Until they are able to win on the road, the questions will haunt Kansas. Losers of three straight away from Lawrence, all by double-digits, the Jayhawks get another shot when they visit TCU. The Horned Frogs put a scare into KU a few weeks back, losing by seven as a 22.5-point dog.
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HOW THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
No, Kansas fans, the sky is not falling. Concerned over a five-game stretch where the Jayhawks lost three times, many are feeling KU’s stranglehold on the Big 12 is coming to an end. So, as it happened, the Jayhawks stepped out of conference play to take on Kentucky in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday and their 90-84 overtime win zapped KU out of its recent funk.
And there may be a carryover effect. The meeting between the nation’s two winningest programs brought an energy and engagement level among KU players that hadn’t been evident since their three-overtime win over Oklahoma on Jan. 4. And no one was more representative of that than Wayne Seldon, who amassed a career-high 33 points – four more than he had accumulated in KU’s three previous losses.
An emotionless group of Jayhawks showed plenty of emotion Saturday, and coach Bill Self said the team needs its veteran leaders to step up. Seldon certainly did that against Kentucky and his teammates followed him to a big win. The Jayhawks’ next step is to put the recent road difficulties behind them, a trip to last place TCU could be what does it.
HOW THE TCU HORNED FROGS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
It’s funny what one win can do. For TCU, a 75-63 victory against Tennessee last weekend in the Big 12/SEC Challenge broke a five-game losing streak and brought new life to a team whose season was losing life. And just in time for games against Big 12 heavyweights Oklahoma and Kansas.
The Frogs enter the week with a full roster. Forward Chris Washburn missed the first 11 games with a broken finger and guard Malique Trent missed three games because of a team rules violation. Trent opens up the floor with his slashing and driving and the Frogs are more aggressive with him out there. As a team they shot 62.5 percent in the second half against Tennessee partly because Trent collapsed the defense leaving teammates with open looks.
Now, the Frogs return to the grind of the Big 12 schedule with a win and renewed confidence. Knowing that Kansas has lost its last three road games by an average of 14.3 points has to be encouraging for the Horned Frogs. A 70-63 loss at Allen Fieldhouse as a 22.5-point underdog on Jan. 16 also has to be a good sign.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It took a NCAAB matchup with SEC bottom-feeder Tennessee to snap the Frogs’ losing streak, but as coach Trent Johnson said, his team just needed a win. With a full roster of player at his disposal, Johnson feels the Horned Frogs could be in position to make up some ground in the second half of the conference schedule. Trent made things tough on the Vols and will do the same against the Jayhawks, who didn’t see the TCU point guard when the teams met earlier this season. The Frogs shot below 40 percent in that game and lost by only seven points on the road. A better shooting night and with Trent in the lineup, the Frogs have to feel good about their chances. Despite its recent hiccups, Kansas is just one game behind Big 12 leaders Oklahoma, Baylor and West Virginia, and must avoid a misstep against the last place team in the conference. And the Jayhawks will do just that.
Kansas 73, TCU 64
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