TCU Men’s Basketball Showing Signs of Life in Big 12 Play

Contrary to popular belief, not everything is lost for the TCU men’s basketball team.

After a debilitating four-game losing streak to top Big 12 foes Kansas, Arizona, BYU and Utah (perhaps the Runnin’ Utes aren’t a “top Big 12 foe,” but the point still stands) completely derailed the start of conference competition for the Horned Frogs, it was going to take a lot to get the fan base back on board. Well, after two consecutive victories — one of which came against the hated Baylor Bears down in Waco — it appears the train that is the TCU campaign, at least in the short term, is back on track.

That’s not to say everything is sunny and rosy. The losses on the schedule have still set the program back, and making the NCAA Tournament will take an effort from the Horned Frogs not seen in Fort Worth in quite some time. In other words, TCU is going to have to play out of its mind down the stretch — especially with the potent competition that remains on the schedule. There are still some winnable games along the way, but this is TCU men’s basketball — nothing is a guarantee.

Closing Games Remains TCU’s Biggest Obstacle

Jan 6, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs forward David Punch (15) shoots a layup against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half of the game at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

TCU clearly has issues closing out games. It nearly blew a 14-point lead against Baylor in the conference opener on Jan. 3. Everything seemed to hit the fan in Lawrence, when the Frogs — who were up by 15 against the ever-scary Kansas Jayhawks — proceeded to completely come undone. The result was the most disappointing loss of the season, one that seemed to carry over into the next three games against Arizona, BYU, and Utah.

But then the April showers turned into May flowers (ignore the fact that it’s January — it’s just a metaphor), and TCU blossomed via two victories against Oklahoma State and Baylor, the latter of which almost featured another collapse. The story was similar to the first meeting: TCU was up 17 with less than five minutes to go before the Bears completely flipped the script. At one point, Baylor cut the deficit to four points. But just like the game in Fort Worth earlier in the month, the Bears simply ran out of time.

Four-Straight Wins in Waco#GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/cTFJRFazN9
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) January 25, 2026

So what does this all mean for TCU moving forward? First, it needs to figure out ways to finish strong. Perhaps the inaugural step in that direction was how well the team shot from the free-throw line in Waco. Anybody familiar with TCU men’s basketball over the past five or so years knows just how inconsistent a free-throw-shooting team it has been, which made its outstanding 81 percent performance from the line all the more shocking. Do that more often, and the Horned Frogs are bound to win more games than they lose — especially if they play the way they did against the Bears.

Second, the path to the NCAA Tournament is now quite clear: All TCU needs to do is go 8-10 or 9-9 in conference play, and that will likely be good enough. With the wins it already owns — Florida, Wisconsin, and Baylor twice — paired with the victories it would pick up by achieving either of those records, a tournament berth becomes almost certain. Of course, that’s easier said than done, though it’s not impossible.

This should all be encouraging news for TCU basketball fans. Even with how poor the beginning of Big 12 play was, the light at the end of the tunnel might finally be here. All it’s going to take is a little bit of consistency. Is that too much to ask?

What’s Next for TCU Men’s Basketball?

The Horned Frogs will play Houston on Jan. 28 at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in what will be a major opportunity to improve their resume. They’ll then travel to Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes on Feb. 1.

Closing Games Remains TCU’s Biggest Obstacle

What’s Next for TCU Men’s Basketball?

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