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Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; TCU Horned Frogs forward David Punch (15) drives to the basket during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images
Welcome back to Big Dance! The TCU Horned Frogs Men’s Basketball team earned a No. 9 seed in the East Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will play against No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes (21-12; 12-8 Big Ten) in Greenville, SC on Thursday March 19. TCU returns to March Madness for the 4th time in the last five years after missing the Tournament in 2025, marking the fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament under head coach Jamie Dixon.
As is often the case, being slotted into the 8/9 game in the opening round sets up for an evenly-matched contest to open the Tournament. According to the opening odds set by FanDuel Sportsbook, TCU opens as 2.5-point underdogs and a +105 moneyline underdog to win outright. The game is projected as one of the lower-scoring contests of the First Round, with an over/under points total set at 146.5. TCU Men’s Basketball has never defeated Ohio State in four all time contests, most recently losing 80-89 in Fort Worth in 1969. The 2026 edition of the Buckeyes are led by two-time All-Big Ten guard Bruce Thornton. The senior averages over 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game while shooting a deadly 43% from beyond the three point line.
The Horned Frogs are paired in a pod with the Tournament’s top overall seed, ACC Champion Duke Blue Devils (32-2; 17-1 ACC) with a potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick in Cameron Boozer but with injuries to other top players Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba. If TCU is able to get by the Buckeyes in the opening game, it will likely be staring at one of college basketball’s bluest blue bloods in the Second Round, assuming Duke is able to avoid what would be the greatest upset in the sport’s history vs. 16-seed Siena Saints (23-11; 13-7 MAAC).
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