TCU is back in the NCAA Tournament after a one-season break, but the Horned Frogs aren't satisfied with an invite.
TCU made its return to the NCAA Tournament field after snagging the East Region's 9-seed. The Horned Frogs were hovering around the bubble late in the year but surged to secure their spot in March Madness.
TCU graduate and head coach Jamie Dixon has now led his alma mater to five tournament appearances, which is nearly half of the program's all-time trips.
Despite his success at the helm, none of his squads have been able to advance past the second round.
Their 2024 first-round exit courtesy of Utah State was the latest of a long list of missed opportunities under Dixon.
The most devastating of these shortcomings came in 2022, when 1-seed Arizona rallied back to break the Horned Frogs' hearts in overtime, and 2023, which saw arguably the best squad in Dixon's tenure lose a hard-fought battle against Gonzaga as a 6-seed.
As a 9-seed again this season, TCU once again finds itself in a precarious position in its debut. The Horned Frogs earned the unenviable reward of meeting 8-seed Ohio State on Thursday in the first game of the entire bracket.
The Buckeyes' journey this season mirrors TCU, as they rallied all the way off the bubble after an impressive string of wins in the tough Big Ten.
On the court, TCU is led by David Punch, who is averaging a team-high 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
As a unit, the Horned Frogs are averaging around 78 points per game while holding opponents to near 72.
For the Buckeyes, Bruce Thornton takes center stage with a 20.2 points per game average this season. He also recently claimed the title of Ohio State's all-time leading scorer.
Outside of Thornton, the team piles on just shy of 80 points per game and allows an average of 73 points from opponents.
The matchup with Ohio State proves to be another difficult March assignment for the Horned Frogs, but this season's team has shown that they have the ability to overcome the greatest of obstacles.
While it may not be the most talented group to pass through TCU, they could be the ones that finally get the Horned Frogs into the spotlight of the Big Dance after years of heartbreak and disappointment.