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NCAA BK

Kansas standout Jackson benched for Big 12 opener

By FoxSports
Published | Updated

Top-ranked Kansas will be without one of its best players when the Jayhawks face TCU in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament Thursday at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas coach Bill Self announced on Wednesday that freshman sensation Josh Jackson will serve a one-game suspension as a result of a February traffic stop that Jackson disclosed earlier this week. Self told the Kansas City Star that Jackson was cited for three traffic violations Feb. 2 after backing into a car on campus and leaving the scene.

"Although Josh has acknowledged his responsibility and has handled it himself, he didn't tell me about it until Monday," Self said in a written release. "He should have left his contact information at the time and notified us immediately."

Jackson averages 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for Kansas (28-3), which has won eight in a row and enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed. He is second on the team in scoring and rebounding. He is third in assists.

Sophomore Lagerald Vick is expected to start in Jackson's place. Vick scored 23 points against Long Beach State back in November. He has scored in double figures only twice in the last 18 games, but he had 17 earlier this season against TCU.

"(Jackson) was in foul trouble and Vick killed us," TCU coach Jamie Dixon said.

Ninth-seeded TCU (18-14) advanced to the quarterfinals with an 82-63 victory over Oklahoma on Wednesday. The victory snapped a seven-game losing streak and avenged a loss to the Sooners just days earlier.

Vladimir Brodziansky scored 20 points for the Horned Frogs, who shot 60 percent and made 8 of 18 from 3-point range. Kenrich Williams recorded a double-double, posting 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Kansas beat TCU twice this season: 86-80 on Dec. 30 and 87-68 on Feb. 22.

"We're a better team than we were," Dixon said following the win over Oklahoma. "The record doesn't indicate it; but, watching it on film, we're a better team now than we were. I think it all came together today, and we've got to have it come together (Thursday) as well."

In the first game against TCU, Jackson contributed just four points, three assists and two rebounds. In the second game, he had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists for the Jayhawks, who pulled away after leading by one at halftime.

The Jayhawks are still a formidable and star-studded group even with Jackson out of the lineup. Frank Mason III was named National Player of the Year by Sporting News on Wednesday. He already had been named Player of the Year by USA Today, Bleacher Report and NBCSports.com.

Mason is averaging 20.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds. He had 22 points and seven assists in Kansas' first victory over TCU. He had 20 points and four assists in the second game.