Have TCU men made the Sweet 16 before? Sort of ... but not really
TCU men’s basketball has made the final 16 of the NCAA Tournament, but the Horned Frogs have never made the Sweet 16.
That could change Saturday when the No. 9 seed Horned Frogs take on No. 1 Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.
Let’s explain.
The Horned Frogs have been one of the final 16 teams in the tournament four times, but in those years — 1952, 1953, 1959 and 1968 — TCU didn’t have to win a game to get there.
In the modern era, reaching the Sweet 16 entails winning two games in the tournament. And that’s something TCU has never done.
Here’s a look at key moments in the Horned Frogs’ NCAA Tournament history:
1952 NCAA Tournament
In 1952, only 16 teams made the tournament. TCU lost to Kansas 68-64 in the West regional semifinals, then defeated New Mexico A&M (now New Mexico State) 61-44 in the regional third-place game. (Yes, the NCAA really held third-place games for the regionals then.)
One could argue this was the closest TCU ever came to a national championship. After Kansas beat the Horned Frogs by four, the Jayhawks won their next three games by 19, 19 and 17 points to claim the title.
1953 NCAA Tournament
In 1953, the field expanded to 22 teams with six first-round games, but TCU had a bye to the West regional semifinals. The Horned Frogs lost to Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) 71-54, then claimed another regional third-place finish with a 58-56 win over Oklahoma City (now an NAIA team).
1959 NCAA Tournament
By the time the Horned Frogs returned to the NCAA Tournament in 1959, the field had expanded to 23 teams with seven first-round games. TCU had a bye to the Midwest regional semifinals, where it lost 77-73 to Cincinnati, which got 34 points from future NBA legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
Once again, the Horned Frogs claimed the regional third-place honor, beating DePaul 71-65.
1968 NCAA Tournament: Finally, the Elite Eight (sort of)
TCU didn’t make the NCAA Tournament again for nearly a decade, but the Horned Frogs broke new ground in 1968 by winning their first game for the first time. The field was still 23 teams, and TCU had a bye to the Midest regional semifinals.
This time, the Horned Frogs defeated Kansas State 77-72 to be one of the final eight teams remaining. Did TCU make the Elite Eight by winning that one game? That’s up for debate. But there was no Final Four. The Horned Frogs lost to Houston 103-68 in the Midwest final, again undone by a future Hall of Famer, as Elvin Hayes scored 39 points.
1987 NCAA Tournament: Nearly Sweet
The NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, and the closest TCU has come to reaching the modern Sweet 16 came two years later — in a game current Horned Frogs coach Jamie Dixon will never forget.
In 1987, No. 4 seed TCU defeated No. 13 Marshall 76-60 in the East regional, then took on No. 5 Notre Dame. With the game tied in the final seconds, Dixon, a standout guard, was called for a heavily disputed foul, and David Rivers made a free throw to give the Fighting Irish a 58-57 victory to reach the Sweet 16.
Since then: The Jamie Dixon era
After that 1987 disappointment, the Horned Frogs made the NCAA Tournament only one time (1998) until Dixon took over as coach for the 2016-17 season. TCU has made the tournament five times during his tenure, including four of the past five seasons.
The Horned Frogs won their first-round game three times to earn a shot at the Sweet 16 but have yet to break through.
The 2022 hearbreak rivals 1987. No. 9 seed TCU ripped No. 8 Seton Hall 69-42, then took on No. 1 Arizona. Eddie Lampkin made a putback to give the Horned Frogs a 75-72 lead with 36.3 seconds remaining, but Bennedict Mathurin hit a long 3 to tie the game with 12.6 seconds left. The Wildcats prevailed in overtime 85-80.
The next season, No. 6 seed TCU rallied past No. 11 Arizona State 72-70 on JaKobe Coles’ floater with 1.5 seconds left, then battled No. 3 Gonzaga before falling 84-81.
TCU’s latest shot at a Sweet 16 will come Sunday after the No. 9 Horned Frogs won a thriller with No. 8 Ohio State 66-64 on Thursday, but once again the task will be tall, with No. 1 overall seed Duke in the way.
The TCU women made the Sweet 16 for the first time last season. Are the men next?
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
