A major Big 12 clash sees TCU facing off against Kansas, will the Jayhawks get back on track at home or do the Horned Frogs have a major road upset brewing?
TV schedule: Saturday, January 21, 1:00 pm ET. CBS
Arena: Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas
It was a dreadful start to the season for a TCU (14-4) squad with a lot of potential, returning all of the top players from their rotation after a great performance in the NCAA Tournament. But these Horned Frogs got back on track thanks to a long winning streak capped off with a road win at Baylor. Now losers of three of four, they’re hoping for another major road win this weekend.
This talented team’s dynamic leader is junior guard Mike Miles Jr. (19.1 ppg, 3.3 apg), who had 33 points a few weeks ago in that win at Baylor. Another name to watch is senior forward Emanuel Miller (14.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) who plays a major role on both sides of the ball. Senior guard Damion Baugh (12.3 ppg, 5.1 apg) isn’t the best shooter but keeps this offense running as well.
The Horned Frogs still sit #14 in the AP Top 25, but due to this week’s loss to West Virginia are down to 29th in the NET and 31st in KenPom. Their defense ranks 20th in efficiency while their offense has held them back at times this season. The 3-point shooting has been pretty sour since Big 12 play began, while the defense unsurprisingly isn’t playing as hot against these tougher teams than earlier in the season.
Across the court awaits the defending champions, though Kansas (16-2) comes looking to get back on their feet. The #2 team in the nation fell in a classic on the road against rival Kansas State in overtime back on Tuesday night. The Jayhawks have certainly looked like the conference’s best team and have another big chance to prove it this weekend.
Junior forward Jalen Wilson (20.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg) has had an outstanding impact on this Jayhawks team; a team replacing several of the important pieces from last year’s title run. One of those new faces is freshman guard Gradey Dick (14.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg), who’s made 45% of his 3-pointers. Sophomore forward KJ Adams Jr. (11.1 ppg 4,4 rpg) is having a great impact in the interior offense while the Jayhawks are getting solid performance from Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar (10.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg), despite a bad outing against Kansas State.
The Jayhawks are 6th in the NET and 7th in KenPom, but it’s hard not to call this a Top 5 team in the nation. Kansas has played the toughest schedule in the nation. Their offense gets the job done while the defense is more than serviceable, despite neither ranking in the Top 10 in the efficiency rankings. A poor long-range shooting night helped doom the Jayhawks in their last outing, but don’t expect a repeat performance at home.
Half of the teams in the Big 12 began this week in the Top 15 in the polls; this league is an onslaught of physicality and talent. We expected both of these teams to be right up there in the conference race, though it’s also clear that both need a big performance coming off a loss. Kansas has had some close calls in recent weeks, but they were all going their way until that trip to Manhattan. They have more talent and the home-field advantage, but we shouldn’t just write off the Horned Frogs.
We’ve already learned that any team can win any game in this league. The Horned Frogs are certainly underdogs, especially with their recent play, but can get this road win if Miles or Miller have another one of their impact performances. Stopping Wilson and Dick is no easy task. Give an edge to Kansas, and don’t expect this to be too one-sided a game; the Jayhawks likely pull it out at the end as they often have done in recent games.