Busting Brackets
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Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings: Texas Tech beats out Kansas for No. 1

By Jason Kinander

<> at United Spirit Arena on January 8, 2019 in Lubbock, Texas.
<> at United Spirit Arena on January 8, 2019 in Lubbock, Texas. /
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LAWRENCE, KANSAS – JANUARY 09: Kouat Noi #12 of the TCU Horned Frogs drives the ball on a fast break during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on January 09, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS – JANUARY 09: Kouat Noi #12 of the TCU Horned Frogs drives the ball on a fast break during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on January 09, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

4. TCU Horned Frogs (12-3, 1-2 Conference Play)

Previous Ranking: No. 4

TCU finally returned to the Top-25 after a conference play-opening win over Baylor last Saturday. However, since then, TCU has dropped back-to-back games against ranked teams.

The first of the two came on the road against Kansas. TCU made a solid comeback effort in the second half, but the Jayhawks were just too much in the end.

On Saturday, the Horned Frogs fell to #23 Oklahoma in Norman, blowing a first half lead, and losing on a shot with just three seconds left.

The nagging knee injury to junior guard Jaylen Fisher has been huge. TCU has missed their top pure scorer in two of their biggest games of the season, as Fisher is “day-to-day”, after missing TCU’s first three conference games.

However, others players have stepped up in Fisher’s absence. Desmond Bane has shot the ball exceptionally well, while Alex Robinson is seemingly making a run at a bid for the Big 12 Player of the Year thanks to his improved shooting and league-best passing.

And how about Kouat Noi? The sophomore guard dropped a career-high 30 points against Oklahoma on Saturday, burying EIGHT threes. Noi has played very well since returning from a knee injury of his own, and will need to continue the hot shooting as long as Fisher is sidelined.

TCU will face West Virginia, Kansas State, Texas, and Florida in the next two weeks before a massive showdown against Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs probably should go 4-0 in that stretch, and if they do, we should see a top-25 matchup in Lubbock in two weeks.

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