TCU beats Oklahoma, will face top-seeded Kansas next in Big 12 Tournament
Same teams, neutral floor, different result.
TCU and Oklahoma met in the Big 12 Tournament first round five days after closing out the regular season, and the Horned Frogs got revenge in an 82-63 victory on Wednesday at the Sprint Center.
The Sooners had won in Norman last Saturday by five points, but they weren’t part of this game from the final few minutes of the first half.
The outcome sends TCU into Thursday’s quarterfinal contest against top-seeded Kansas, and the Frogs will seek their first victory over the Jayhawks since pulling off a stunning upset at home in the 2013 season. That season, KU won the league and the Horned Frogs finished last.
This season, the Jayhawks swept the regular-season series. The teams played in the Big 12 opener, with Kansas winning 86-80 at TCU. Vladimir Brodziansky scored 28 for the Horned Frogs. Frank Mason led five KU players in double figures with 22 points.
One of those players was not freshman Josh Jackson, who was held to a season-low four points and fouled out while picking up a technical foul for slamming the ball to the floor. Jackson won’t play in Thursday’s game while serving a one-game suspension.
Frogs coach Jamie Dixon was quick to remind that Lagerald Vick, who is expected to start for Jackson, had a big game that night.
“It’s funny how things work out,” Dixon said. “They have so many good players, it’s not like they’re putting in a guy who hasn’t made baskets in his career somewhere…That first game, Vick was the guy that beat us.”
In the rematch on Feb. 22 in Lawrence, the Jayhawks pulled away for an 87-68 victory. Kansas clinched a share of its 13th straight Big 12 championship that night. Mason went for 20 points and Jackson had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
In its fifth year in the league, TCU had its best Big 12 season, finishing 6-12. The No. 8 seed in the Big 12 tournament also was its best since joining the conference.
And the Frogs have become something of a tournament team. This marks the third straight year they’ve won at game in Kansas City.
On Wednesday, Brodziansky led TCU with 20 points and Kenrich Williams finished with 19. The Frogs sizzled from the field, hitting 60 percent on 33-of-55 shooting.
TCU controlled most of the game’s first 16 minutes but an Oklahoma run allowed the Sooners to pull even at 29-29.
That’s when TCU took off. Williams scored five points and the Frogs embarked on a 12-0 run and took a 44-31 lead into halftime.
The Sooners’ disappointing season comes to an end. After reaching the Final Four last year, Oklahoma dropped to ninth in the conference and closed the season with an 11-20 overall record. The 20-loss season is the first in program history.
Oklahoma knew things would be tough after losing three senior starters, including national player of the year Buddy Hield. According to one computer analysis, the Sooners had the 10 th youngest roster among power six programs this season.
“Would have liked to have done more, for sure, to get more wins,” Sooners coach Lon Kruger said. “A lot of these you guys got experience… They had great attitudes about making progress all year long. All of them (return) and are anxious to get back to work, I’m sure.”
Blair Kerkhoff: 816-234-4730, @BlairKerkhoff
TCU 82, OKLAHOMA 63
TableStyle: SP-bkwideplayersCCI Template: SP-bkwideplayers
Oklahoma | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | A | F | Pt |
Doolittle | 27 | 4-7 | 2-3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
Lattin | 30 | 7-10 | 4-6 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 18 |
McGusty | 31 | 3-11 | 2-2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
Odomes | 22 | 1-4 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Strong-Moore | 15 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
J.Shepherd | 24 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
James | 20 | 1-5 | 2-2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Buford | 15 | 1-5 | 0-2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
McNeace | 7 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Freeman | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cole | 3 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Harper | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 200 | 22-54 | 15-23 | 26 | 11 | 20 | 63 |
Percentages: FG .407, FT .652. Three-Point Goals: 4-18, .222 (Doolittle 1-2, Strong-Moore 1-3, J.Shepherd 1-4, McGusty 1-5, Buford 0-1, Odomes 0-1, James 0-2). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: 9 (11 PTS). Blocked Shots: 3 (Lattin 2, Buford). Turnovers: 9 (Lattin 4, James 2, Doolittle, J.Shepherd, Strong-Moore). Steals: 4 (Doolittle, Lattin, Odomes, Strong-Moore). Technical Fouls: None.
TableStyle: SP-bkwideplayersCCI Template: SP-bkwideplayers
TCU | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | A | F | Pt |
Brodziansky | 28 | 10-13 | 0-3 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 20 |
Miller | 14 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Fisher | 35 | 3-12 | 3-4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 |
Robinson | 35 | 6-10 | 3-4 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 17 |
K.Williams | 35 | 8-10 | 1-3 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 19 |
B.Parrish | 23 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
Bane | 12 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Washburn | 7 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
K.Shepherd | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
M.Williams | 4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
J.Parrish | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sottile | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dry | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 200 | 33-55 | 8-16 | 30 | 20 | 18 | 82 |
Percentages: FG .600, FT .500. Three-Point Goals: 8-18, .444 (B.Parrish 2-3, Robinson 2-4, K.Williams 2-4, Fisher 2-6, Miller 0-1). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 8 (7 PTS). Blocked Shots: 3 (Brodziansky 3). Turnovers: 8 (Brodziansky 2, K.Williams 2, Miller 2, Bane, Fisher). Steals: 4 (K.Williams 3, Fisher). Technical Fouls: None.
Half: TCU 44-31.
This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 8:14 PM with the headline "TCU beats Oklahoma, will face top-seeded Kansas next in Big 12 Tournament."