Long Sunday Afternoon Dump

Men's Basketball:

Frogs crumble late under turnovers, missed free throws Star-Telegram

TCU drops 71-54 decision to New Mexico gofrogs.com

The headline from the Star-Telegram says it all, really. Winning a conference game on the road is tough, but it's damn near impossible when you turn the ball over 17 times and miss 9 free throws. I don't know if any of us expected the Frogs to go into The Pit and win, but it only adds to the frustration when they clearly lost this game way more so than the Lobos won it. While Wednesday is a big day for the football program with the letters of intent coming through GP's fax machine, it's also a big day for the basketball team- a very winnable measuring-stick game against Wyoming takes place that night at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.


Women's Basketball:

Improving TCU women win third straight in conference Star-Telegram

Lady Frogs take down New Mexico, 63-56 gofrogs.com

It's been a tough year for the TCU women's basketball team, as a nasty injury bug led to a lackluster start out of the gate . The young squad seems to be finding their stride, though, and are now 4-2 in conference play riding this three-game winning streak. Three of their next four games are on the road, though, which will provide a whole new slew of tests.

Meet the Future Frogs: Gerren Ballard

One of the more intriguing prospects in TCU's recruiting class of 2012 is Gerren Ballard, a massive tight end from tiny Whitewright, Texas. Part of that mystery is because of the uncertainty that always surrounds a top-level athlete from the lower levels of Texas high school football, and part because of what TCU's presence in Whitewright may mean in the near future.

What we do know about Ballard is that he's big- real big. And fast- real fast for his size. Anytime you've got a kid who ran run a 4.6 forty in a 6'6" 250lb frame, you've got to be excited about his potential. Ballard starred at tight end for Whitewright, and is listed at that position in just about any recruiting publication you can find- but you have to wonder if defensive end or even offensive tackle will be his true calling once he's in Fort Worth. I couldn't find a free highlight tape of his on youtube, but those of you that have watched his video through your purplemenace subscriptions know that he moves extremely well for his size. He's not all that hyped (although he did get three stars from Rivals), but I could see a number of positional coaches at TCU waging a passionate bout of tug of war with him once he's on campus.

The other intriguing part of Ballard's commitment is his relationship to one of TCU's (and likely every other school in the nation) top targets for next year's class- Tyrone Swoopes. The 6'5" 220lb quarterback from Whitewright (and Sheryl Swoopes' nephew) has already been awarded five stars from Rivals, and is the leading candidate to be the most sought-after recruit in all of Texas for next year. The internet rumor mill maintains that the kid loves TCU, which is substantiated to some degree by the fact that his facebook profile photo is of him wearing a Frogs jersey during a visit to Amon G. Carter Stadium. You'd have to think that having one of his high school teammates already on campus would be enticing for him.

Who ever would've thought that a town of less than 2,000 in Fannin County would be such a major talent pipeline for TCU? If you're looking to thank someone for creating a legacy that would produce interest in the program from such talented athletes as Ballard and Swoopes, look no further than William Jackson, a 2003 graduate of Whitewright that went on to become a four-year starter at fullback for the Frogs.

Daily Discussion: Big 12 Expansion

The inevitable part about jumping into an unstable conference, as the Frogs have now done for about the 1,000th time, is that expansion rumors are never really going to go away. While the biggest questions about the Big 12 might currently be about when West Virginia will actually join (we hear this year) and when the 2012 football schedule will come out (very soon, supposedly), you still have to wonder if, when and how the league will get back to as many members as it's name would indicate.

A report from our very own Fort Worth Star-Telegram earlier this week indicated that Louisville and BYU may very well be targets for the 11th and 12th spots. What would you think about adding the Cardinals and Cougars- good move, bad move?

Let's say you're the Big 12 commissioner. What schools would you go after? What schools do you think are reasonable targets? Or do you think the league should even expand at all?

Morning Dump

Football:

Maponga receives honors from Dave Campbells College Football GoFrogs.com

In Big 12 predictions, TCU should be first or second Dallas Morning News

Curry gets TCU offer, set for visit ESPN

Daje Johnson "90 percent" he'll switch ESPN

Tennis:

Weather forecast forces change in TCU's weekend schedule GoFrogs.com

Athletic Department:

TCU earns 41 fall academic All-MW selections GoFrogs.com

Meet the Future Frogs: AJ Hilliard

Once the 2011 squad hit the practice field at the end of the summer, the TCU coaching staff took a break from recruiting. That's actually probably not true at all, but they did take a few months off from procuring any commitments from future Horned Frogs. That hiatus ended in late November, when AJ Hilliard became the 15th member of TCU's 2012 recruiting class.

Hilliard is a 6'2" 215lb linebacker from Klein Oak, which is just north of Houston for those of you not familiar with the area. He totaled 101 tackles along with 4 sacks and 2 interceptions his junior year, which was good enough to earn him three stars from Rivals. They also listed him as the 21st-best outside linebacker in the country and the 72nd-best overall recruit in Texas.

A player with Hilliard's size, speed (he runs a 4.6 forty) and versatility (he has a 30-inch vertical leap) is going to garner a lot of attention from college recruiters. He received scholarship offers from coast to coast, deciding at first to commit to the University of Arizona. But he always had TCU in his mind as his college destination, so when he was offered he accepted almost immediately back in November.

I couldn't find his highlight film on youtube, so those of you that don't have a subscription to purplemenace will just have to trust me: this kid is a prototypical TCU linebacker. He's fast, hits hard and has a great knack for getting to the ball carrier. He also wore #46 in high school, so you know he's ready to fit right into the somewhat unorthodox numbering system that Horned Frog linebackers have adhered to under Patterson.