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News Nuggets, 06.28.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Tigers-Cards picked for Thursday prime-time

MEMPHIS — Officials at ESPN and Conference USA have confirmed that the Memphis-Louisville football game will be played on Thursday, Nov. 4 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Memphis athletic department announced.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN, and the time is yet to be determined.  According to the announcement, early indications are that ESPN's broadcast trio of Kirk Herbstreit, Mike Tirico and former Louisville coach Lee Corso will provide the commentary.

The Tigers are slated to end the 2004 season with three of their final four games broadcast nationally by ESPN. Following the Louisville matchup, Memphis will host Southern Miss on Friday, Nov. 12, and will face USF in Tampa on either Nov. 26 or 27, with both games set for TV.

Dougherty gets extended pact from TCU

Texas Christian and head basketball coach Neil Dougherty have agreed on a multi-year contract extension, the school announced last week. Specific terms of the new deal were not released.

"TCU recognizes the tremendous strides made by Coach Dougherty and his staff both on and off the court," said Frogs athletic director Eric Hyman. " ... The competitive strides, the huge improvements in the classroom and positive role modeling of our young men are reflections of the impact our basketball staff is having.

"The university is confident our program is headed in the right direction. We know with Neil's leadership and coaching expertise, TCU will be a nationally-prominent basketball program that wins with class."

Dougherty embarks on his third season at the helm of the Horned Frogs' program in 2004-05. The 43-year-old coach is coming off a year in which the Frogs more than doubled their league win total from the previous season, recorded the program's first victory over a top-10 team since 1990 and grabbed their first conference tournament win since 2000.

"I feel like we are headed in the right direction as well," said Dougherty. "I feel good about the confidence that Eric Hyman and the university have shown."

Dougherty owns an overall record of 21-36 in two seasons with TCU, including a 10-22 mark in Conference USA. In 2003-04, the Horned Frogs went 7-9 in Conference USA, which was one of just four leagues in the nation to receive six bids to the 2004 NCAA Tournament.

The Frogs' win total was their most in league play since joining C-USA, with the biggest victory being a 71-46 home upset over the 10th-ranked Louisville.

TCU's three conference road victories matched the second most by the program in the past 12 years.

On Dec 1, TCU set an all-time arena attendance record when 7,267 fans crammed into Daniel-Meyer Coliseum to watch the Horned Frogs play the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. In the first-ever visit to the facility by a No. 1 team, the Horned Frogs trailed at halftime by just one point, 39-38, to a team that ultimately advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.

Named to the position on March 25, 2002, Dougherty previously served as an assistant coach at Kansas, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Drake. He began his coaching career as the head coach at his alma mater, Cameron University, from 1984-88.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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