(Photo/Gregg Ellman )
FORT WORTH, TX – TCU (9-2) is looking for their sixth straight win this Tuesday night as they take on No. 6 Kansas (8-2).
The Horned Frogs took down Kansas State 67-60 on Saturday afternoon. RJ Nembhard led TCU with 21 points, Kevin Easley had 12 points, and Mike Miles contributed 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists to clinch TCU’s fifth straight win.
With the return of Nembhard, who was out with injury in TCU’s last matchup, the Horned Frogs offense came together against the Wildcats. They shot 45 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the free-throw line. The Horned Frogs defense was dominant, they kept K-State to 60 points and under 40 percent shooting.
TCU is coming into this game shooting 54.5 percent from the floor, 35.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 64.2 percent from the free-throw line this season.
Kansas is coming off an embarrassing 84-59 loss to Texas on Saturday, snapping their eight-game win streak. Kansas was cold from beyond the arc, they went 3-of-23 (13 percent) for the night. Freshman phenom Jalin Wilson led Kansas with 20 points. The Jayhawks are coming into this game shooting 45.4 percent from the floor against Big 12 opponents.
The Jayhawks struggle on defense in the paint. They are vulnerable under the glass and have issues rebounding the ball effectively. They rebound the ball 35 percent of the time which is ranked 8th in the Big 12.
Kansas has settled for shooting three-pointers in conference play. This has led the Jayhawks shooting percentage to drop nearly four percent in their last three matchups. TCU’s defense needs to defend the passing lane and not let the ball get inside the paint. The Horned Frogs need to force them to shoot from their weakest spot, the three-point line. The Horned Frogs will need to shut down freshman guard, Jalin Wilson. He has totaled 37 points in his last two games and is an offensive powerhouse for Kansas.
TCU’s superstars Nembhard and Miles will need to create a smooth offense and shoot the ball effectively. Kevin Samuel and Kevin Easley will have to crash the boards and capitalize on the Jayhawks inability to be strong under the basket.
This would be a big win for TCU. A strong performance in conference play would most likely be enough to push the Horned Frogs to a bid for the NCAA Tournament.
The game will be Tuesday, January 5 at 9 p.m.
