In its first rematch of the season, Kansas gets the only Big 12 team headed into the weekend with a losing record: TCU.
Of course, the Jayhawks haven’t exactly looked stellar in road games this season — see KU’s current 3-game road losing streak and 2-3 record inside opposing arenas — so they can’t even take the Horned Frogs (10-12 overall, 1-8 Big 12) lightly. Kansas (18-4, 6-3) needs all the wins it can get while chasing Oklahoma and West Virginia, who are tied for first in the conference standings, at 7-2.
In Big 12 home games, TCU has:
*- lost to West Virginia, 95-87*
*- defeated Texas, 58-57*
*- lost to Texas Tech, 76-69*
*- lost to Iowa State, 73-60*
Clearly, Trent Johnson’s guys are struggling. Still, last season the Horned Frogs played within 3 points of KU in Fort Worth, Texas, then lost by 5 to Kansas at the Big 12 Tournament. Johnson’s teams have a way of muddying up games against the Jayhawks to make them competitive.
In 6 of TCU’s losses this year, the Frogs have either led or trailed by single digits in the final six minutes. They pulled that off in a 70-63 loss at Allen Fieldhouse last month by closing the game on an 11-1 run in the final two minutes.
With all of that in mind, get reacquainted with the Horned Frogs No. 7 KU will have to keep in check in order to end its road losing streak.
**TCU STARTERS**
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*No. 3 — G Malique Trent | 6-2, 185, soph.*
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**– Jan. 16 at KU: Did not play**
– TCU’s leading scorer, sophomore Malique Trent (11.5 points per game) didn’t play against Kansas in the first meeting, as he sat out for disciplinary reasons. That could mean trouble for the Jayhawks, who haven’t faced him and now will see a likely motivated guard playing in his home arena.
– Trent, who missed 3 Big 12 games, is averaging 9.5 points and shooting 38.2% in conference action. He has only hit 2 of his 17 attempts from 3-point range (11.8%) vs. league foes.
– Scored 14 of his team-high 15 points in the second half this past Saturday, when TCU defeated Tennessee (and former Texas coach Rick Barnes) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Tennessee would beat Kentucky a few days later.
– Ranks 5th in the Big 12, with 1.79 steals a game, and has 34 thefts on the season.
– A juco transfer, Trent swiped 5 steals against Iowa State.
*No. 1 — G Chauncey Collins | 6-0, 180, soph.*
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**– Jan. 16 at KU: 11 points, 3/8 FGs, 3/5 3-pointers, 2/3 FTs, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 turnovers in 32 minutes**
– The Frogs’ leading scorer in Big 12 games, sophomore Chauncey Collins (12.1 ppg in league), has proven to be a threat from 3-point range, making 22 of 54 (40.7%) against the rest of the conference, while playing a team-high 32.6 minutes a game.
– Collins has made 3 or more 3-pointers on 5 occasions in Big 12 play.
– Against top-25 league opponents, Collins averages 13.0 points and 3.0 assists, while shooting 46% from 3-point range. Scored a career-high 20 points vs. West Virginia.
– Collins is TCU’s best free-throw shooter (79.7%) and leads the team with 41 made 3-pointers this season.
– In his last 3 games, Collins has been held to single-digit scoring totals by Texas, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
*No. 11 — G Brandon Parrish | 6-6, 210, jr.*
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**– Jan. 16 at KU: 11 points, 4/9 FGs, 3/6 3s, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover in 29 minutes**
– The only Horned Frog to start all 9 Big 12 games for Johnson, junior Brandon Parrish averages only 6.7 points in conference, while shooting 38.3% from the field and 12 of 31 from 3-point land (38.7%).
– On the season, Parrish leads TCU in 3-point percentage: 31 of 69, for 44.9%.
– Led TCU in scoring (15 points) in the Frogs’ only Big 12 victory of the season so far, at home vs. Texas.
– In the final 5 minutes of games, Parrish has shot 9-for-18 from the floor.
*No. 33 — F Chris Washburn | 6-8, 240, jr.*
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Chris Washburn block seals TCU’s first win against Texas in 21 years https://t.co/ys8an21JRi
— Carlos A. Mendez (@calexmendez) January 10, 2016
**– Jan. 16 at KU: 8 points, 2/8 FGs, 0/1 3s, 4/5 FTs, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block in 23 minutes (4 fouls)**
– Averaging 8.3 points in Big 12 games, junior Chris Washburn has been the most turnover-prone Frog vs. league opponents, with 2.6 giveaways a game.
– A returning starter and a captain, Washburn missed the first 11 games of the season with a hand injury. Last season, he ranked 7th in the Big 12 in blocks and 8th in steals. Through 11 games (8 starts) this season, Washburn has just 7 blocks and 17 steals.
– Scored 15 points and had 4 steals in a loss to Oklahoma after putting up 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in a win over Tennessee.
*No. 23 — F Devonta Abron | 6-8, 260, sr.*
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**– Jan. 16 at KU: 0 points, 0/2 FGs, 1 rebound, 1 steal in 5 minutes off the bench**
– With only 1 Big 12 start so far this season, senior Devonta Abron comes in averaging just 2.8 points in 8.3 minutes in conference.
– Has started the past 2 games for TCU, averaging 5.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, while taking just 5 total field goals in 13.0 minutes a game.
– The Frogs’ only senior, Abron is shooting 48% from the floor on the season, the second-best mark on the team.
**TCU BENCH**
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*No. 10 — F Vladimir Brodziansky | 6-10, 215, soph.*
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**– Jan. 16 at KU: 8 points, 3/11 FGs, 1/2 3s, 1/2 FTs, 12 rebounds (6 offensive), 1 steal in 26 minutes off the bench**
– A dangerous offensive weapon for TCU off the bench, sophomore Vlad Brodziansky almost had a double-double at KU and averages 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in Big 12 play.
– Led TCU with 17 points and 8 boards against OU, hitting 8 of his 11 field goals.
– A transfer from Pratt Community College in Kansas, the Slovakia native has scored in double-figures 13 times in his first season at TCU.
– Brodziansky is shooting 14 of 23 from the field in the final 5 minutes of games.
– His 42 offensive rebounds lead the team, as do his 21 blocked shots and 11 dunks.
– The big man doesn’t mind stepping outside, but he has hit on just 9 of 26 3-pointers (34.6%).
– Brodziansky leads the team in field-goal percentage: 54.5%.
*No. 32 — F Karviar Shepherd | 6-10, 230, jr.*
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Shepherd just says no! Karviar with his third block of the game as #TCUMBB leads 26-18 #Big12MBB https://t.co/uIaPhapVYO
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) January 10, 2016
**– Jan. 16 at KU: 4 points, 2/4 FGs, 0/1 3s, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 steal in 23 minutes (4 fouls) as a starter**
– Formerly a starter, junior big man Karviar Shepherd’s role has changed of late, coming off the bench in the past 3 games. He has shot just 29% from the floor while averaging 6.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in the Big 12.
– Shepherd has made just 38.8% of his shot attempts this season, but leads the team with 6.0 rebounds a game.
– Had only 2 points and 3 rebounds against Oklahoma, which came after one of his best games in a month — 13 points and 6 rebounds vs. Tennessee.
– Tied a season high with 3 blocks vs. Texas.
*No. 2 — G Michael Williams | 6-2, 195, jr.*
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**– Jan. 16 at KU: 13 points, 6/9 FGs, 1/1 FTs, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover in 36 minutes as a starter**
– Like Shepherd, junior Michael Williams has both started and played a substitute role for TCU. He averages 4.9 points vs. Big 12 competition and a team-best 2.7 assists a game.
– Scored his season-high 13 points against Kansas.
– Dished 5 or more assists in 7 games this year, including 8 at Baylor.
– Has hit just 11 of his 45 attempts from 3-point range (24.4%) this season.
*No. 15 — F J.D. Miller | 6-8, 235, fr.*
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**– Jan. 16 at KU: 6 points, 3/12 FGs, 0/1 3s, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 steal in 25 minutes off the bench**
– A high-volume shot-taker, freshman J.D. Miller mostly has been off in Big 12 play, averaging 5.7 points on 32.8% shooting.
– Had a career-high 12 rebounds against Washington and blocked 5 shots vs. SE Louisiana.
– Second on the team, with 6 dunks this season.
– Shooting just 36.3% from the floor (41 of 113) in his first year of college hoops.
