It was a relatively quiet fourth night of Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball on Thursday. At least both the men and the women had games going.
Two Big 12 men’s teams scored at least 100 points, including Iowa State, which blew out Grambling, 102-62. West Virginia needed to get tough to hold off Campbell, 73-65. We’ll get to TCU in a bit.
Five games were on the women’s side, with Oklahoma State playing its third game in four days and destroying Langston, 105-35. Colorado and Arizona won their season openers, though the Wildcats had to hold off UC Riverside, 62-59. TCU won its opener, too.
Here is what we learned about Big 12 basketball on Nov. 6.
TCU BOUNCES BACK
So, TCU had some things to work out after losing to New Orleans on Monday night. The Horned Frogs played on Thursday like they had spent the previous 48 hours with a therapist.
TCU blew out Saint Francis, 104-63. Everything clicked. TCU hit a dozen 3-pointers, shot 52% from the floor and went 24-for-28 from the free-throw line. Saint Francis — which is loaded up with transfers as the program makes one more run for the NCAA Tournament before moving to Division III next season — shot 40% and went 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.
Everyone played for TCU in this one, and six different players hit double figures, led by transfer Tanner Toolson with 25 points. That included four 3-pointers. Micah Robinson had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Horned Frogs needed the bounce-back. But this was also a comfort food win for TCU. After losing to a four-win team from a year ago in the opener and then blowing out an NCAA Tournament team from a year ago, TCU may end up being one of the hardest Big 12 teams to read in non-conference.
KANSAS STATE’S NEW BIG
Kansas State was unable to secure a waiver for forward Kennedy Taylor to play one more year. On Thursday, the Wildcats found a player to take her place.
Ivona Scekic won’t be able to join the team until mid-December, but at 6-foot-4 she’ll be able to help the Wildcats inside once she gets acclimated to the college game. It won’t be an easy transition. Joining a college team midseason is rare, though Aliyah Matharu did that for Baylor last season.
At least Matharu had plenty of college basketball experience. Scekic doesn’t though she has vast international experience. Scekic has taken part in the 2025 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket, the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket, the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket and the 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship.
BACK TO THE TOP 25
On Friday we get back to Top 25 men’s games when No. 19 Kansas heads to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face No. 25 North Carolina. It’s one of those games you love to see early this time of year. But, after the Arizona-BYU doubleheader on Monday, the week has featured a dearth of marquee games.
This game will give us a much better sense of where Kansas is after blowing out Green Bay to open the season. The freshman, Darryn Peterson, had a great night with 21 points. Flory Bidunga, the forward coach Bill Self is counting on to be the man in the pivot, had 23 points.
It’s a heat check game for Kansas and the best game of the weekend for the Big 12.
