Kansas basketball: Questionable late-game call propels Jayhawks to victory over TCU

Kansas basketball was able to escape its conference opener with a win against TCU in a drama-filled Allen Fieldhouse classic with 26 lead changes.

Bill Self and Jamie Dixon's teams played evenly the entire 40 minutes, but it all came down to a crucial late-game decision by the referees. After the Jayhawks turned the ball over, former KU player Ernest Udeh Jr. elbowed Hunter Dickinson, forcing them to stop play and eventually call a flagrant on Udeh.

TCU led 79-77 with 57 seconds to go, but the 6-point turnaround completely altered the outcome of the game. Dickinson would later sink a game-winning layup with three seconds left to help Kansas escape with a win. In addition to the go-ahead bucket, Dickinson led the game with 30 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 13-of-20 from the field in a dominant offensive effort.

KJ Adams had a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while missing just one of his eight shot attempts. Kevin McCullar scored 16 despite a poor shooting night, and Dajuan Harris dropped in 10 with eight assists.

Kansas nearly threw away the game with excessive turnovers, giving away the rock 18 times to TCU's nine. Fortunately for them, they shot more efficiently from the field and outrebounded the Horned Frogs 40 to 28.

Trevian Tennyson led TCU with 24 points, while Emmanuel Miller scored 20 himself. Oklahoma State transfer Avery Anderson III stole the ball six times. They played a very good game, but ultimately, the seemingly minor mistake by Udeh cost them a historic win.

With the win, Kansas basketball officially opens league play undefeated. They sit at 13-1 and will maintain the No. 2 ranking in the nation next time out. The next time the Jayhawks play is Wednesday, Jan. 10 against UCF, who was just blown out by 25 points vs. Kansas State.