Can TCU Men's Basketball Build A NCAA Tournament Resume?

With 15 regular-season games left to play, the TCU men’s basketball team is on the outside looking in of the NCAA tournament picture. And while the 11-5 record probably isn’t indicative of just how good the team actually is — the close losses to Michigan, Notre Dame and Kansas, as well as the good effort against Arizona illustrate this — the quantity of the defeats, as well as the terrible loss to New Orleans in the first game of the year, makes TCU’s case for a tournament berth a tough one at the moment.

Still, there are bright spots on the resume, which is what we’re here to analyze. Just how good is TCU’s resume? Does it have the potential to pack enough of a punch for the selection committee when Selection Sunday rolls around? And what do the Horned Frogs need to do down the stretch to get back to the promised land? Let’s dive in.

Quality Wins and Quality Opportunities

TCU Horned Frogs guard Jayden Pierr — Nov 28, 2025; San Diego, CA, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Jayden Pierre (1) handles the ball against Wisconsin Badgers during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images | Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

TCU’s wins over Florida, which, despite a lackluster start, is still the reigning national champion and has a formidable team, and Wisconsin, which just took down Michigan, strengthen the Frogs’ resume to this point. The victory over Baylor is also one TCU can hang its hat on.

Other than those games, the Horned Frogs have had other opportunities to pick up quality victories. The overtime defeat to Kansas comes to mind. If TCU would have been able to pull off that upset in Allen Fieldhouse, then the prospect of a trip to the tournament would be in much better shape. Alas, the collapse of all collapses occurred, and the Frogs still have more work to do.

All can be forgiven should TCU perform well over the course of the rest of the schedule. A date with No. 11 BYU on Jan. 14 provides an excellent chance for Jamie Dixon’s squad to deliver the goods. Matchups with Baylor in Waco on Jan. 24 and No. 7 Houston on Jan. 28 are also there for the taking. No. 2 Iowa State is coming to town on Feb. 10, too. And that’s not even the extent of it. The Big 12 is so deep that just about any game is one where TCU can build its resume. All it has to do is actually win, which is obviously easier said than done.

The NET

Jan 10, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Jamie Dixon yells to his team during the game between the Horned Frogs and the Wildcats at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The selection committee uses a variety of metrics when analyzing teams, but the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings hold special significance. The NET serves as a convenient, one-stop shop statistic for committee members to use when sorting teams, because let’s face it: There are a lot of numbers to look at when analyzing how deserving a specific school is for inclusion in the Big Dance.

The NET also splits teams into four quadrants. According to the NCAA’s website, the “number of Quadrant 1 wins and Quadrant 3/4 losses will be incredibly important when it comes time for NCAA tournament selection and seeding.” As of Jan. 12, TCU is 42nd in the NET, with two Quadrant 1 victories, one Quadrant 2 win, one Quadrant 3 win, and seven Quadrant 4 wins. The glaring resume hole is the one Quadrant 4 loss — the defeat to New Orleans that will forever be held over the head of this TCU team.

All told, the Frogs are in a decent position in the NET, but will need to pick up some more quality wins down the stretch if it wants inclusion in the NCAA tournament.

Quality Wins and Quality Opportunities

The NET

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