For No. 3 Kansas, revenge vs. TCU got here within the type of a vibrant orange Nike basketball and a 63-58 street win
Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) works to get round TCU guard Mike Miles Jr. (1) within the second half of an NCAA faculty basketball sport, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Fort Price, Texas. (AP Picture/Tony Gutierrez)
Fort Price, Texas — Neglect the Massive 12 race or the enjoyment of profitable a grinder on the street; Kansas level guard Dajuan Harris Jr. had only one factor on his thoughts when the ultimate horn sounded on Third-ranked Kansas 63-58 street win at No. 24 TCU on Monday night time.
Get the ball.
So, as quickly as TCU’s Mike Miles Jr. threw the ball the size of the ground with little pleasure and no hope of profitable, Harris chased it down.
Lower than an hour later, the ball was nonetheless with the Jayhawks, with a couple of messages scribbled onto it, together with “Street Kill,” “Get Again Gang” and “Funky TCU,” which was a nod to the “Funky City” nickname related to Fort Price.
“We needed to get this one again,” Harris stated of the orange Nike basketball after the win. “After we misplaced (to them) the primary sport, we noticed they posted (our sport ball) on social media, so we actually needed this win, we needed the ball, too. So, as quickly because the buzzer went off, I needed to go get it.”
Added KU freshman Gradey Dick, who scored 19 factors in Monday’s win and walked out of the fitness center carrying one of many white-out T-Shirts that TCU gave away for Monday’s sport: “They had been petty with it so we needed to be petty, too.”
That phrase — petty, with no R because the second letter — was the proper phrase to make use of within the aftermath of Monday’s victory, Kansas’ fifth in a row in Massive 12 play.
As a result of there definitely was nothing fairly about the best way the Jayhawks received. However they favored every part concerning the end result.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Kansas basketball at TCU
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“The one in Lawrence (an 83-60 TCU victory), we performed terrible they usually performed nice and we didn’t do something to make them not play nice,” KU coach Invoice Self stated after the victory. “Right this moment, at the least we guarded and rebounded for 40 minutes for essentially the most half.”
The Jayhawks (23-5 total, 11-4 Massive 12) held TCU to 30% taking pictures on the night time and out-rebounded the Horned Frogs 48-42. Additionally they turned it over simply 11 occasions and one way or the other outscored the larger, taller TCU crew 42-30 in factors within the paint.
Rebounding, which Dick stated was “large” in delivering the victory, performed a giant position in KU’s edge inside. 13 of KU’s rebounds got here on the offensive glass, and that led to 10 second-chance factors. On an evening when it takes every part you’ve acquired to get to 60, scoring 17% of these off of effort performs by yourself misses is huge.
“(It was nearly) attempting to determine a solution to win,” KU junior Jalen Wilson after ending with seven factors and 13 rebounds. “On the street, it’s by no means going to be all the time fairly; you’re going to should win some ugly video games. Right this moment was a type of video games, however on the finish of the day, we’re going to discover a solution to win (and) do what it takes to win.”
No stretch higher illustrated that than the ultimate 5 minutes, when KU scored simply three free throws within the remaining 4:45 but nonetheless got here away with the victory.
The most important cease got here on a tie-up of TCU ahead Damion Baugh by McCullar, who Self stated was each “terrific” and “unbelievable” in a six-minute stretch throughout his postgame press convention.
“Within the Massive 12, you’ve acquired to get stops down the stretch to win massive video games,” stated McCullar, who completed with 15 factors, 7 rebounds, 3 assits, 2 blocks and a steal.
That specific play, which really was half block, half steal, half tie-up, got here with round 30 seconds to play and Kansas main by three. The possession arrow favored the Jayhawks on the time and, after operating off about seven seconds, Wilson went to the free throw line to attempt to put KU up by two possessions.
Wilson, who shot simply 3-of-11 on the night time, missed the primary charity shot, permitting TCU one final likelihood to tie. However Baugh’s deep 3-point attempt over Dick missed the rim and McCullar grabbed the rebound with 1.5 seconds to play. He was promptly fouled and, this time, KU acquired the free throws they wanted to ice the sport.
Make no mistake about it; Monday’s win was a giant sport. And, ball or no ball, the consequence moved Kansas a half-game forward of Texas within the Massive 12 race with three video games to play. Texas will play host to Iowa State on Tuesday and Baylor, which now sits a-game-and-a-half behind KU will play at Kansas State.
A few minutes earlier than the clincher, on back-to-back possessions with lower than six minutes to play, the Jayhawks acquired a pair extra stops that helped them construct their cushion.
The primary got here when Wilson rebounded a TCU miss together with his shoulder caught within the wing of a TCU participant. And the second got here when the Jayhawks compelled an errant cross by the Frogs via the paint to reclaim possession.
Harris scored on a drive to the rim after one of many stops and Wilson recorded a troublesome offensive rebound and put-back after the opposite to place the Jayhawks up 60-53 with 4:45 to play.
Lots of that got here instantly after TCU quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan made a late entrance in a tuxedo after accepting the Davey O’Brien award on campus earlier within the night time.
Duggan and his date had been greeted by a wild ovation from the TCU followers as he took his seat at mid-court. In contrast to Duggan’s success on the gridiron, nonetheless, his presence on the ground on Monday didn’t lead the Horned Frogs (18-10, 7-8) to victory.
Requested concerning the atmosphere on Monday night time, Self referenced the proficient QB.
“I believed it was nice,” Self stated of the ambiance. “It’s the very best it’s been since I’ve been right here. And in the event you simply have Max Duggan stroll in each 5 minutes it’d be even higher. I’m simply glad he didn’t get right here any earlier.”
Whereas KU’s obsession with snatching the sport ball definitely instructed in any other case, the Jayhawks insisted that their primary objective on Monday was simply to proceed to play with power and energy, believing that doing that might give them the very best likelihood at a good end result.
That’s to not say that revenge didn’t play some kind of position in Monday’s sport. However the Jayhawks’ means to concentrate on the suitable issues whereas chasing that revenge says loads about this crew’s development through the previous month.
“They got here in our home and just about simply whupped us,” McCullar stated. “We got here out flat that day and we’ve been preaching ever since then attempting to return out with extra power and simply execute and play collectively and play the suitable method and as we speak we did that and acquired a giant street dub that we wanted.”
Added Self when requested if he sensed his gamers actually needed to get TCU again: “They did. However I don’t have a look at it like that. I have a look at it like, they beat our ass and we simply needed to return play higher this time. Since we’ve been at Kansas, I feel two groups have swept us in 20 years and this simply may’ve been the third. Issues like which may not imply something to (the gamers), however I do know that definitely motivates our employees, which most likely trickles right down to them.”
As for the added motivation of the sport ball, Harris was requested on his method out the door whether or not getting the win or the ball felt higher. His reply was the proper abstract for the best way this crew is beginning to suppose.
“Each,” Harris stated.
#KUbball PG Dajuan Harris with the sport corridor. TCU took it from Lawrence and posted it on social media & KU was decided to get it again tonight. Requested if getting the win or the ball was higher, Harris stated, “Each.” pic.twitter.com/89LzxmJqtX
— Matt Tait (@mctait) February 21, 2023
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Written By Matt Tait
