TCU’s David Punch called his shot and backed it up against Ohio State
TCU sophomore forward David Punch unknowingly put a target on his back before TCU’s thrilling 66-64 win over Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Punch told the Columbus Dispatch: “I think at the end of the day we win this nine times out of 10 because of how physically gifted we are as a team and athletically gifted.”
The comment and ensuing articles went viral on X, with one post having over 600 likes and 100 retweets. Another post by an Ohio State X account TheBuckeyeNut also generated over 200 likes. Each post has thousands of views and impressions.
It was taken as a shot at the Buckeyes by many, but Punch said that wasn’t his intention.
“I was surprised because, I’m going to be honest, it was just me subconsciously having confidence in my team,” Punch said. “It wasn’t even me sending shots at Ohio State, but they took it like that.”
Context and intention hardly matters on social media. A good headline is all people need to see to generate conversation and engagement.
The comments quickly blew up, and even Punch’s teammates like junior center Xavier Edmonds and junior guard Brock Harding saw it all over social media.
“I felt like it put a little more pressure on us, but at the same time, I know his words were a little misconstrued and a little twisted,” Edmonds said after the win. “That’s not 100% how he meant it. But we saw it and just felt like we had to stand on it, so we wanted to go out there and make sure that we won nine out of 10 times.”
Harding said even the Ohio State coaching staff was aware of Punch’s comments and let the Horned Frogs know about it during pregame warmups.
“I got notifications from my phone from the CBS Sports app and ESPN, ‘Punch says they’re going to beat them nine times out of 10,’” Harding said. “We knew it was going to be something, and in warmups, we hear their coaches yelling one out of 10. We knew it was going to be one of those games and were excited to play.”
TCU surged to a 39-24 halftime lead despite Punch scoring just three points, going 1-of-4 from the field and picking up two fouls.
It was an uncharacteristic start for the honorable mention All-Big 12 forward, as he missed a handful of layups he usually converts.
“It was really in the back of my mind that those words I was going to have to stand on it at same point,” Punch said.
That point would come in the second half as the Horned Frogs watched a 15-point lead transform into a 55-50 deficit with 6:19 to play. TCU was on the verge of collapse, as nobody could find a way to knock down shots.
Meanwhile, Ohio State seemed to figure out TCU’s blitzing style of defense and clawed back into the game behind sophomore guard John Mobley Jr.
The chances of Punch becoming a meme or the target of social media ridicule were high at this point, but as the pressure rose, so did Punch’s game.
He immediately got to work, converting a three-point play to cut the lead to 55-53. Then he had a sequence that will surely end up on “SportsCenter” on ESPN, as he blocked a dunk attempt by 7-foot center Christoph Tilly and then put TCU ahead 58-57 on a nice finish at the rim.
The emotion was clear on Punch’s face after every basket. After Ohio State briefly took the lead, Punch converted another three-point play to put TCU back in front 61-59.
“Coming into the second half that was my mindset, just stand on it,” Punch said. “You gotta go out there and go do something. I’m just thankful I was able to contribute to the team.”
Punch’s most important play came on TCU’s game-winning bucket, as he turned down a relatively good look to find Edmonds on the block.
It would’ve been tempting to attempt the shot and be the hero, but Punch trusted in his teammate, and Edmonds delivered with the game-winning basket with 4.3 seconds remaining.
After the dust settled, Punch scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half. He was the only player to shoot above 50% in the half and also finished with 13 rebounds and three blocks.
Punch called his shot and backed it up with his play in the second half in what could be a legacy-defining moment.
“I think the effect he had on the game was insane,” Harding said. “The way he was carrying the team and making sure we locked in on the defensive end and all around.
“To be able to make a comment like that, come out and show what you’re about? You’re a real killer.”
As for Punch, he has no plans to change his approach even as the Horned Frogs have a matchup with No. 1 overall seed Duke at 4:15 p.m. Saturday on CBS.
It’s not about taking shots at the opposing team, it’s about his unyielding faith in his teammates.
“We’ve been in that position so many times where people had us as the underdogs,” Punch said. “We had our backs against the wall. This whole season I feel like we’ve dealt with that. This was something I just felt like we had so much confidence going into.
“I never worry whenever we’re going against someone, even Duke coming up. I’m not worried about that game. I know my team’s gonna show up and play their ass off. There’s something special about this team I can’t put my finger on it yet.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 3:54 PM.
