Three-minute preview: No. 1 Kansas men’s basketball vs. TCU

TCU at No. 1 Kansas

WHEN/WHERE: 1 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence

TV/RADIO: ESPN; KCSP (610 AM)

ABOUT KANSAS (14-2, 3-1 Big 12): Will Kansas coach Bill Self consider a change to the starting lineup? Senior big man Hunter Mickelson has started the last nine games, but he’s averaged fewer than 7 minutes in the Jayhawks’ last three contests. Mickelson is averaging fewer minutes per game this season than Jamari Traylor (14.3) and Landen Lucas (13.6). Mickelson has had his strong moments, especially on the defensive end, but four games into the Big 12 season, Self is still playing around with the frontcourt rotation. In the past, Self has often used the first game after a loss as an opportunity to try something new. Keep an eye out for that on Saturday. After Tuesday’s loss at West Virginia, the Jayhawks are entering what is likely their easiest remaining three-game stretch on the schedule — at least, according to advanced metrics. After facing TCU on Saturday, the Jayhawks will travel to Oklahoma State on Tuesday and then play host to Texas on Jan. 23. According to the computer rankings at KenPom.com, those are the three lowest-ranked teams in the Big 12. The Jayhawks can extend their home-court winning streak to 33 games, which would tie for the fourth-longest in school history. Self can also improve to 31-6 following a conference loss during his Kansas tenure.

ABOUT TCU (9-7, 1-3 Big 12): A rebuilding program at TCU seems to have hit a plateau. A year ago, the Horned Frogs finished 18-15 overall and 4-14 in the Big 12, the program’s first winning season since coach Trent Johnson took over in 2012. This year, beset by injuries and the exit of standout point guard Kyan Anderson, TCU is treading water at the bottom of the conference. The Horned Frogs are playing without standout Kenrich Williams, who is out for the season because of a knee injury. Forward Chris Washburn also missed the season’s first 11 games. With the roster short-handed, TCU lost to South Dakota State, SMU, Rhode Island and Washington during the nonconference schedule. The Frogs have been better at home, beating Texas and playing West Virginia close. But they’ve been a disaster on the road, suffering blowout losses at Oklahoma State and Baylor. Saturday could follow the same pattern. The Horned Frogs are 1-10 all-time against Kansas, with the lone victory coming in Fort Worth during the 2012-13 season. One question: Will Malique Trent, who is averaging 11.7 points per game, return against KU? Trent missed TCU’s last game because of a violation of team rules.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Three-minute preview: No. 1 Kansas men’s basketball vs. TCU."