Kansas benefits from controversial flagrant foul, edges TCU

TCU almost pulled off another upset in Lawrence, but the Horned Frogs fell 83-81 to No. 2 Kansas in part due to a controversial call.

It was a tightly contested game that felt more like a NCAA Tournament game than a typical conference opener. After both teams made a pair of free throws the game was tied at 77-77 with just over two minutes to play. Jameer Nelson put TCU back in front as he hit a smooth step-back jumper over a defender that slipped.

The Horned Frogs got a stop on the next possession, but KU’s K.J. Adams was able to force a jump ball with 1:05 remaining to give Kansas the ball back. Kansas transfer Ernest Udeh came up with a massive defensive play as he intercepted a pass intended for Hunter Dickinson.

However, Udeh was called for a flagrant foul after his elbow hit Dickinson. Dickinson hit both free throws to tie it at 79-79 and then Dajuan Harris Jr. hit an off-balanced floater to give Kansas a 81-79 with 43 seconds remaining. However Micah Peavy immediately tied it right back as he soared over multiple Jayhawks for a putback.

The Jayhawks, though, went right back to Dickinson on the next trip down and he finished over a double-team to make it 83-81 with 3.4 seconds remaining. Nelson had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his last-second shot fell well short of the basket.

Tennyson’s moment

One reason Trevian Tennyson came to TCU was to play in environments such as Allen Fieldhouse. The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi transfer thrived on the biggest stage with his best game of the season. Tennyson, who was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Jameer Nelson Jr., went on a heater in the second half.

After scoring just five points in the first half, the senior guard exploded for 19 in the second half. His first 3pointer of the second half put TCU ahead 47-45, then his second made it 52-50 during a back-and-forth stretch where both teams showed high-level shot-making.

One of the plays of the game was when Tennyson intercepted a pass and then walked into a pull-up 3-pointer to put TCU back in front 55-53 with 13:28 remaining. Tennyson added another 3 plus a circus mid-range pull-up to give TCU a 62-60 lead. In the first 11 minutes of the second half he scored 16 points and finished with a team-high 24 points in the narrow loss.

Dickinson’s dominance

Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson was a problem for TCU’s frontcourt from the opening tip. The 7-footer scored the Jayhawks’ first basket of the game and continued to be aggressive in the opening 20 minutes. He showed why he was the most coveted transfer this off-season with his impressive shot-making ability.

He knocked down two 3s with his second giving Kansas a 35-30 lead late in the half. He was a force on the offensive glass, snatching rebounds out of the hands of TCU’s big men and even throwing down a putback slam to increase the Jayhawks’ lead to 37-32. Dickinson had 18 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes of action in the first half.

Dickinson continued to dominate inside with two straight baskets that helped Kansas retake a 70-67 lead. Dickinson was un-guardable, no matter what type of tactics TCU tried and finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Miller’s stand

On the court with two potential All-Americans in Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr., TCU forward Emanuel Miller showed he belonged with a strong performance. Last year Miller was held to just five points in the upset, but he knew that wouldn’t be enough this time especially with TCU being without second-leading scorer JaKobe Coles.

While Miller knocked down an early 3-pointer, he did most of his inside the arc and put pressure on the Kansas defense by getting to the rim. Like at the end of the first half when Miller used a nice back cut on the baseline to create space for a floater that gave TCU a 40-39 lead. Miller scored 15 in the first half, knocking down six of his nine attempts to keep TCU close.

Miller finished with 20 after being held to five points in the second half.