FORT WORTH – While cable television eyes were on the dueling rivalries way out on the western frontier, there was another enticing back and forth going on Monday night at Schollmaier Arena that epitomized the craziness that is the race for the Big 12 championship.
In the end, for TCU, it was as if letting Natalie Portman or the very beautiful, recently single Mrs. Bezos slip away, along with the visions of what could have been with back-to-back victories over ranked opponents for the first time in school history.
The Horned Frogs were left smarting as if stubbing a toe in the dark of the night after failing to cash in opportunities in an 82-77 loss even as the No. 14 Kansas frayed like a Robert Hall suit, blowing a nine-point lead with four turnovers in the last four minutes.
An inability to get a bucket in the final 1:27 while up four, including a misadventure of a final possession, in which the Frogs failed to get a good shot off with the game tied in the last seconds, was hard to ignore, but it was the missed free throws – five of them in overtime – and missed rebounds – the Frogs were outrebounded by six – that took the biggest bite of out TCU’s heels.
All of this with Kansas – a shell of itself and already without its star in the frontcourt – started four freshmen, was without Lagerald Vick and Marcus Garrett and lost Dedric Lawson in overtime to fouls.
It was a missed opportunity that left the Frogs weeping (figuratively) and gnashing their teeth (literally).
“I feel like we should’ve won the game, we didn’t,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “We’re disappointed and there’s no other way of looking at it. We had the lead. We had opportunities and we didn’t [close]. Big play, we’ve got to finish it. We’ve got to get the charge. We’ve got to get the rebound. We’ve got to make the free throw.”
The loss dropped the Frogs (17-7 overall, 5-6 Big 12) four games back in the loss column entering play Tuesday and into seventh in the conference.
Kansas State leads the Big 12 with an 8-2 record, two games better in the loss column than Kansas, now 8-4 and 19-6.
The Jayhawks are more difficult to kill off than the cockroach. Kansas’ hopes for a 15th consecutive Big 12 title stayed alive.
“We’re way back, but it at least this keeps us in the game,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “By no means are we in a favorable position, but if we had not won tonight, we may have been too much.
“This league is so weird. If, ands and buts … .”
The Frogs welcome Oklahoma to Schollmaier Arena on Saturday at 11 a.m. then head off for a very manageable road game at Oklahoma State.
TCU’s NCAA Tournament outlook remained good despite the loss. The Frogs had a good NET rating, 32 entering this week, ahead of Texas and Baylor.
The Frogs project in most forecasts as a nine seed.
That’s in but not where they want to be, of course.
It’s difficult to look at a game like this and not wonder if TCU wouldn’t benefit from a better non-conference schedule. That is a criticism that has dogged Dixon his entire career.
Rather than hurt, a good non-conference schedule helps a team’s NCAA Tournament prospects.
And it makes you better and more prepared for situations the Frogs found themselves in on Monday, possessions in nut gathering time and free-throw attempts in overtime with the game on the line.
Kansas, even with four freshmen, including Devon Dotson – albeit, a very good one – handling much of the Jayhawks’ possessions – looked as if it had been here before, even as it tossed aside a big lead. Dotson, by the way, had 25 rebounds and 10 rebounds, one of three Jayhawks in double-figures in rebounding.
When the Jayhawks needed a basket late, they knew how to get one, two actually, to tie the game in the last minute.
Kansas’ non-conference schedule included games against Michigan State, Tennessee and Villanova, as well as Marquette. Texas saddled up with North Carolina, Michigan State and Purdue.
That’s heavyweight stuff.
But Texas Tech squared off with Duke in New York City. Kansas State had Marquette.
Those teams make you better, no matter the outcome, particularly for the grind of the conference season.
TCU’s best opponent in non-conference was Lipscomb, ranked 30th in the NET, not bad, but not Duke or even Marquette.
However, that game with the Bisons, who need to visit the grammar doctor, presented nothing close to replicating situations like the Frogs found themselves in on Monday, not to mention readying for the weirdness that is the Big 12.
On the other hand, they got an experience with Kansas to grow on and move forward.
