FORT WORTH
The TCU Horned Frogs will be massive favorites in their first March Madness game against UC San Diego on Friday, but head coach Mark Campbell pointed out that only one thing is guaranteed in postseason basketball.
“The tail end of the season, I think we won eight straight and earned our way to the championship game of the Big 12, and that night and that game got outplayed by West Virginia,” Campbell said. “That was also a healthy reset. We were rolling for a while, and it stings when you lose a game like that, and for young people, it’s just a really good reminder heading into March Madness that we’re only guaranteed 40 minutes. This week in practice, every jersey front and back had the number 40 on it, and that’s a reminder that the only thing we’re promised right now is 40 more minutes of basketball, and we got to be locked in and earn the right to play another game.”
It’s something that senior Marta Suárez, playing in the second NCAA Tournament game of her career, echoed talking about the team’s mindset heading into the game.
“We’re confident, and we’re aware of the moment, and we’re just excited,” Suárez said. “And anything that’s happened before, like everybody says, it’s March, it’s 0-0. Like, you don’t get no extra points for winning nothing. You don’t get no extra points for no awards, for no losses, for no nothing. Like, you just go out there and win, and I think that’s where I’m very confident in this team. In the one-on-one, there’s a winner, there’s a loser. We’re going to take that win.”
Campbell talked about the team’s age being an asset over the past several seasons in understanding the moment.
“We got an old team a year ago. We were one of the oldest teams in the country, and this year, one of the oldest teams in the country, and so these players understand what’s at stake,” Campbell said. “They understand March, and they have big goals and things that they want to accomplish.”
Junior Donovyn Hunter talked about those older players and how the team wanted to win for them.
“This is [the seniors’] last year,” she said. “So for me, I have another year under my belt coming up. So I think it’s a cool opportunity to be able to just … play for all the seniors that are on the team. Last year it’s kind of a similar process where there were a lot of older girls on the team. So for me, March this year is kind of just to do what I can for the team, and it’s a cool thing to be able to be alongside them for their last ride.”
One of those seniors is Taylor Bigby, who talked about the camaraderie on the Horned Frogs.
“We just love playing for one another, and we love seeing each one of us eat,” she said. “Like, if it’s Marta’s night, it’s Marta’s night, if it’s Liv’s night it’s Liv’s night, if it’s [Clara] Silva’s night. Like, we just love seeing each other do what we do best. And, yeah, I mean, I do know our lowerclassmen are trying to cheer on our upperclassmen just telling us, hey, like, ‘This is y’alls last ride. We don’t want you guys to have any regrets at the day.’ So that, also the camaraderie and just the focus that we have in practice. You can definitely feel that vibe.”
Suárez talked about the team growing close quickly over the summer. Star guard Olivia Miles concurred.
“I feel like we’ve been together,” Miles said. “From my perspective, I’ve been, like connected with these girls from day one, and it’s only grown, and to you guys, it may feel like something different, but to us, it feels like a tight-knit, close community, and we support each other both on and off the court.”
TCU will open the NCAA Tournament against UC San Diego at 11 a.m. Friday at Schollmaier Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN.
Game schedule dates, times, locations March 10 Atlanta 124, Mavericks 112 March 12 Mavericks 120, Memphis 112 March 13 Cleveland 138, Mavericks 105 March 15 Mavericks 130, Cleveland 120 March 16 New Orleans 129, Mavericks 111 March 18 vs. Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV March 21 vs. L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV March 23 vs. Golden State, 8:30 p.m., Peacock, NBC Sports Network March 25 at Denver, 9 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV March 27 at Portland, 9 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV Feb. 28 TCU 77, Kansas State 68 March 3 TCU 73, Texas Tech 65 March 7 TCU 73, Cincinnati 63 Big 12 Tournament (at Kansas City, Mo.) March 11 No. 6 TCU 95, No. 14 Oklahoma State 88 (second round) March 12 No. 3 Kansas 78, No. 6 TCU 73 (quarterfinals) NCAA Tournament March 19 No. 9 TCU 66, No. 8 Ohio State 64 (at Greenville, S.C.) March 21 vs. No. 1 Duke (at Greenville, S.C.), 4:15 p.m., CBS Feb. 25 TCU 83, Cincinnati 70 March 1 TCU 65, Baylor 53 Big 12 Tournament (at Kansas City, Mo.) March 6 No. 1 TCU 63, No. 9 BYU 46 (quarterfinals) March 7 No. 1 TCU 74, No. 12 Kansas State 62 (semifinals) March 8 No. 2 West Virginia 62, No. 1 TCU 53 (championship) NCAA Tournament March 20 vs. No. 14 UC San Diego (at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth), 11 a.m., ESPN March 26 at Philadelphia, 3:15 p.m., RSN March 28 at Philadelphia, 3:05 p.m., RSN March 29 at Philadelphia, 12:35 p.m., RSN March 30 at Baltimore, 5:35 p.m., RSN March 31 at Baltimore, 5:35 p.m., RSN April 1 at Baltimore, 11:35 a.m., RSN March 10 TCU 9, Kansas 4 March 13 TCU 5, Arizona State 4 March 14 Arizona State 15, TCU 8 March 15 Arizona State 4, TCU 0 March 17 TCU 16, New Mexico State 6 (7 innings) March 20 vs. Central Florida, 6 p.m., ESPN+ March 21 vs. Central Florida, 5 p.m., ESPN+ March 22 vs. Central Florida, 1 p.m., ESPN+ March 24 at Dallas Baptist, 6 p.m., ESPN+ March 27 vs. Texas Tech, 6 p.m., ESPN+ March 28 vs. Texas Tech, 2 p.m., ESPN+ March 29 vs. Texas Tech, 1 p.m., ESPN+ March 8 Stars 4, Chicago 3 (OT) March 10 Stars 2, Vegas 1 March 12 Stars 7, Edmonton 2 March 14 Stars 3, Detroit 2 (OT) March 16 Utah 6, Stars 3 March 18 at Colorado, 8:30 p.m., TNT, HBO Max March 21 at Minnesota, 3 p.m., Victory+ March 22 vs. Vegas, 6 p.m., NHL Network, Victory+ March 24 vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m., KDFI 27, Victory+ March 26 at N.Y. Islanders, 6 p.m., Victory+ 2026 season Aug. 29 vs. North Carolina (at Dublin), TBA Sept. 12 vs. Grambling State, TBA Sept. 19 vs. Arkansas State, TBA Sept. 26 at Central Florida, TBA Oct. 3 vs. BYU, TBA Oct. 17 at Baylor, TBA Oct. 24 vs. West Virginia, TBA Oct. 31 vs. Kansas, TBA Nov. 7 at Arizona, TBA Nov. 14 vs. Kansas State, TBA Nov. 21 vs. Utah, TBA Nov. 28 at Texas Tech, TBA 2026 season TBA vs. TBA (at Rio de Janeiro), TBA 2026 opponents (dates and times TBA; one home game will be in Rio) vs. N.Y Giants vs. Philadelphia vs. Washington vs. Arizona vs. San Francisco vs. Tampa Bay vs. Jacksonville vs. Tennessee vs. Baltimore at N.Y Giants at Philadelphia at Washington at L.A. Rams at Seattle at Green Bay at Houston at Indianapolis Feb. 21 FC Dallas 3, Toronto 2 Feb. 28 FC Dallas 0, Nashville 0 March 7 LAFC 1, FC Dallas 0 March 14 FC Dallas 3, San Diego 3 March 21 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV April 4 at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m., Apple TV April 11 vs. St. Louis, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV April 18 vs. LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV April 22 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV March 20-21 POWRi Racing March 28 Mopar Heaven April 11 NASCAR Racing Experience April 18 Team Texas-David Starr’s Racing School April 18 Bubble Run April 23-25 Pate Swap Meet April 25 FuelFest April 30-May 2 High Limit Racing Stockyard Stampede May 1 NASCAR Truck Series: SpeedyCash.com 250 May 2 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 May 3 NASCAR Cup Series: Wurth 400
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 3:50 PM.
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Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.