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Big 12 Basketball: Key 2018-19 storylines to watch for TCU vs. Kansas

AMES, IA - JANUARY 5: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks takes a shot as Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones, and Nick Weiler-Babb #1 of the Iowa State Cyclones block in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on January 5, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 77-60 over the Kansas Jayhawks. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - JANUARY 5: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks takes a shot as Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones, and Nick Weiler-Babb #1 of the Iowa State Cyclones block in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on January 5, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 77-60 over the Kansas Jayhawks. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
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AMES, IA – JANUARY 5: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks coaches from the bench in the second half of play against the Iowa State Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on January 5, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 77-60 over the Kansas Jayhawks. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA – JANUARY 5: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks coaches from the bench in the second half of play against the Iowa State Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on January 5, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 77-60 over the Kansas Jayhawks. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)

Kansas Basketball will face off against its third-consecutive Top-25 opponent when #25 TCU comes to town on Wednesday. Here are three key storylines to watch.

We knew that this year wasn’t going to be an easy one for Kansas to win the Big 12. However, it is fair to say that nobody knew it was going to be this hard for Kansas, especially this early.

The Jayhawks flat-out didn’t show up against Iowa State on Saturday, losing by a wide margin, and falling to 1-1 in Big 12 play. We’ll dive deeper into Kansas’ predicament in a bit.

Meanwhile for TCU, things are going pretty well in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs knocked off Baylor on Saturday in their first Big 12 game of the season, and after winning nine straight games, they are back in the top-25 at #25.

The Horned Frogs haven’t faced too many challenges this season, as Wednesday’s game is easily the biggest test of the season for TCU. The Horned Frogs yet to face a ranked team, but that’ll end against #7 Kansas.

Both TCU and Kansas were expected to be real contenders to win the Big 12 this season, and as of January, that has held up nicely. TCU and Kansas have both maintained great seasons, and the two will certainly make for a competitive, close contest.

Additionally, Kansas and TCU come into Wednesday’s games in completely different situations. TCU has been on a constant trend upwards in the past month, while Kansas hasn’t been able to hold true to their at one time #1 ranking in the country.

Regardless of current momentum, Wednesday’s game will serve as an important evaluation of both teams. Will TCU legitimize a good start that lacks good wins? Will Kansas rebounds from their Saturday drubbing? Wednesday will be a tell-all game for both teams.

Anyways, let’s dive into three major storylines to watch on Wednesday, when the #7 Kansas Jayhawks will take on the #25 TCU Horned Frogs.