TCU Basketball: 3 takeaways from blowout win versus USC

TCU is a real threat to dethrone Kansas at the top of the Big 12

Yes, TCU doesn’t have the kind of quality wins that Kansas does.

However, one thing that the Horned Frogs do have on the Jayhawks is experience.

Kansas, albeit the number two team in the country, has looked good, for the most part, in non conference play.

But anybody that has ever followed the Big 12 knows that conference play is a totally different animal, and maybe not an animal that Kansas is suited to take by its horns.

Four of Kansas’ five starters are newcomers, whether they be transfers or freshmen. While all four are great players, what really makes or breaks a season is how you produce in conference play, and that is when experience comes into the picture.

Four of TCU’s five starters are upperclassmen. All four have been to the NCAA Tournament, and all four have played, and won games in the Big 12 Tournament.

The Big 12 is as balanced as ever this season, and if TCU can build some momentum with early road wins in Norman and Manhattan, their January home schedule, which features both Kansas and West Virginia, won’t be as daunting as it looks.

Assuming that Fisher is fully healthy, TCU will be red hot coming into January, considering their easy remaining non-conference schedule. A fully healthy 10-1 Horned Frog team could be a real threat to make some noise in the Big 12.

Kansas has the better team on paper. But as aforementioned, experience is what matters, and TCU has a lot of it. Combine that with their health and momentum, and it wouldn’t be totally surprising to see a new team at the top of the Big 12 come tournament time.

TCU looked really, really good in a tough matchup in a neutral site game against USC. Everything is clicking on the court, and TCU’s health is finally coming full circle. Every non-conference game must be taken with a grain of salt, especially considering TCU’s easy slate, but early indications are that the TCU Horned Frogs are a legit Big 12 title contender.