The No. 3 Kansas (22-9, 12-6 Big 12) will be facing the No. 6 TCU (22-10, 1207 Big 12) in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Thursday night. Although Kansas is better on paper, TCU is the hottest team in the conference right now. This is a rematch of one of the most dramatic games in the Big 12 regular season. So, who emerges victorious? Let’s find out.
Prediction
Both teams have met once this season, with Kansas pulling off a wild 104-100 overtime comeback against TCU. In that game, Kansas trailed by 13 points with four minutes remaining before Darryn Peterson drew a foul beyond the arc and hit all three free throws to force overtime. TCU has won six straight games since then and has been in hot form after rallying from 10 down to beat Oklahoma State. David Punch delivered a career-high 26 points, while Xavier Edmonds posted his sixth double-double in eight games.
For Kansas, Peterson’s health will once again be a factor. The projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft sat out 11 of Kansas’ first 27 games due to hamstring, ankle, and cramping issues. However, coach Bill Self has confirmed that he will be available for Thursday’s matchup.
Kansas shoots 46.2% from the field, which is 1.4 percentage points more than what TCU allows. If Peterson can play freely for more than 30 minutes, the Jayhawks can offensively overwhelm and outlast the Horned Frogs in a close game.
ESPN’s matchup predictor estimates a 73.3% chance for Kansas to win tonight.
Lineups
Kansas Lineup
- Darryn Peterson
- Tre White
- Melvin Council Jr.
- Elmarko Jackson
- Flory Bidunga
TCU Lineup
- David Punch
- Xavier Edmonds
- Brock Harding
- Micah Robinson
- Liutauras Lelevicius
Injury Report
For Kansas, Peterson has battled hamstring, ankle, and cramping issues all season. Fortunately for them, he is not listed on the official injury list heading into the Thursday game. Coach Bill Self has expressed full confidence in Peterson’s availability. When asked for a message for nervous Kansas fans, Peterson said, “Let’s do it,” giving reassurance to those rooting for him.
On the other hand, TCU enters with clean health across the board. The Horned Frogs’ stars Punch, Edmonds, Harding, and Lelevicius will be available after playing major roles in the win against Oklahoma State. Jamie Dixon has everyone he needs to win in what could be TCU’s biggest game of the season.
Read More:
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