TCU and Oklahoma look to bounce back from losses in their regular-season finales and build on their respective resumes for the NCAA Tournament when they square off in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament on Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City, Mo.
The winner of the game between the eighth-seeded Horned Frogs and the ninth-seeded Sooners will play top-ranked and No. 1 seed Houston on Thursday afternoon in the tournament quarterfinals.
Both teams TCU and Oklahoma spent time in the AP Top 25 this season but received no votes in the final regular-season poll that was released on Monday.
The Horned Frogs (20-11) dropped from seventh to eighth in the final league standings with a 79-77 home loss to UCF on Saturday. Jameer Nelson Jr. led TCU with 15 points in the setback, with JaKobe Coles adding 14, Emanuel Miller scoring 13 and Chuck O’Bannon Jr. hitting for 11 points.
TCU has lost six of its past 10 games but is still projected to be chosen for the NCAA Tournament.
“We have another loss we have to respond to,” Horned Frogs coach Jamie Dixon said. “We’ll see defensively where the improvements can be made and our offensive shot selection needs to be better. It’s constantly evolving and we’re gonna keep adjusting and keep improving.”
The Sooners (20-11) head to Kansas City after a 94-80 loss at Texas on Saturday. Oklahoma never led while falling to the rival Longhorns for the seventh straight time.
Rivaldo Soares’ 21 points matched a career high and paced the Sooners in defeat, with Jalon Moore adding 16, Milos Uzan hitting for 12 and Le’Tre Darthard tallying 10. Oklahoma has dropped three of its past four games, and like TCU, is projected to make the NCAAs but could use a bump in momentum.
Soares left late in the Saturday game after aggravating an ankle injury. His status for Wednesday had yet to be determined.
Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said the Big 12 schedule has been a gauntlet throughout the season.
“This is what it’s for, every game you have to get ready for the most physical and talented teams,” Moser said. “It is a grind, and it prepares you for what’s going to come when you do play (nonconference) teams.”
The Horned Frogs have won four of the last five games between the teams, including the only matchup this season — an 80-71 victory on Jan. 10 in Fort Worth, Texas. Miller led TCU in that game with 27 points, and Javian McCollum topped Oklahoma with 17.
–Field Level Media