Basketball:

TCU Basketball Star Desmond Bane Shares His Unconventional Path To Success | CBS DFW

Des has worked for avery accolade he’s gotten, and that dedication might take him all the way to the NBA.

Built like a football player, he says people often confused him as such.

In fact, when he was approached on campus by students wondering if he played football, he would answer, “no.”

Desmond jokes there was no conversation after that. The students just kept walking.

Now, everyone on campus knows who he is. In the top five in several of the school’s all-time major categories, Bane says he owes it all to his support back home.

As he tells the story, his mom had him at a young age. His father got in trouble and got sent back to Nigeria. His grandmother already had so much on her plate.

Bane’s great-grandparents stepped up to the plate.

Kansas center Udoka Azubuike sheds walking boot, still questionable vs. TCU | ESPN

Clearly a difference-maker, Azubuike’s status could be a game-changer for the Frogs.

Kansas senior center Udoka Azubuike is no longer in a walking boot but remains questionable for the No. 1 Jayhawks’ final home game Wednesday night against TCU.

Azubuike hurt his ankle in the opening minutes of KU’s 62-58 win against Kansas State on Saturday and ended up playing just 20 minutes.

Speaking on the Hawk Talk radio show Monday, Jayhawks coach Bill Self said Azubuike was in a walking boot for about 48 hours.

”He didn’t practice or anything,” Self said, according to the Kansas City Star. “We’ll see if he can do anything [Tuesday]. The status on him would still be considered ‘questionable probably at best’ for Wednesday. I know he really wants to try to go for a lot of reasons, also it being Senior Night ... not too many guys spend four years in school to sit that one out. He’ll do everything he can to get back.”

Football:

TCU coach Gary Patterson rips NCAA’s proposed one-time transfer proposal | The Star-Telegram

Gary has been vocal against some of the changes to the transfer rules.

“Y’all hear about the 5%,” Patterson said. “Nobody does any stats on the other 95%. We’re cheating kids out of an education. This is all for the betterment of what? Cause they think they’re getting cheated out of money? Our kids have it better right now than they’ve ever had it in their entire lives in college football since I’ve been in the game.

“I’m a team player. I’m going to do whatever you guys say we’re going to do, but I’m just going to tell you — here in about 20 years we’re all going to look back at this and say …”

Patterson simply shook his head and went on to say that the NCAA’s policy makers and the politicians involved aren’t listening to input from the coaching world.

“They haven’t listened to the AFCA, they haven’t listened to the coaches, they haven’t listened to anybody,” said Patterson, who is serving as the AFCA’s president this year.

TCU linebacker outlook for 2020: Garret Wallow anchors the middle, but who will start next to him? | Dallas Morning News

Give me Hodge. GP really likes the juco transfer.

Biggest question

Who starts beside Wallow? With all the turnover on the roster this year, it must be nice for the coaching staff to know one linebacker spot will be filled by perhaps the best one in the conference. Wallow posted 125 tackles last season, which tied for ninth-most in the country. He also had 3.5 sacks, tied for most on the team, and picked off a pass for the first time in his career. He’s a leader and the best player on the defense.

As far as the other linebacker spot, well, it was a revolving door due to injuries in 2019. La’Kendrick Van Zandt started a few games, but he’ll move to safety in 2020. Dee Winters had two starts and Ben Wilson had one, but it was Wyatt Harris who earned six starts in his freshman year. Expect Winters to push Harris for the starting role.

Baseball:

Baseball looks to keep win streak alive against UTA | TCU 360

Lupton is a really tough place to play again.

“We have the best fans probably in the country or at least in the Big 12,” pitcher Russell Smith said. “They come out and support well, and we play well for them.”

UTA is 8-3 on the season after winning the series against Utah last weekend. The Mavericks have won five of their last six games heading into Tuesday’s matchup.

TCU’s pitching staff have shown their depth to start the season. The pitchers only gave up five runs in the three-game series against the Bears.

TCU leads the Big 12 and ranks ninth nationally with a 1.93 ERA and the Frogs have allowed two or fewer earned runs seven times this season.

“For the most part we are not giving up too many free bases,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “We are throwing a lot of strikes and making the other team earn what they get, and that’s a good recipe for winning baseball. I have always said the game begins and ends with starting pitching.”