No. 9 TCU Upsets No. 1 Duke in NCAA Tournament

Horned Frogs pull off stunning second-round victory over Blue Devils

Mar. 22, 2026 at 12:38am

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In a major NCAA Tournament upset, the 9th-seeded TCU Horned Frogs defeated the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils 78-73 in the second round on Saturday. The Horned Frogs used a balanced scoring attack and stifling defense to overcome Duke's star-studded lineup and advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Why it matters

This result is a major surprise, as Duke was widely expected to cruise through the early rounds of the tournament. TCU's victory over the perennial powerhouse Blue Devils will be one of the biggest storylines of the 2026 NCAA Tournament so far, and it shakes up the South Region bracket significantly.

The details

TCU was led by junior guard Mike Miles, who scored a game-high 25 points. The Horned Frogs also got key contributions from forward Emanuel Miller (16 points, 9 rebounds) and guard Damion Baugh (14 points, 6 assists). Duke's star freshman forward Dariq Whitehead had 22 points in the losing effort, but the Blue Devils struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm against TCU's stifling defense.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
  • TCU and Duke faced off in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The players

Mike Miles

A junior guard for the TCU Horned Frogs who scored a game-high 25 points in the upset victory over Duke.

Emanuel Miller

A forward for the TCU Horned Frogs who contributed 16 points and 9 rebounds in the win over Duke.

Damion Baugh

A guard for the TCU Horned Frogs who scored 14 points and dished out 6 assists in the upset over Duke.

Dariq Whitehead

A freshman forward for the Duke Blue Devils who led his team with 22 points in the losing effort against TCU.

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What they’re saying

“I'm so proud of our guys. They came out and played their hearts out against one of the best teams in the country. This is a huge win for our program.”

— Jamie Dixon, Head Coach, TCU Horned Frogs

“Give TCU a lot of credit, they outplayed us in every facet of the game. We have to regroup and get ready for the offseason.”

— Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Duke Blue Devils

What’s next

TCU will advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, where they will face the winner of the matchup between 4-seed Illinois and 12-seed UC Santa Barbara.

The takeaway

This stunning upset by the TCU Horned Frogs over the Duke Blue Devils is a testament to the parity and unpredictability of the NCAA Tournament. It shows that any team, regardless of seeding, can pull off a big win on the right night and that the road to the Final Four is never easy, even for the tournament's top contenders.