TCU Frogs at No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks: Basketball lineups, TV, time, score, prediction
TCU is playing some of its best basketball in program history.
The Horned Frogs have knocked off top 10 teams in consecutive games for the first time ever. So what’s next?
Road trips to places TCU has never won before. The Frogs travel to No. 6 Kansas on Thursday, two days after the teams met in Fort Worth. This is the rescheduled date from Jan. 1 when TCU had to postpone its Big 12 opener due to COVID-related issues.
For TCU, it’s the first time it’ll face the same opponent in back-to-back games since the 2016-17 season when it played Washington in a preseason tournament in Las Vegas and then in Fort Worth. Kansas, meanwhile, faced Iowa State in consecutive games last season.
“Obviously a unique situation,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “We’ve got a quick turnaround playing the same team and we’ve got to do the right things. We’ve got to say the right things and we’ve got to prepare the right way.
“We know they’re going to be mad. We know they’re going to respond. We know how tough it is [to play there]. We’ve never won there. That’s a place we’ve got to find a way to win.”
TCU is 0-10 all-time in games played at Allen Fieldhouse. The Frogs then travel to West Virginia for the regular-season finale on Saturday. They are 0-9 in Morgantown.
But TCU has momentum and feels its in position for a run down the stretch.
“There’s always those one or two teams that peak going into March,” TCU sophomore guard Mike Miles said. “I feel like we’re one of those teams. Our last two games showed that. We’ve just been playing good basketball, making the extra pass, rebounding and playing defense. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
Here’s everything else you need to know going into the game:
The Details
When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
TV/radio: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (Mark Neely, Lance Blanks); KLIF (570 AM) with Brian Estridge and John Denton
Records: TCU 19-9, 8-8 Big 12; Kansas 23-6, 12-4 Big 12
About TCU: TCU is 4-3 against top 25 teams this season. That’s the most ranked wins in a single-season in program history. ... The Frogs’ 10-point victory over the Jayhawks on Tuesday was the largest margin against a top 10 team since Feb. 17, 2004, a 71-46 victory over No. 10 Louisville. ... TCU is 17-5 when outrebounding its opponent. ... TCU’s Mike Miles had a game-high 19 points on Tuesday. He’s scored in double figures 19 times this season. ... The Frogs are 3-4 in Big 12 road games this season. They have lost three straight conference road games at Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas.
About Kansas: The Jayhawks have lost consecutive games for the first time this season. Both came on the road in Texas as Kansas lost to Baylor in Waco on Saturday and to TCU in Fort Worth on Tuesday. ... Kansas is 10-0 all-time vs. TCU at Allen Fieldhouse, including a 59-51 victory there last season. ... The Jayhawks still control their own destiny as far as a Big 12 regular-season championship. They are guaranteed at least a share of the conference title if they win out. ... The Jayhawks have four players on their roster who were born in Texas — Jalen Wilson (Denton), Michael Jankovich (Dallas), Zach Clemence (San Antonio) and KJ Adams Jr. (Austin).
Projected lineups
TCU: Mike Miles, Damion Baugh, Chuck O’Bannon Jr., Emanuel Miller, Eddie Lampkin
Kansas: Christian Braun, Dajuan Harris Jr., Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack
Prediction
TCU appears to be getting hot at the right time. The Frogs just knocked off two top 10 programs, including No. 6 Kansas on Tuesday. But, playing off an old cliche, it’s difficult to beat the same team twice in three days. The Jayhawks get back on track in the friendly confines of Allen Fieldhouse. KU 72, TCU 66.
