No. 14 Kansas vs. TCU: Preview, game notes, and more

What: No. 14 Kansas vs. TCU

Where: Kansas City, Mo. * T-Mobile Center (18,689)

When: Thursday, March 12, 2026 * 8:30 p.m. (CT) — Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals

Television: ESPN2

Play-by-Play: Jon Sciambi

Analyst: Fran Fraschilla

Reporter: Angel Gray

Producer: Joe McCoy

Director: Brad Sheldon

Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network

Webcast: KUAthletics.com/Radio

Play-by-Play: Brian Hanni

Analyst: Greg Gurley

Producer/Engineer: Steve Kincaid

BILL SELF IS LOOKING FORWARD TO MARCH MADNESS

For many people, the next couple of weeks are the most enjoyable of the year. Conference tournaments are underway, with the Big 12 starting this afternoon, which means the NCAA Tournament is right around the corner.

Kansas, which will play the last quarterfinal game of the night on Thursday, could play as many as three games inside the T-Mobile Center before finding out its NCAA Tournament draw on Sunday.

“It’s the best time of year,” said Self. “March is the best time of year for me. If you’re gonna ask favorite months of the year, March would rank ahead of Christmas and ahead of December for me, just because this is what we love to do and live for and everything.

“So yes, I find a ton of enjoyment, and hopefully I will coach better and certainly energized to do whatever I have to do and whatever our staff needs to do to prepare our guys, but it’s the most fun time.” he added.

TIPOFF

No. 14 Kansas (22-9, 12-6 Big 12) enters the 2026 Big 12 Tournament as the No.
3 seed and will play its quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 12, at 8:30 p.m.
CT (ESPN2) against the winner of the No. 14 Oklahoma State versus No. 6 TCU
contest. The OSU-TCU game will be played on March 11 at 8:30 p.m.

KU has won 15 postseason league tourney titles, including 11 in the Big 12 era.
KU (11), Iowa State (6), Oklahoma State (2), and Houston (1) are active league
members with Big 12 tournament titles.

Since the Big 12’s inception in 1996-97, Kansas is 50-15 in the league
tournament. KU is 22-4 in the quarterfinals, 15-6 in the semifinals, and 11-4 in the finals.
NOTE: KU’s 2018 title and three wins were later vacated.

Kansas is coming off a 104-85 win against Kansas State on March 7. The win
marked KU’s 43rd consecutive win on Senior Day, a streak that started in 1984.

With the win against Kansas State (3/7), Kansas is 140-25 (84.8%)
following a loss in the Bill Self era (2003-04 to present), including 8-1
this season.

Through games of March 9, Kansas’ strength of schedule is second in the
NCAA D1. In the Bill Self era, Kansas has ranked in the top five of strength
of schedule 10 times and No. 1 six times (2005, 2025, 2015, 2019, 2020,
2023).

Kansas is No. 19 in the NET, which is fifth in the Big 12. KU’s eight Quad
1 wins are tied for second most in the league and tied for seventh most
nationally. Arizona is first in the league with 14.

Kansas leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 38.7%, which
is fifth nationally, three-point field goal percentage defense at 30.0%,
which is 17th nationally, and blocked shots at 5.9, which is sixth nationally.

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Flory Bidunga leads the Big 12 and is
second nationally, with 84 blocked shots, and his 2.71 blocked shots per
game also rank first in the Big 12 and second nationally. The sophomore
leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 64.4%, which is 10th nationally.

ABOUT KANSAS

No. 14 Kansas (22-9, 12-6) is coming off a 104-85 against Kansas
State on March 7. The Jayhawks ended the 2026 Big 12 regular
season tied for third in the league race and will enter the Big 12
Tournament as the No. 3 seed, and play in the quarterfinals
against either Oklahoma State or TCU on Thursday, March 12, at
8:30 p.m. CT, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas is averaging 76.5 points per game and has a plus-7.2
scoring margin. KU pulls down 38.8 rebounds per contest.
KU averages 14.7 assists, 5.5 steals, and 5.9 blocked shots per
contest. KU leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense
at 38.7%, which is fifth nationally, and three-point field goal
percentage defense at 30.0%, which is 17th nationally. KU also
leads the Big 12 in blocked shots (5.9), which is sixth nationally.

An All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Freshman Team member,
freshman guard Darryn Peterson leads Kansas with a 19.9 scoring
average. After his 27 points against Kansas State (3/7), Peterson
has nine games of 20 or more points. He has made 53 threes in
20 games played this season. Peterson is on almost every national
player of the year watch list.

Senior guard Tre White is coming off back-to-back double
doubles and has seven double-doubles on the season. After his
23 points and 11 rebounds against Kansas State (3/7), White is
averaging 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. White leads
Kansas with 54 threes made and with 116 free throws made.
White’s 86.6 free-throw percentage ranks second in the Big 12.

The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team, and
All-Defensive Team selection, sophomore center Flory Bidunga is
on the Naismith Trophy Late-Season List, the Naismith Defensive
Player of the Year Watch List, and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Center of the Year top 10. He scores 13.8 points per contest and
leads KU with 9.0 rebounds per outing. Bidunga has a team-best
12 double-doubles for the season, which is second in the Big 12.
Bidunga leads the Big 12 with 84 blocked shots, which is second
nationally. His 2.71 blocks per game are also second nationally
and leads the league, and his 64.4 field goal percentage leads the
Big 12 and is 10th nationally. At 13.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 2.7 bpg,
Bidunga is the only player in NCAA Division I to average more
than 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.

The Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, All-Newcomer Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, senior guard Melvin Council Jr. is averaging 13.4 points per contest. He leads Kansas with 160 assists and with 34 steals. Council is sixth in the Big 12, 36th nationally, with a 2.78 assist-to-turnover ratio. Council recorded his second double-double of the season with 17 points and 10
assists against Kansas State (3/7).

Redshirt-freshman forward Bryson Tiller averages 8.3 points and
6.1 rebounds per contest. Tiller is second on the team with 43
blocked shots and has started 28 games this season for KU.

Redshirt-sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson (4.7 ppg, 22 steals),
redshirt-sophomore guard Jamari McDowell (3.6 ppg, 28 threes),
freshman Kohl Rosario (3.1, 15 threes), and senior guard Jayden
Dawson (2.2 ppg, 12 threes) rounds out the KU regulars.

THE KU-TCU SERIES

Kansas is 2-1 against TCU in the Big 12 Tournament, and the teams
last met in the 2022 Big 12 semifinals, a KU 75-62 win. Overall,
Kansas is 28-4 against TCU, and the Jayhawks have won the last
four and six of the last seven against the Horned Frogs.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD…

Make Kansas 23-9 overall, giving KU 23 or more wins for the
38th time in the last 42 seasons (i.e., since 1984-85) … Make
Kansas is 80-31 all-time in conference postseason tournament play,
including 51-15 in the Big 12 Tournament … Advance Kansas to its
conference tournament semifinals for the 39th time, including the
22nd time in the Big 12’s 29 tournaments … Make Kansas 2-0 in
the T-Mobile Center this season and 49-13 all-time in the venue
… Make Bill Self 632-165 while at Kansas, 839-270 all-time, and
37-11 in the Big 12 Tournament (39-11 if you count 2018) … Make
Kansas 2,439-918 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…

Make Kansas 22-10 overall … Make Kansas 79-32 all-time in
conference postseason tournaments, including 50-16 in the Big 12
Tournament … Make KU 39-8 all-time in conference postseason
tournament quarterfinals, including 22-5 in the Big 12 quarters
… Make Kansas 1-1 in the T-Mobile Center this season and 48-14
all-time in the venue … Make Bill Self 631-166 while at KU, 838-271
all-time and 36-12 in the Big 12 Tournament (39-12 if you count
2018) … Make KU 2,436-919 all time.