Kansas @ Texas Christian preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 11, 2019 ) Kansas 82, Texas Christian 77

Within a stretch of about 48 hours prior to Kansas' last game, Udoka Azubuike upset Bill Self to the point where he got benched and also did enough with his next chance to earn the praise of his Hall-of-Fame coach. The third-ranked Jayhawks hope to get another strong effort from their senior big man on Saturday when they visit TCU.

Azubuike was named as one of 20 players on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 on Monday evening only to be left out of the starting lineup for undisclosed reasons against Texas later that night, but he took it all in stride by delivering 17 points and 12 rebounds in a 69-58 home victory. "We're going to keep (why he was benched) in the house, but his attitude was good and I was actually very proud of him. I thought he … showed some maturity and responded in the way you're supposed to," Self told reporters afterward. The NCAA Tournament looked like a real possibility for TCU after it got off to a 12-3 start - including 3-0 in league action - but the Horned Frogs lost for the sixth time in seven games since then following a 72-57 defeat at Oklahoma State on Wednesday. "They outplayed us. … Really disappointed in how we finished the game; couldn't seem to do anything right offensively," TCU coach Jamie Dixon told reporters.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: ESPN2

ABOUT KANSAS (19-3, 8-1 Big 12): Azubuike (12.6 points, conference-leading 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) posted his ninth double-double of the season and finished 8-of-10 from the floor, pushing him over 400 made field goals for his career and making him the official all-time leader for field-goal percentage (75 percent). “(We feed off Azubuike) a lot, once we see him blocking shots and being energized, dunking the ball, that makes us push more on defense. … Knowing how energetic he is will make it hard for (the other team) to finish anything,” junior guard Marcus Garrett told the media. Sophomore guard Devon Dotson (Big 12-best 18.0 points, 2.1 steals) has been a model of efficiency on his last five outings, shooting at least 50 percent from the field in every game.

ABOUT TCU (13-9, 4-5): The Horned Frogs continue to pace the conference in 3-pointers per game (8.7) and made 3-pointers (192), but a common theme during their recent seven-game swoon has been their inefficiency beyond the arc, shooting only 31 percent from long-range after finishing 4-for-19 on Wednesday. Desmond Bane (16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds) has been mostly immune to those struggles with multiple triples in 12 straight contests, and he moved into fourth place on the school's all-time list with 218 for his career after going 2-for-5 versus the Cowboys. Sophomore center Kevin Samuel (11.1 points, 8.7 boards, conference-leading 2.7 blocks) leads the Big 12 with 10 double-doubles but has totaled only 32 points and 20 rebounds in three games since his 24-point, 18-board effort at Arkansas on Jan. 25.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Garrett has recorded 36 assists versus only nine turnovers during Kansas' seven-game winning streak.

2. Two Horned Frogs accounted for all 10 assists Wednesday, including a career high-tying six from Bane.

3. The Jayhawks have limited opponents to fewer than 60 points 12 times in 2019-20, matching the number of times they accomplished the feat in previous three seasons combined.

PREDICTION: Kansas 62, TCU 56