TCU men’s basketball is heading into the 2026-27 season with a familiar kind of pressure: keep climbing, even in a league packed with heavy hitters.
The Horned Frogs got votes in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, but not enough to crack the rankings. In the Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll, they landed seventh, sitting behind Arizona, Houston, Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech and BYU.
That projection says plenty about the road ahead in one of college basketball’s toughest conferences. The Big 12 opens the year with six teams in the AP preseason Top 25, led by Arizona at No.
- Houston checks in at No. 10, followed by Kansas at No.
17, Iowa State at No. 18, Texas Tech at No. 19 and BYU at No.
For Jamie Dixon, entering his 11th season at TCU, the task is clear: blend a roster built around five returners and 10 newcomers into something sturdy enough to hang in that crowd.
There is still a base to work from. TCU finished 23-12 overall and 11-7 in Big 12 play last season, good for sixth in the league. The Horned Frogs also got back to the NCAA Tournament, beating Ohio State in the first round before running into Duke in the second round.
Senior forward Xavier Edmonds is back as one of the team’s key pieces, and the preseason recognition shows it. He earned a spot on the preseason All-Big 12 team after averaging 12.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. Edmonds also posted 11 double-doubles.
His numbers inside the league were especially strong. In Big 12 games, he ranked fourth with 8.4 rebounds per game, shot 55.9% from the field and finished the season at 43.6% from 3-point range.
TCU will need that kind of production, especially with leading scorer David Punch gone after transferring to Texas. Punch put up 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season, and replacing that output is not going to come from one simple fix. It looks more like a committee job.
The return of point guard Brock Harding, along with guards Micah Robinson and Tanner Toolson, gives Dixon some continuity in the backcourt. Their familiarity with the system should help steady the group while the newcomers settle in and the staff figures out the rotation.
Among those newcomers, guard Gavin Sykes stands out after being named Big West Conference Freshman of the Year at Long Beach State. He brings another scoring option into the mix as TCU tries to make up for Punch’s departure.
The Horned Frogs also had a chance to start sorting through pieces during their summer trip to Costa Rica, an early step in building chemistry and setting roles.
That part of the job matters in this league. With six ranked teams and a coaches’ poll that has Arizona projected to repeat as Big 12 champion, the margin for error is thin. Houston was picked second, then Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech, with BYU sixth and TCU right behind at seventh.
TCU’s recent track record gives the program something to point to, though. The Horned Frogs have reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, which is no small thing in a conference this brutal. Now the challenge is staying there while putting together a roster that is heavily reshaped.
The season begins at 7 p.m. CT Nov. 2 against Lindenwood, and that opener should offer an early look at how the pieces fit. The rotation, the scoring balance and the defensive communication all come into focus right away.
For TCU, the storyline is straightforward: Edmonds’ next step, Sykes’ arrival, and whether the Horned Frogs can absorb the loss of Punch while keeping pace in a loaded Big 12. The preseason polls have their answer for now. The season will decide the rest.
In Other News...
TCU Faces A Major Offensive Question Heading Into West Virginia
TCU heads into its matchup with West Virginia with more than the usual Friday-night uncertainty, as the availability report leaves a handful of important names in limbo. Jeremy Payne, Kari Ashley and Zach Chapman are all listed as questionable, while Landon Walker carries a doubtful tag, adding another layer of concern for a roster trying to sort out who will be ready when the Horned Frogs take the field.
The timing matters because the report comes with several other players from both teams marked out, doubtful, questionable or probable, turning the pregame picture into one of the more fluid ones on the schedule. For TCU, the offensive puzzle is especially notable, since the Horned Frogs may have to make adjustments in the middle of a conference stretch against a West Virginia team dealing with its own list of availability questions. [Read more 🡒]
TCUs Baylor Momentum Faces A Real Test Against A Familiar Threat
The Horned Frogs get a quick turn from a gritty 17-6 win over Baylor to a tougher stylistic test at Amon G. Carter Stadium, where West Virginia arrives with an offense built to stress defenses in a different way. TCUs passing game gave the team a needed lift last week, but the challenge now is keeping that rhythm while preparing for an opponent that wants to play fast, spread the field and force mistakes in space.
West Virginias attack also comes with a familiar face in former TCU running back Cam Cook, now paired with quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. in a system that can punish any hesitation on defense. For TCU, the concern is not just scheme fit but depth, with several players already carrying injury questions into the matchup as the Horned Frogs try to build on the Baylor momentum without letting one win turn into a letdown. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Got The Baylor Reset It Desperately Needed Now Comes The Test
A trip to Waco gave TCU the kind of reset it had been chasing after a rough 2-3 start, and it came in a rivalry game that still carried some extra weight. The Horned Frogs beat Baylor 17-6 to get back to .500, grab their first Big 12 win of the season and keep the Bluebonnet Battle trophy in Fort Worth, with Jordan Dwyer piling up 150 receiving yards and Jaden Craig throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns.
What made the result feel bigger than a simple bounce-back was how cleanly TCU handled the games critical moments on both sides of the ball. The defense took control by making Baylor one-dimensional and taking away the Bears usual edge, while the offense did enough through the air to separate after a slow start to the season. Now comes the harder part for the Horned Frogs, because one rivalry win can steady a team, but it does not answer whether this is the start of a real turnaround. [Read more 🡒]