Dedric Lawson's Dominance Powers Kansas Past Balanced TCU

Playing in their first game since star center Udoka Azubuike's season officially came to an end, the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks earned a huge 77-68 win over the No. 25 TCU Horned Frogs. 

An MRI taken Sunday revealed Azubuike suffered torn ligaments in his hand during a practice last week. The junior star ranked second on the Jayhawks in rebounding (6.8) and third in scoring (13.4). The team's first game without him was an ugly 77-60 loss against Iowa State on Saturday. 

Dedric Lawson showed off more range with his shot by going 2-of-4 from three-point range en route to a season-high 31 points and 14 rebounds. Lagerald Vick was the only other Kansas player to reach double figures in scoring with 12 points.

TCU had five players score at least 10 points, led by RJ Nembhard's season-high 14.

Young Jayhawks Lineup Will Help Team's Pursuit of National Title

Kansas head coach Bill Self has been coy about what his lineup will look like in the wake of Azubuike's diagnosis. 

“We’re dealing with Dok, we’re dealing with doctors, we’re dealing with surgeries, we’re dealing with travel, we’re dealing with mindsets,” Self told reporters on Monday. “There’s other things that we’re working with other than just tweaking. But there’s 24 hours in a day, so we’ve still got plenty of time to get some stuff done.”

Self's solution wound up being a four-guard starting lineup that featured three underclassmen, including freshmen Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson. Neither player fared particularly well in the spotlight, combining to score 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting. 

Grimes and Dotson were the crown jewels of Self's 2018 recruiting group. They were both rated as 5-star prospects and ranked among the top 25 overall players in their freshman class, per 247Sports. 

Another member of the freshman class, Ochai Agbaji, was expected to redshirt this season. Instead, he has been thrust into the spotlight because of Azubuike's injury. The Missouri native fared well with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench. 

Since Kansas can't rely on Azubuike's consistent shooting and defense in the paint, it needs to get more explosive on the perimeter.

The Jayhawks entered Wednesday tied for 181st in the nation with a 34.1 percent success rate on three-point attempts. That number will go down following a 5-of-21 showing against TCU.

Per ESPN.com's John Gasaway, Kansas can have another successful season because the Big 12 is in a state of flux right now:

"If you're thinking that, big or small, Kansas without Azubuike sounds like a really tough defensive team that might struggle to score at times, particularly from the perimeter, well, welcome to the Big 12. Throw a stick at the league, and you'll hit five of those.

"Just remember two things: One, the things Azubuike did best -- basically, interior scoring and defense -- have a fair degree of overlap with what his teammates can do, either individually or collectively. Two, Allen Fieldhouse is still Allen Fieldhouse. Don't bury KU just yet."

Another reason not to bury Kansas is because Lawson. He's been the most dominant player for the team, averaging a double-double with 18.6 points and 11.1 rebounds. 

Lawson's steady hand will buy Self time as he develops the young trio of Grimes, Dotson and Agbaji. There may be some growing pains during the regular season, but getting them experience now will pay off in the Jayhawks' pursuit of a national title in March. 

What's Next?

TCU will play its second straight Big 12 road game against No. 23 Oklahoma on Saturday. Kansas will continue making its way through Texas teams in the Big 12 by traveling to Waco on Saturday for a showdown against Baylor.