FORT WORTH – TCU is ready to dust off its dancing shoes, as the Horned Frogs host FDU in the round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. TCU was awarded the No. 2 seed in the Birmingham 3 Regional and hosting rights for the first two rounds of play. Joining the Frogs and No. 15 seed Knights in Fort Worth are No. 7 seed Louisville and No. 10 seed Nebraska. The winners of Friday's first round games face off on Sunday for a ticket to the Sweet 16.
The Horned Frogs are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 seasons and 10th all-time. FDU heads south riding a 22-game winning streak and is 29-3 overall. The Knights swept the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament championships. Friday's ballgame will air on ESPN2, with the Louisville-Nebraska game to follow at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
The Game Teams: #2 TCU (31-3, 16-2 Big 12) vs. #15 FDU (29-3, 16-0 NEC) Date: 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 21. Location: Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Game Coverage Television ESPN2 - Brenda VanLengen, Play-by-Play - Andrea Lloyd, Analyst Radio 88.7 KTCU FM - Chris Blake, Play-by-Play.
Opening Tip - TCU last won an NCAA Tournament game in 2006, a 69-65 victory over No. 6 seed Texas A&M. TCU is aiming to become the first basketball team in school history to reach the Sweet 16. The Horned Frogs have reached the round of 32 five times. TCU, along with No. 3 seed Kentucky, is one of only two programs to make it to March Madness within two seasons of finishing in last place in their respective leagues. TCU's 10-game year-over win improvement is the third-largest of any team in the Tournament. FDU tops the 68-team bracket with a win improvement differential of 15 games.
TCU and FDU are two of 11 teams in the field with winning percentages greater than 90 percent. Head coaches Mark Campbell and Stephanie Gaitley share a commonality in that they each spearheaded a sweep of conference regular season and tournament championships in their second season at their respective schools. TCU and FDU have never met on the hardwood.
Frog Focus - TCU is 10-3 vs. NCAA Tournament participants and 8-2 against the AP Top 25. The eight ranked wins are tied with Notre Dame for the fifth-most in the country. The Horned Frogs' combined 23-game year-over win improvement over the last two seasons is the largest of any Power Conference team. TCU's 31 victories are the second-most of any team in America.
TCU scored 74 points per game vs. Big 12 opposition after averaging 62.2 in 2023-24, a +11.8 points per game increase that was the sixth largest in all of Division I basketball. TCU has the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country (1.59), coupled with an average of just 11.9 turnovers per game.
TCU has held 27-of-33 teams overall and 18-of-21 Big 12 foes below their season scoring average. Van Lith leads the Frogs in postseason performance, averaging 15.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament.
Prince has strung an NCAA-leading seven double-doubles vs. ranked teams and is averaging 18.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game against the AP Top 25. She ranks third nationally in blocks (99, 3.0 bpg) and has finished with three or more blocks on 17 occasions.
Conner ranks second nationally in 3-pointers made (118) and 3-pointers per game (3.5). She is also fifth in the country in 3-point percentage (.452). Conner is only 13 threes away from matching Taylor Robertson's Big 12 single-season record.
Mark Campbell, TCU's head coach, is recognized for his outstanding record with a career NCAA Tournament record standing at 13-6. TCU has the opportunity to mark a historic moment in school history; a win against FDU would signify TCU's first NCAA Tournament victory in 19 years and lead to their second-longest winning streak in the Mark Campbell era at 11 games.
In conclusion, TCU is on the brink of a significant milestone, aiming for its first NCAA Tournament victory in two decades, supported by a team that has displayed remarkable improvement, resilience, and skill throughout the season. As they prepare to face Fairleigh Dickinson, the energy and hopes of the Horned Frogs and their fans surge as they look to dance into the Sweet 16.
