Two Things Duke Learned About TCU Ahead of Second Round

1-seed Duke will face 9-seed TCU in the Round of 32 on Saturday. The Horned Frogs took down 8-seed Ohio State 66-64 in the Round of 64 to advance. The Blue Devils defeated 16-seed Siena 00-00 to advance to the weekend.

Siena put up an early fight with the Blue Devils, but Duke was able to eventually pull away and secure its first victory in its quest to cement a sixth National Championship in program history.

The Horned Frogs played with physicality and were able to defeat a Buckeyes squad that was surging down the late stretch of the regular season and into the postseason.

TCU shot 40% from the field as a squad and 9-of-23 (39%) from the three-point line. It entered the halftime locker room with a 39-24 lead in full control, but Ohio State fueled a comeback that eventually took the game down to the final seconds.

With under five seconds to go and the tally at 64-64, David Punch found Xavier Edmonds for a go-ahead layup that would eventually win the contest.

Now that the Blue Devils know their opponent in the Round of 32, let's break down two key things fans learned about TCU.

TCU Can Shut Down a Team’s Best Player

Ohio State senior guard Bruce Thornton entered the NCAA Tournament averaging over 20 points per game, recently cementing his status as the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer. However, he was completely shut down against the Horned Frogs.

Thornton closed his college career with just 10 points and four assists on 3-of-9 (33%) shooting from the field. The 6'2" senior had scored 20 or more points in four of OSU's previous five games.

Thornton has been one of the most consistent scorers in the Big Ten throughout his career with the Buckeyes, and TCU was able to completely take him out of the game with its physicality.

The Horned Frogs currently rank 22nd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. They have held five of their last eight opponents to under 70 points heading into their matchup with the 1-seeded Blue Devils.

TCU Can Get Punched and Hit Back

TCU entered the halftime locker room up 15 points, limiting a high-powered Buckeye offense to just 24. It felt inevitable given how hot Ohio State can get, but it made a push back.

Ohio State eventually took a 59-58 lead with just over two minutes to go, then TCU guard Brock Harding took an elbow to the face and was sidelined.

The Horned Frogs were able to keep their composure and make the necessary plays throughout the remainder of the game, eventually emerging victorious in a nail-biter.

After the Blue Devils survived one heck of a scare against Siena, they will have to clean things up quite a bit against a quality TCU team.