NIT Game Thread: Frogs take on Sam Houston State

TCU’s run to Madison Square Garden starts tonight! The No 1. seeded Frogs host No. 8 Sam Houston State in the first round, with the winner set to face the winner of Nebraska-Butler.

One cool thing about the NIT is that they experiment with potential rule changes. Here are a few to keep an eye on tonight:

• The three point line is being pushed back to 22 feet, 1.75 inches (the same distance used by FIBA), or about a foot and a half behind the traditional college three-point line.
• The lane is being widened from 12 feet to 16 feet, making it consistent with the NBA lane.
• The shot clock will reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound, rather than the usual 30.

The biggest change, arguably, is the way fouls and the bonus are tracked. Instead of the traditional 7th foul one-and-one, and 10th foul two shots, each half is essentially split into two 10-minute segments.

Team fouls will be tracked during the ten minute segment, with the fifth foul triggering a two-free throw bonus. So, the one-and-one free throws go away. Also, fouls will reset after the 10-minute mark. This essentially splits the game into quarters, as far as tracking fouls is concerned.

I think this change will help a team like TCU, especially from a free throw perspective. No longer do we have to worry about the Frogs making the front-end of a one-and-one.

The game is on ESPN U, so tune in and check out the Frogs.