TCU Men's Basketball Eyes Upset Against No. 6 Michigan

After rebounding from a stunning early-season loss, the Horned Frogs hope home-court magic can fuel another top-10 upset.

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) reacts after a play against Oakland during the first half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Monday, November 3, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When TCU men’s basketball hosts the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines on Friday night at Schollmaier Arena, it’ll have the opportunity to prove the college basketball world wrong.

The Horned Frogs have already been dismissed by much of the sport following their crushing and inexcusable defeat to a New Orleans team that won just four games a season ago. TCU’s since rebounded (pun intended) with back-to-back wins over Saint Francis and Lamar, but only so much can be gleaned about a team against inferior competition. Where the real lessons will be learned is when TCU matches up against opponents that, at least on paper, have its number. Fortunately for Jamie Dixon and the rest of the crew in Funky Town, they’ll have that exact opportunity against Michigan.

Both Teams Have Faced Adversity

Tanner Toolson shoots the ball for TCU in a win over Saint Francis on November 6, 2025. | X: @TCUBasketball

Unlike TCU, the Wolverines have yet to drop a game, but it still hasn't been smooth sailing in Ann Arbor.

Second-year head coach Dusty May and Michigan took down a solid Oakland squad in the inaugural game of the season. They then needed overtime to beat Wake Forest a couple of days ago and only skated by with a narrow 85-84 victory. It was not the game that the Wolverines desired, yet they still were able to fight through adversity and come out the other side as winners.

With both TCU and Michigan already showing tiny bits of vulnerability, it’ll be interesting to watch which team’s able to shed the doubts of the past and move forward into the future. On paper, it’d be easier for Michigan to do so given its top-10 ranking and national championship goals, but the Horned Frogs could just as easily show out in front of their home fans and shock the world. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

The Wolverines Want to Play Fast

Ever since his extremely successful days at Florida Atlantic, Dusty May has always loved to keep up the pace. Last year, Michigan averaged 103 points per game, which ranked fourth in the country. While the two-game sample size is small, the Wolverines are once again averaging 103 points a contest, including 121 against Oakland in the season opener.

It’ll be imperative for the Frogs to keep up. Or it’d perhaps be in their best interest to seek out a way to slow the game down and limit the number of possessions. So far, the defense for TCU has been fairly stout as opponents have put up just 68.7 points a game. While that doesn't make the Frogs the best defense on the planet, it shows that TCU isn’t a sieve, meaning that there’s an avenue for the team to get stops against a formidable Wolverines offense.

Mara and Lendeborg Are the Linchpins

Oct 25, 2025; New York, NY, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) and St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

If TCU is to pull off the upset, then it’ll need to keep star transfers Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg in check.

Through two games, Mara’s arguably been Michigan’s best player. The UCLA transfer has averaged 15 points, including 18 in the team’s win over Wake Forest. At 7-foot-3, his presence in the paint will be a tough nut to crack for the Frogs. He’s averaged five blocks a game and has secured double-digit rebounds in each of the first two contests of the season. No matter how one slices it, Mara is somebody that Michigan’s going to rely on, and if TCU is able to keep him out of the box score for the most part, then that’s a good sign that an upset could be a possibility.

Then there’s Lendeborg, who was the top-ranked transfer in last year’s portal class. At UAB last season, he averaged 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds in a season where the Blazers almost made a run at an American Conference Tournament championship.

Now at Michigan, that same production really hasn’t been at the forefront, though he hasn’t been playing at 100 percent due to a hand injury he suffered before the season began. He went just 4-for-12 from the field for nine points in the narrow win over Wake Forest and collected just five boards. While Michigan’s been able to get by without him performing to his peak abilities, it’s still important for TCU to make sure he doesn’t get rolling.

Can TCU Beat the Odds?

The Frogs have been known to pull off a shocking win or two in the Jamie Dixon era. In 2022, both No. 9 Texas Tech and No. 6 Kansas came to town, and the Frogs, led by Mike Miles Jr., picked up victories in both. The same was true the following season, when TCU took down No. 2 Kansas in Lawrence and then beat No. 9 Texas later in the year at home. The Frogs’ triumphs over No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 2 Houston in 2024 were also memorable upsets.

So, it is possible, but it’ll be an uphill battle. However, if there’s one thing that Dixon’s teams have been used to over the years, it’s being the underdog. That’s exactly what TCU will be on Friday night when the Wolverines enter Schollmaier Arena at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2.