0.483 | 0.408 | 0.453 | 0.395 |
| Free Throws Made | 298 | 348 | 166 | 161 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 396 | 521 | 220 | 213 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 0.753 | 0.668 | 0.755 | 0.756 |
| 3pt Field Goals Made | 190 | 185 | 82 | 79 |
| 3pt Field Goals Attempted | 471 | 534 | 219 | 231 |
| 3pt Field Goal Percentage | 0.403 | 0.346 | 0.374 | 0.342 |
| Points | 1714 | 1737 | 788 | 754 |
| Points Per Game | 68.6 | 69.5 | 65.7 | 62.8 |
| Rebounds | 839 | 994 | 423 | 417 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 33.6 | 39.8 | 35.3 | 34.8 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 185 | 319 | 87 | 137 |
| Offensive Rebounds Per Game | 7.4 | 12.8 | 7.3 | 11.4 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 608 | 583 | 313 | 251 |
| Defensive Rebounds Per Game | 24.3 | 23.3 | 26.1 | 20.9 |
| Assists | 372 | 334 | 161 | 133 |
| Assists Per Game | 14.9 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 11.1 |
| Steals | 156 | 246 | 60 | 104 |
| Steals Per Game | 6.2 | 9.8 | 5.0 | 8.7 |
| Turnovers | 328 | 369 | 147 | 186 |
| Turnovers Per Game | 13.1 | 14.8 | 12.3 | 15.5 |
| Blocks | 89 | 63 | 43 | 22 |
| Blocks Per Game | 3.6 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 1.8 |
| Fouls | 469 | 478 | 235 | 217 |
| Fouls Per Game | 18.8 | 19.1 | 19.6 | 18.1 |
| Disqualifications | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
On paper, Utah should have no trouble, but we know how they struggle on the road. Hopefully, though, they can overcome their road woes and pull out a victory.