Two top-15 Big 12 stalwarts will try to recover from recent road losses in a Saturday battle on CBS as No. 2 Kansas plays host to No. 14 TCU. The Jayhawks (16-2, 5-1 Big 12) just dropped their first league game on Tuesday in overtime at Kansas State while the Horned Frogs (14-4, 3-3) fell at West Virginia on Wednesday. Those defeats should only motivate a couple of squads with lofty aspirations.
TCU has never beaten Kansas on the road in 11 tries and has just three victories in 27 meetings during the series history. But the Horned Frogs are an experienced squad that returned several players from last year's team that split the regular season series with Kansas and came within four points of upsetting the Jayhawks on the road.
Kansas has retooled dramatically since winning its second national championship under 20th-year coach Bill Self at the end of last season, but the Jayhawks have barely missed a beat and are currently projected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm. Led by redshirt junior forward Jalen Wilson, KU looks capable of defending its title. However, because of its loss to the Wildcats earlier this week, KU finds itself tied with K-State and Iowa State atop the Big 12 standings entering Saturday's action.
The Horned Frogs have ground to make up if they are going to compete for the league title, but they have established themselves as one of the program's top squads fielded by seventh-year coach Jamie Dixon. Led by high-scoring guard Mike Miles, TCU is a projected No. 4 seed for the NCAA Tournament, according to Palm. If that holds, it would match the program's best seeding of all-time.
Wilson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.8 points per game for KU while Miles is second at 19.1 for TCU. Both players are dynamic offensive weapons who have reached double figures in every game this season. Seeing them do battle in a game with major Big 12 and national implications should make for compelling college basketball theater as Big 12 play continues to heat up.
How to watch Kansas vs. TCU live
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Allen Fieldhouse -- Lawrence, Kansas
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Kansas vs. TCU prediction, picks
These teams split their series last season, and TCU nearly pulled off its first-ever win at Kansas before the Jayhawks got a late defensive stop in a close game. The Horned Frogs are a veteran squad that won't be intimidated by the raucous atmosphere inside Allen Fieldhouse. They already have one Big 12 road win at Baylor and will believe they can get another one. The Jayhawks are a better bet to win straight-up because of how dominant they are at home, but it would be a surprise if TCU folded easily in this top-15 battle. Prediction: TCU +7.5
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