Despite long odds, TCU confident heading into Big 12 tournament

Because of a seven-game losing streak, TCU’s most realistic path to a berth in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament rests with winning the title at this week’s Big 12 conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo.

The Horned Frogs were assigned 50-1 odds Monday by Bovada Sports Book in their quest to make that happen, joining Texas with the second-longest odds of any school in the 10-team field. The upside?

TCU (17-14) received better odds than Oklahoma (11-19), the Horned Frogs’ opponent in Wednesday’s opening-night matchup at the Sprint Center. The Sooners were given 75-1 odds to win four games in four days and claim the automatic berth into the NCAA tournament field given to the Big 12 tournament winner.

Despite recent struggles, capped by Saturday’s 73-68 loss to the Sooners in Norman, Okla., TCU players and coach Jamie Dixon remained upbeat heading into Monday’s practice.

“We’ve been in enough close games … that we’ll go in there with confidence,” Dixon said. “We’ll go in there believing we can win. We just need to go in there and get the first one. The tournament does bring a new season mentality. So we’re going to practice that way and be ready.”

TCU point guard Jaylen Fisher said: “Right now, it’s do-or-die time. We’ve got to come out and get it. Coming into the Big 12 tournament, I think we can get it done.”

Per the oddsmaker, top-ranked Kansas (28-3) is the prohibitive favorite, at 1-1 odds, to cut down the nets in Kansas City. No. 11 West Virginia (24-7) received 9-5 odds, followed by No. 9 Baylor (25-6) at 6-1. Texas Tech (18-13) received 33-1 odds.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Despite long odds, TCU confident heading into Big 12 tournament."