TCU Basketball vs #6 Kansas: Preview and Gamethread

Here we go from Fort Worth!

JAN. 5 | SCHOLLMAIER ARENA | FORT WORTH, TEXAS | 9 PM

TCU Horned Frogs (9-2, 2-1 Big 12) vs. #6 KANSAS Jayhawks (8-2, 2-1 Big 12)

GAME INFORMATION

Broadcast: ESPN Play-By-Play: Mark Neely

Analyst: Fran Fraschilla

Online: WatchESPN.com // ESPN App

Radio: KTCU 88.7 FM | XM/Online: 386/976

Play-By-Play: Brian Estridge

Analyst: Colin Boddicker

Online: HFTV // TuneIn

Series: KU leads 20-2

In Fort Worth: KU leads 8-1

In Lawrence: KU leads 9-0

Neutral: KU leads 3-1

First Meeting: KU won 68-64, March 21, 1952 in KC

Last Meeting: KU won 75-66, March 4, 2020 in Lawrence

Winning Streak: KU, W6

Dixon vs. KU: 1-8

NOTES

- Riding a five-game winning streak, TCU (9-2, 2-1) hosts No. 6 Kansas (8-2, 2-1) Tuesday at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

- In his fifth season as TCU’s head coach, Jamie Dixon is seven wins away from 100. In his 18 years as head coach, Dixon has never had a losing season.

- TCU has won 17 of its last 26 Big 12 home games and its last two home games against top 25 teams.

- TCU is 2-0 on the road in conference play for the first time in 23 seasons.

- For the fourth time in five seasons, TCU has at least nine wins through its first 11 games.

- TCU features one of the top backcourts in the Big 12 with freshman Mike Miles and junior RJ Nembhard.

- Nembhard leads the Big 12 in scoring with 18.7 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in four-straight games. Nembhard also ranks sixth in the Big 12 in shooting (48.8) and assists (4.4).

- Miles has three 20-point games this season and ranks ninth in the Big 12 in scoring (14.8). Among freshmen, his scoring average is second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally. He is ninth in the Big 12 in shooting (46.8).

- Junior center Kevin Samuel is TCU’s career leader with 191 blocked shots. He leads the Big 12 and ranks 20th nationally with 2.6 blocks per game. At Oklahoma State earlier this season, Samuel had seven blocks, the most by a TCU player in 20 seasons.

- Samuel leads the Big 12 and ranks 20th nationally with 10.2 rebounds per game. He ranks second in the Big 12 with 3.7 offensive rebounds per game and has three double-doubles this season.

- TCU ranks third in the Big 12 in shooting (47.1), assists (15.4) and in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.2).

- TCU’s 11 underclassmen is the fourth most in the country and ties with Kansas State for the most in the Big 12 Conference. Freshmen and sophomores are accounting for 54 percent of TCU’s points.

LAST TIME OUT

RJ Nembhard scored a game-high 21 points TCU never trailed in a 67-60 win at Kansas State on Saturday in Bramlage Coliseum. Kevin Easley Jr. scored 12 points and Mike Miles scored 11 points. TCU shot 81.8 percent (18-22) from the free throw line, it’s best three seasons, and sealed the win by making 13-of-13 free throws down the stretch.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Kansas is coming off an 84-59 loss at home to Texas Saturday to snap an eight-game win streak. The Jayhawks are led in scoring and rebounding by freshman forward Jalen Wilson at 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Wilson is from nearby Denton, Texas.

SERIES HISTORY

Kansas leads the all-time series 20-2, including an 8-1 record in Fort Worth. KU has won the last six meetings. TCU’s last win in the series was when KU was ranked No. 1 in the nation, 85-82, on March 9, 2017 in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. TCU beat No. 5 KU, 62-55, at home on Feb. 6, 2013.

UP NEXT

TCU will host No. 2 Baylor Saturday 2 p.m. on ESPN. It will be the first time that TCU will host consecutive games against top 10 teams.