As the No. 8-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes prepare for their opening game in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the No. 9-seeded TCU Horned Frogs await them in Greenville.
TCU has been a solid but fairly inconsistent team this season, with some big wins over Florida, Texas Tech, and Iowa State, but losses to New Orleans, Notre Dame, Utah, and Colorado.
They are one of the smaller teams in the country, but they are physical and draw a lot of fouls. It will be key for Ohio State to knock down open shots, take care
of the ball, and not get into early foul trouble.
TCU runs a small rotation, with four of the five starters playing over 26 minutes per game and only two players playing meaningful bench minutes.
Starters
Brock Harding – Guard
Stats: 8.0 PPG, 5.7 APG, 2.8 RPG
Harding will be a familiar face for Buckeye fans, as the starting point guard is a transfer from Iowa. He is a pass-first guard who facilitates the offense for TCU and plays over 30 minutes per game. He can shoot the ball and create his own offense, but he normally defers to others. He is also a great on-ball defender who uses his speed to his advantage.
Jayden Pierre – Guard
Stats: 10.5 PPG, 2.7 APG, 2.2 RPG
Pierre is a solid three-level scorer who can create his own shot and finish strong at the rim. He is undersized at 6-foot, but can still use his strength to get to his spots and knock down mid-range jump shots. He is also a reliable secondary ball handler for Harding.
Micah Robinson – Forward
Stats: 10.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 APG
Robinson averages over ten points per game, but he has struggled with efficiency this season, only shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.7% from three-point range. He is one of the better defenders for head coach Jamie Dixon and will likely be the guy tasked with slowing down Devin Royal and, at times, Amare Bynum.
David Punch – Forward
Stats: 14.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.1 APG
Punch is the engine that makes the TCU car run. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding while playing the third most minutes. The 6-foot-7 forward is not a great shooter, but he is an elite finisher at the rim and likes to get in transition on turnovers. He is also one of the better defenders on the team and is the most likely candidate for “guy who can take the game over” for TCU.
Xavier Edmonds – Center
Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG
Edmonds is one of the best offensive rebounders in the country due to his athleticism and effort. He does not shoot many three-pointers, but he does shoot them at 41.2% on the season. It will be important for Royal, Bynum, and Christoph Tilly to keep track of where Edmonds is and rebound the ball well to negate second-chance points.
Bench
Tanner Toolson – Wing
Stats: 8.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.9 APG
Toolson is one of the two guys that plays meaningful minutes off the bench for the Horned Frogs. He is a good finisher but not a great shooter, only shooting the ball at 2.93% from three-point range.
Liutauras Lelevicius – Forward
Stats: 8.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.7 APG
The best shooter on the team, Lelevicius, is a 39.7% three-point shooter on 3.6 attempts per game. He is always looking to shoot off screens and will force switches or someone to chase him off the ball.
