Three Takeaways From Kansas Men's Basketball 78-73 Quarterfinal Win Over TCU In Big 12 Tournament
No. 3 seed Kansas men's basketball opened Big 12 Tournament play Thursday night against No. 6 seed TCU in the quarterfinals at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The Jayhawks won what head coach Bill Self called an "ugly" game to advance to the semifinals against Houston tomorrow.
Kansas used one of Flory Bidunga's best games of the season, 37 minutes and a game-sealing jump shot from Darryn Peterson and some solid contributions from its role players to take down the Horned Frogs. Here are three takeaways from the Jayhawks first postseason win of March:
Flory Bidunga Turns Tide Despite Foul Trouble
Bidunga played only 27 minutes in the win after picking up two fouls early in the game, but his presence was felt. He lived up to his Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award and recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. His biggest stat of the night was his +31 plus-minus. It was a completely different game when Bidunga was on the court.
Darryn Peterson Provides 37 Minutes and a Game-Sealing Shot
Peterson played his season high in minutes tonight in the win, 37. Although it wasn't his best shooting night, 5-17, he got to the free-throw line, looked healthy and came up in the end when the Jayhawks needed him.
The freshman guard has 24 points, eight rebounds, and three steals in his postseason debut. He put the game on ice with a jump shot out of a timeout to put Kansas up seven late in the game. It appears he is getting healthy and full speed at just the right time.
No More Glass Court?
The Big 12 Tournament was being played on a glass LED court rather than on a regular hardwood court, but that will change for the remainder of the tournament. Following the conclusion of the Kansas-TCU game, the Big 12 announced it would be switching back to hardwood.
A statement from Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark on the Big 12 Tournament glass court:
“After consultation with the coaches of our four Semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the Tournament. We look forward to a great Semifinals and Championship Game.”
With the win, Kansas advances to the semifinals and will play Houston on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CST, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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