TCU's Rollercoaster Season Provided Lifetime Memories

The TCU Horned Frogs’ men’s basketball season might be over, but the memories that fans in Fort Worth will have of this team will last a lifetime.

That’s admittedly a little corny. How could a team that failed to reach the Sweet 16 be one that the Horned Frog faithful will remember for the rest of their lives? For a chunk of basketball fandoms in America — the Duke Blue Devils, the school that sent TCU packing, being one of them — relishing a team like the 2025-26 Horned Frogs might seem like a fruitless endeavor. But this is TCU, a place that doesn’t possess a vast basketball history. Yes, winning — and doing so in bunches — is an expectation for the men’s basketball program under Jamie Dixon. That is, of course, a credit to Dixon’s ability to elevate a program that would otherwise be in the doldrums without him. Many words can be written about the awesomeness he’s brought to Fort Worth, though that can be discussed another time.

What needs to be said now is that the 2025-26 Frogs’ season might’ve ended prematurely, but the foundation that the likes of David Punch, Brock Harding, Micah Robinson, Xavier Edmonds, Jayden Pierre, Liutauras Lelevicius, and so many others built has changed this program for the better. In many ways, that’s the best way to construct a legacy.

The Texas Giant of College Basketball Seasons

Mar 3, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Jayden Pierre (1) drives against Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Jaylen Petty (11) in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

This TCU squad entered the season with minimal expectations. Following a campaign that saw the Frogs fail to make the NCAA Tournament, which continued what many fans thought was a downward trend, there was reason to believe that nothing much was going to change. Add in the fact that the roster was full of youth that didn’t have a ton of experience at the highest levels of college basketball, and the schedule — one of the most difficult in the country — only added more fuel to the skepticism surrounding this team entering the year.

And then TCU lost to New Orleans, a school that ended up finishing 15-18 on the season, in the first game of the year.

Yeah, not good.

The air was sucked out of the room immediately. Any sense of wonder and enjoyment surrounding this men’s basketball season appeared to have disappeared before it even began. A Quad 4 loss in the inaugural contest of the proceedings was just not what the doctor ordered. Little did everybody know that the rollercoaster hadn’t even begun.

TCU would go on to play multiple top teams throughout the rest of nonconference play, the first of which was the Michigan Wolverines on Nov. 14. It was expected that the Frogs would falter — mostly due to the fact that they failed to beat New Orleans — but that was not the case at all. While Michigan ended up winning in the end, TCU gave the Wolverines all they could handle. It was an impressive effort, one that showed perhaps not all was lost.

That indication proved itself correct when Dixon and company triumphed over Florida, the reigning national champions, and Wisconsin over the Thanksgiving break. But then a loss to Notre Dame in overtime sullied the goodwill once more. What in the world was this basketball team? Frog fans would spend the next couple of months attempting to figure that out.

Big 12 play began with a gauntlet of games against rivals Baylor, Kansas, Arizona, and BYU. TCU lost three of four and then ended up on the wrong end of a close affair in Salt Lake City versus Utah. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the team was 13-9 overall and 3-6 in Big 12 play. The vibes in Funky Town were, well, not fantastic.

But then came the Renaissance. For the next month and a half, the TCU men’s basketball program was nearly unstoppable. Wins flowed like the Mississippi River after a torrential downpour. The Frogs took down No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 Texas Tech. They battled Kansas to the wire in the Big 12 Tournament, too. As such, TCU’s once-long odds to make the NCAA Tournament became just the opposite: the Frogs were going dancing.

Memories Sweet

Feb 10, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs guard Tanner Toolson (55) is helped up by teammates after diving for a loose ball against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

We all know the end of the story now. TCU’s 66-64 thrilling victory against Ohio State in the first round of the tournament led to a disappointing loss to Duke in the second. In many ways, that defeat can leave a bad taste in one’s mouth. That’s understandable, but it’s important to recognize the achievements of this team throughout the entirety of the season.

This squad was thoroughly doubted following the opening loss to New Orleans — and many other losses in between — but emerged stronger than ever when it mattered most. Sure, no national championship — or even a trip to the Sweet 16 — came from the 2025-26 Frogs, yet everything is OK. This team showed that success in basketball at TCU is possible year in and year out. It also provided countless memories that will last a lifetime. For that, we should all be grateful.