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  • No. 9 TCU And No. 8 Ohio State Set For A High‑Stakes Matchup In NCAA First Round

No. 9 TCU And No. 8 Ohio State Set For A High‑Stakes Matchup In NCAA First Round

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Basketball

GREENVILLE, S.C. — No. 9 seed TCU returns to the NCAA Tournament with one of the program’s most complete teams in recent memory, set to face No. 8 seed Ohio State on Thursday at 11:15 a.m. CT at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The matchup airs on CBS and features two teams that surged late in the season and lean heavily on veteran guards and elite efficiency metrics.

The Horned Frogs (22–11) arrive in the postseason for the fifth time in the last eight tournaments held, all under head coach Jamie Dixon. TCU has made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances overall and is 7–11 all‑time in the event. Dixon, now in his 10th season in Fort Worth, is coaching in his 16th NCAA Tournament and is one of 11 active coaches with at least that many appearances.

Picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason poll, TCU exceeded expectations by finishing sixth with a program‑record 11 conference wins. The Frogs won eight of their final nine Big 12 games — their best stretch since 1998 — and enter the tournament with a top‑25 defensive efficiency rating and one of the nation’s most disruptive turnover profiles. TCU forces 13.9 turnovers per game, ranks third in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+2.9), and sits among the league’s leaders in steals, blocks and fastbreak scoring.

Forward David Punch leads TCU at 14.3 points per game and ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.0 blocks. Xavier Edmonds, a third‑team All‑Big 12 selection, averaged 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds in conference play and recorded 11 double‑doubles, the most of any player in Big 12 games this season. Point guard Brock Harding adds 5.7 assists per game — third in the league — and ranks fifth in steals.

TCU is 3–1 in neutral‑site games and 8–6 away from home. Seven of its losses came by six points or fewer, including three to teams currently ranked in the top five. Only one player on the roster, Jayden Pierre, has previous NCAA Tournament experience.

Ohio State (21–12) counters with one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, ranking 17th nationally in offensive efficiency. Second‑Team All‑Big Ten guard Bruce Thornton leads the Buckeyes with 20.2 points and 3.9 assists per game, while John Mobley Jr. adds 15.7 points in a backcourt that drives much of OSU’s scoring. The Buckeyes enter the tournament after a 71–67 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament.

The teams have not met since 1969, with Ohio State holding a 4–0 advantage in the all‑time series. Under Dixon, TCU is 7–2 against current Big Ten opponents.

TCU is coming off a 78–73 loss to No. 14 Kansas in the Big 12 quarterfinals, a game in which Punch posted 24 points and 10 rebounds. A win Thursday would send the Frogs to a potential second‑round matchup against the winner of No. 1 seed Duke and No. 16 seed Siena.