At the start of February, the thought of TCU men\u2019s basketball reaching the NCAA Tournament felt like a long shot.<\/p>\n
The Horned Frogs had just fallen to 3-6 in Big 12 play after being blown out 87-61 by Colorado<\/a> on the road. But as TCU and coach Jamie Dixon stared down the possibility of missing the tournament for the second straight season, things suddenly began to click for the Horned Frogs.<\/p>\n TCU went from being on the wrong side of the bubble to being a lock for March Madness with a late-season run that saw the Horned Frogs win nine of their final 11 games, including wins over ranked opponents Texas Tech<\/a> and Iowa State<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even after falling 78-73 to Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament<\/a> quarterfinals Thursday, the Horned Frogs will enter the NCAA Tournament with plenty of momentum and a chance to go on a Cinderella run<\/a>.<\/p>\n After the adversity the Horned Frogs endured this season, the fact that TCU is playing its best basketball at the right time makes this one of Dixon\u2019s best coaching jobs of his tenure in Fort Worth. But if you ask him, it starts with roster he assembled.<\/p>\n \u201cI think good players and just putting them together. And I think we\u2019re young. We\u2019re young and got better as the year went on,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cSo probably the youngest \u2014 everybody tells us we\u2019re the smallest \u2014 I think we\u2019re the youngest in the league or a Power Five. But I mean our practices are really good.<\/p>\n \u201cOur walk-throughs are really good. They giggle a little bit too much for me, but it\u2019s a good thing. But they care. And they believe in each other. And I believe in them.\u201d<\/p>\n That belief was forged through overcoming adversity, and it\u2019s one reason TCU will be dangerous entering the tournament.<\/p>\n Tripping over the first hurdle vs. New Orleans<\/p>\n TCU put itself behind the eight-ball in the season opener when the Horned Frogs were upset 78-74 by New Orleans<\/a> on Nov. 5. The Pioneers ended up finishing 15-18, tied for fifth in the Southland Conference.<\/p>\n Adding onto the loss was the season-ending injury to starting center Malick Diallo<\/a> at a position that was already a question mark. A loss like that is one that usually can tank a resume, and the Horned Frogs were already at a crossroads just one game into the season.<\/p>\n \u201c[The emotion] wasn\u2019t great. You start off with a loss you\u2019re not supposed to have as a Power Five team who had big expectations,\u201d junior point guard Brock Harding said. \u201cWe started as low as you can. I think at that time, everybody kind of had that vibe that everything was over.\u201d<\/p>\n As bad as the vibes were at the time, TCU didn\u2019t have long to feel sorry for itself, as it faced a gauntlet against Michigan, Florida and Wisconsin in a span of four games. After nearly upsetting Michigan<\/a> at Schollmaier Arena, the Horned Frogs defeated the Gators and Badgers<\/a> in back-to-back days during Thanksgiving weekend in the Rady Children\u2019s Invitational.<\/p>\n With those two wins, TCU changed the trajectory of its season and put the loss to New Orleans in the rearview mirror. The Horned Frogs were beginning to find their identity in the wake of Diallo\u2019s injury with the emergence of sophomore forward David Punch and Harding providing direction at point.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really impressive how the coaches and everybody came together and didn\u2019t let that control what the rest of the season was,\u201d Harding said. \u201cWe came together and decided that wasn\u2019t going to be the narrative the rest of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n After a loss in overtime to Notre Dame on Dec. 5, TCU reeled off a six-game winning streak that included a victory in the Big 12 opener against rival Baylor.<\/p>\n However, the good vibes established in the non-conference would quickly be tested as the Horned Frogs got deeper into Big 12 play.<\/p>\n Horned Frogs find their identity<\/p>\n TCU got off to a rough start in conference play, falling to 1-4 after grueling stretch that included Kansas, Arizona and BYU. The overtime loss to the Jayhawks<\/a> was particularly painful, as the Horned Frogs led 81-66 with 5:19 remaining.<\/p>\n Blowing that game in Lawrence was another setback that felt like it could have massive implications for March Madness. The losses continued to stack, as TCU endured a bad defeat at Utah and then was run off the court by Colorado.<\/p>\n But just as the season was looking bleak, the Horned Frogs began to evolve into the best versions of themselves. The first piece was the development of big man Xavier Edmonds<\/a>.<\/p>\n The former junior college forward\/center was thrust into a much bigger role because of Diallo\u2019s injury. He showed flashes during the non-conference schedule, but as TCU continued to battle with Big 12 teams, Edmonds improved rapidly.<\/p>\n