TCU basketball rides momentum into the Big 12 Tournament as the Horned Frogs open Wednesday night looking to extend a late-season surge.
FORT WORTH - The TCU basketball team heads into the Big 12 Tournament with momentum, confidence and a chance to prove its late-season surge is no fluke.
The No. 6 seed Horned Frogs (21-10, 11-7 Big 12) begin postseason play Wednesday night at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, where they will face either No. 11 Colorado or No. 14 Oklahoma State in the second round.
For Jamie Dixon’s squad, the timing could not be better.
TCU enters the tournament having won eight of its last nine games, the program’s best nine-game conference stretch since the late 1990s.
That surge pushed the Horned Frogs well beyond preseason expectations after being picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason poll.
Now they’re chasing something bigger.
The Horned Frogs have quietly built one of the most balanced teams in the conference. They’ve gone 3-3 against Top 10 opponents this season, a mark that ranks among the best in the Big 12, and they’ve consistently controlled the glass with a plus-5.9 rebounding margin over their last nine games.
At the center of that success is Xavier Edmonds, who earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors after emerging as one of the conference’s most dominant rebounders.
Edmonds leads the league with 10 double-doubles in conference play and has elevated his production down the stretch, averaging 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds over the last nine games.
Backcourt play has also fueled TCU’s run. Guard Brock Harding ranks among the nation’s best playmakers, averaging 5.9 assists per game, fourth in the Big 12 and 30th nationally.
Even more impressive is his recent efficiency - 33 assists compared to just six turnovers over the last five games.
Meanwhile, David Punch, who leads TCU with 13.6 points per game, has been a defensive force. His 1.9 blocks per contest rank third in the Big 12 and inside the top 35 nationally, giving the Frogs rim protection that changes games.
Defensively, TCU thrives on pressure. The Horned Frogs force 14.2 turnovers per game, rank third in the conference in steals, and sit 20th nationally in defensive efficiency according to KenPom.
With 21 wins already secured, TCU has positioned itself well for postseason opportunities. But first comes the Big 12 Tournament challenge.
If the Horned Frogs take care of business Wednesday night, a quarterfinal showdown with No. 3 seed Kansas awaits.
And with the way TCU is playing right now, the Frogs may just be getting started.