Ohio State, TCU Face Off in NCAA Tournament First Round

The Buckeyes and Horned Frogs meet for the first time since 1969 in East Regional action.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 2:45pm

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The eighth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes (21-12) will take on the No. 9 seed TCU Horned Frogs (22-11) in an East Regional first-round game of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon in Greensboro, North Carolina. Ohio State finished 12-8 in the Big Ten, while TCU went 11-7 in the Big 12. The winner will advance to face either top-seeded Duke or No. 16 seed Siena on Saturday.

Why it matters

This is the first meeting between Ohio State and TCU since 1969, and both teams are looking to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes are back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2022, while the Horned Frogs return after missing the tournament last season.

The details

Ohio State is led by Bruce Thornton, who averages 20.2 points per game, along with John Mobley Jr. (15.7 ppg) and Devin Royal (13.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). TCU is paced by David Punch (14.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Xavier Edmonds (12.6 ppg), with Brock Harding dishing out 5.7 assists per contest.

  • The game will tip off at 12:15 PM ET on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
  • Ohio State last made the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
  • TCU is returning to the Big Dance after missing the tournament last season.

The players

Bruce Thornton

The leading scorer for Ohio State, averaging 20.2 points per game.

David Punch

TCU's top scorer, averaging 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

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What’s next

The winner of the Ohio State-TCU game will face either top-seeded Duke or No. 16 seed Siena on Saturday.

The takeaway

This first-round NCAA Tournament matchup between the Buckeyes and Horned Frogs features two teams looking to make a deep run in the Big Dance, with the winner advancing to face a tough opponent in the next round.