Tubbs has TCU primed for a high-speed ascent

Sporting News, The, Dec 1, 1997 by Mike DeCourcy

If it seems as though Billy Tubbs' TCU Horned Frogs have gotten great in a hurry, well, that is simply a matter of style. Tubbs is in his fourth season in Fort Worth, and folks still look at this as more of a fastbreak festival than a potential power.

TCU averaged 84 points per game last season, fourth in the nation, and topped 100 points four times. Tubbs promises that his teams won't walk it up so much this year.

"This is like when I played in the summer leagues, like recreation ball," 6-9 forward Lee Nailon says. "This is kind of how we played, but there are refs and a coach to tell you what you need to do. I've been playing like this all my life."

Tubbs' three-guard style, with scorers Malcolm Johnson and Mike Jones on the wings and 5-10 Prince Fowler running the point, is a year ahead of all those imitators you've seen manning the perimeter in November games. But it is Nailon, a recruit from Butler Community College in Kansas, whose early success has lifted TCU from a dark-horse pick to one of the Western Athletic Conference's certain contenders.

Although Nailon scored 38 in one exhibition and 16 in his first college game, there still is not a broad recognition of TCU's potential Jeff Sagarin's computer ratings had the Frogs in the 65th slot.

"It really gets Coach excited when they say TCU is ranked 47th or whatever, and he thinks we should be higher," Johnson says. "Every day when we have a team meeting, he 11 come in and say something like that, and it pumps me up. We already think we should be getting noticed."

The opportunity will come by the holidays. Few of the games on TCU's early schedule constitute a threat, with four against opponents that averaged 272 on last season's RPI scale. But things get serious with a December 20 date at Kansas, followed by a trip to San Jose for the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic December 24-26.

The Frogs play Iowa State in the opener, with Arkansas, Michigan and Syracuse also in the field. The Horned Frogs played two rounds into the NIT last season, finishing with a 22-13 record.

In the opener this year, TCU faced a slowdown from Southwest Missouri State and stayed in control, winning despite scoring only 78 points. "Our inside game has changed, and we've been working on the half-court offense," Johnson says. "People are going to try to slow us down, and we have to handle it.

"I think there are times when we need to slow it down, too. Coach wants us to do things quick and fast, but he doesn't want us to rush. We need to work on making that transition to being patient."

At times last year, TCU looked as if it were trying to win a NASCAR race in a Rolls-Royce. The lineup was classy enough, but not entirely built for speed. Fowler, ordinarily as quick as anyone, was limited through most of last season by a knee injury that occurred during the preseason. The bench was too short. And, most important, center Damion Walker suddenly found himself miscast after a brilliant freshman season.

Walker averaged better than 20 points in his first year at TCU, but the Horned Frogs won only 15 games. When Jones and Johnson arrived and Tubbs at last could play the high-speed style he wanted, Walker became a secondary option and Tubbs' primary problem.

"Damion was a good kid and everything, but he and the coaches couldn't get along," Johnson says. "He didn't care what Coach was saying; if Coach was making a point, he wasn't listening. He already knew too much about the game. We miss Damion, but we don't miss him on the court."

Walker's scoring dropped to 12.2 points per game last season, and he obviously was not pleased at this development. Walker chose to transfer to New Mexico, where he has been getting along beautifully with Dave Bliss and his staff and is expected to replace center Kenny Thomas after his expected departure this spring to the NBA

Losing such a talented frontcourt player ordinarily would damage a school such as TCU, which is still trying to build the necessary talent base to compete consistently for NCM Tournament berths. With Nailon, the Horned Frogs have a big man who need not be forced to run the court. This is his game.

"Now we've got somebody who can dominate the inside," Johnson says. "Lee's got the total package: He can handle the ball! bring it up, pass, rebound. He doesn't commit stupid turnovers and fouls. To get used to coach Tubbs' system, it's going to take him a few games. But me and Mike, we adjusted real quick. I think he's going to do that, too."

Foot of Clay

Rhode Island's plans to take up residence among the elite to be in serious jeopardy in the preseason, when 6-9 Luther Clay left the Rams frustrated over a foot injury that would not let him play without pain.

URI's one weakness is inside, with recruit Rico Haris having failed to gain eligibility and junior David Arigbabu recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Clay is the only player coach Jim Harrick can use is taller than 6-8.

After a week away from the team, though, during which Harrick patiently allowed Clay to work out his anxiety. Clay returned and assumed his spot in the rotation.