NCAAT Preview: #1 Duke Blue Devils (33-2, 17-1 ACC) vs #9 TCU Horned Frogs (23-11, 11-7 BIG12)

NCAAT Preview: #1 Duke Blue Devils (33-2, 17-1 ACC) vs #9 TCU Horned Frogs (23-11, 11-7 BIG12)

Saturday, March 21 • 5:15 p.m. ET

NCAA Tournament Second Round • Bon Secours Wellness Arena (15,000) • Greenville, SC

TV: CBS

Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELD

The #1 seed Blue Devils face the #9 seed TCU Horned Frogs in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Greenville, SC.

TV CBS
Play-by-Play Ian Eagle
Analyst Grant Hill
Analyst Bill Raftery
Reporter Tracy Wolfson
Producer Ken Mack

Radio Blue Devil Sports Network
Play-by-Play David Shumate
Analyst John Roth
Engineer John Rose
In Durham 96.5 FM & 620 AM
SiriusXM TBD & SiriusXM app

TCU enters Saturday’s matchup with Duke with a 23-11 record; they went 11-7 in the Big12 and have won 10 of their last 12 games, finishing sixth in the Big 12. TCU will be the only team in the country that has faced all four of the No. 1 seeds in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and Duke. The win over No. 10 Florida was one of three top-10 ranked wins throughout the season. TCU ranks 38th nationally in turnover margin (+2.8).

The Horned Frogs are led by the All-Big 12 Conference front court of Xavier Edmonds (third team) and David Punch (honorable mention). Punch leads the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game and in rebounding at 6.9 per game. Edmonds contributes 12.7 points and 6.7 boards per game.

Last Time Out:

A game-winning shot by Xavier Edmonds led TCU to a 66-64 first round NCAA Tournament win over Ohio State on Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Horned Frogs (23-11) led by as many as 15 points in the first half but trailed by five with 6:19 remaining. The game was tied 61-61 with 1:16 to play before Micah Robinson’s career-best fourth 3-pointer of the game gave TCU a 64-61 lead. The Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer Bruce Thornton hit a three to tie it with 32 seconds remaining. Edmonds, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, took the ball in the paint on a pass from David Punch and scored the go-ahead bucket with 4.3 seconds left. Thornton’s half-court attempt was off to give TCU its first NCAA Tournament win since 2023.

Duke has secured 12 top-25 victories, including the most in the regular season (11) in ACC history and tied for the most in a regular season in AP poll history. Duke is one of only two teams ranked in the top six nationally in both offensive efficiency (127.4, 6th) and defensive efficiency (89.8, 1st) ratings. (KenPom) The Blue Devils are second in the nation in scoring margin (+18.8); they rank fourth in the nation and first in the ACC in scoring defense (63.2 ppg). The Blue Devils are ninth nationally with an ACC-best field goal percentage defense of 39.2%, top the conference, and rank fifth in the country in rebounding margin (+10.9).

Cameron Boozer is the nation’s ninth-leading scorer with 22.5 points per game and is tied for third in the nation with 20 double-doubles, while topping the ACC in rebounding (10.3 rpg), is 12th in assists (4.2 apg), 15th in steals (1.4 spg), and fifth in field goal percentage (.560). Boozer recorded at least 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists in all 35 games this season, the longest such streak by any player (men’s or women’s) at any point in a Division I career this century. Isaiah Evans is second on the Blue Devils in scoring, averaging just under 15 points per game at 14.9. Patrick Ngongba is also averaging in double figures for the Blue Devils at 10.7 points per game.

Last Time Out:

An 11-0 run within the final eight minutes of the contest brought back No. 1-seed Duke for a 71-65 victory against No. 16-seed Siena on Thursday. The Saints were held without a point for 6:47 after leading by 13 early in the second half. The Blue Devils received a career-high 19 points from Cayden Boozer and Cameron Boozer’s 20th double-double of the season to help power the comeback. Isaiah Evans tallied his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Blue Devil defense held the Saints to 8-of-34 shooting (23.5 percent) in the second half and out-rebounded Siena 30-13 after intermission.

TCU brings a very disruptive, physical defense that could give Duke issues if they aren’t connected and valuing the basketball. Duke cannot afford to turn the ball over and provide TCU with extra possessions and scoring opportunities. The Horned Frogs also utilize that physicality on the offensive end; they are very adept at putting fouls on defenders with how they attack the paint. They are also an excellent offensive rebounding team and generally find ways to score there. Duke has to secure the defensive exchanges, grabbing the ball with 2 hands and valuing it.

This TCU team has beaten Kansas, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Wisconsin, and Florida; they’ve been in close games against Michigan, Arizona, BYU, and Houston. They’ve played a schedule just as tough or tougher than the Blue Devils and will come out swinging.

Duke does have some advantages, especially in their perimeter length and offensive talent. Duke’s big guards could give the Horned Frogs trouble if they can consistently—on the defensive end—get their hands on loose balls and offensively drive to the basket, putting pressure on TCU’s interior defense. Duke has to be sharp; if they come out with the effort and energy level they did in their first-round game, it will end in a quick trip home to Durham. Also, they need to hit their open shots, and the right guys have to be shooting those shots, take shots in rhythm, and not settle because the paint is packed; ball movement leading to good shots is important.