Men's Basketball: No. 17 TCU Returns Home to Face No. 11 Kansas State
TCU will try to reverse its fortunes after dropping back-to-back Big 12 Conference games when No. 11 Kansas State visits Schollmaier Arena on Saturday.
The matchup also marks the No. 17 Horned Frogs’ (13-3 overall, 2-2 Big 12) fourth-consecutive game against a ranked opponent. With road trips at West Virginia and No. 2 Kansas looming next week, building momentum and getting back in the win column take on even more importance.
Especially since TCU missed out on a top-10 win at No. 10 Texas by letting an 18-point, first-half lead dissipate.
The Horned Frogs outplayed the Longhorns in nearly every facet during the first 20 minutes, including a 10-2 fast break scoring advantage and a 22-17 rebounding edge. Things unraveled quickly in the second half as Texas won the turnover battle 8-3 and outrebounded TCU by seven.
Forward Emanuel Miller paced TCU with 21 points. Guard Mike Miles Jr. tacked on 16 points and guard Damion Baugh just missed a double-double with nine points and a season-high 10 assists.
Center Eddie Lampkin remained a presence down low with nine rebounds, a block and a steal. His rebounding prowess might prove critical in limiting Kansas State’s possessions and scoring opportunities.
Kansas State (15-1, 4-0) has had a nearly perfect start under first-year head coach and former Baylor assistant Jerome Tang. A loss at Butler in the Big 12/Big East Battle remains the only blemish.
The Wildcats are riding a nine-game winning streak following a 65-57 victory over Oklahoma State earlier this week. Kansas State needed forward Keyontae Johnson’s one-handed dunk with 40 seconds left to pull away.
Johnson tallied 12 points and six rebounds while guard Markquis Nowell scored 20 points and dished out seven assists. Nowell tops the conference in assists per game with 8.8.
Kansas State averaged 98 points per game in conference play before the Oklahoma State matchup. Nowell and Johnson combined for 53 points per contest during that stretch.
Oklahoma State, the Big 12’s second-best scoring defense, provided a blueprint for slowing down Kansas State. The Wildcats shot a season-low 35% shooting from the field and scored zero second chance points.
Replicating that scrappy, lockdown performance versus a team normally shooting 47% overall, including 35% from three-point range, will be difficult. TCU has not held a Big 12 team under 40% shooting.
The Horned Frogs, however, should be able to score on a Wildcats team that has allowed nearly 83 points per game in conference. Disrupting Kansas State’s offensive flow, capitalizing on fast break opportunities, and minimizing turnovers could help TCU snap the two-game skid.
TCU and Kansas State split the season series in 2021-22 as each team won on the road.
Saturday’s game tips off at 1pm and will be televised on ESPN2.
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