Kansas Jayhawks Survive Scare Against TCU Horned Frogs to Advance to Big 12 Tournament Semifinals

There wasn’t an epic comeback needed for Kansas in their latest matchup against TCU, as they were able to use a second-half surge to close out the sixth-seeded Horned Frogs on Thursday night in Kansas City to advance to the Big 12 tournament semifinals.

Darryn Peterson Dazzles on Offense in Win for Kansas

While much has been said regarding Peterson’s questionable availability this season, the star freshman continues to prove quite the force for the Jayhawks whenever he suits up. The potential number one overall pick in this year’s NBA draft was the star of the show on offense for Kansas, as he scored a team-high 24 points while also grabbing 8 rebounds as he helped shut the door on the Horned Frogs in the closing minutes of the game with clutch free throws to boot.

The Jayhawks would need every bit of Peterson’s scoring punch as the team’s offense was missing in action for almost the entire game. Kansas would shoot just 38% from the floor and 23% from the three-point line in the game. That 38% would also be the lowest field goal percentage the Jayhawks had shot in a win this season. Although the offense was struggling to find the bottom of the net, the free-throw line was very kind to Kansas, as they went 30 for 37 from the charity stripe in the win.

The defensive side of the ball is where the Jayhawks really shone in the win, as they effectively shut down a TCU offense that ranked as one of the best in the Big 12 this season. Of course, that defensive masterclass was spearheaded by defensive stalwart Flory Bidunga, who was everywhere on that side of the floor tonight. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year finished the game with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, while adding in 3 blocks and 1 steal for Kansas tonight.

TCU Struggles to Find Production Outside of David Punch

When one team becomes too reliant on one player to carry the offense in a game, the loss is all but inevitable, and the Horned Frogs simply couldn’t give star forward David Punch any ample scoring support in the loss. TCU would only have three players finish in double figures, with Punch leading the way there with a team-high 24 points. No other starter for TCU would score more than 11 points on offense tonight.

It would especially be a struggle for players such as Brock Harding and Micah Robinson, who both could not find a rhythm on offense. Harding would score just 4 points on 2 for 8 shooting, while Robinson only scored 8 points on 2 for 8 shooting as well. TCU would also get sparse production from the bench, as the second unit scored 21 points in the game, with 14 of those points coming from backup guard Liutauras Lelevicius in the loss.

Thankfully for the Horned Frogs, this loss doesn’t hurt their chances at making the big dance come Selection Sunday. TCU is currently projected to snag either an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA tournament, a high seed for the Horned Frogs despite having one of the toughest strength of schedules in the nation this season. TCU has been one of the hottest teams in the country over the past few weeks, as they’ve won 10 of their last 13 games over that stretch.

Kansas Sets Up Duel with Houston in the Semifinals

It almost seems like fate to have these two teams meet, as NBA scouts will certainly get their money’s worth with the matchup of Darryn Peterson and Kingston Flemings tomorrow night. The Cougars come into the game following a close win against a tough BYU team earlier today. The Jayhawks thoroughly dominated the Cougars the last time these two teams met back on February 23, as they cruised to a 69-56 win in Lawrence.

The environment will likely prove a great equalizer for both squads in this game, as the loud and boisterous Allen Fieldhouse crowd proved too much for Houston to overcome the last go-round. Expect to see a low-scoring and defensive-minded game from both teams on Friday night with a championship game berth on the line.