The TCU Horned Frogs will make their case for the Top 25 against the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats later today in Fort Worth with a 3 p.m. CT tipoff on ESPN. TCU blew a 16-point lead to No. 22 Kansas to fall 104-100 in overtime at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday, and now hopes to pivot forward in a big way against the top-ranked basketball team in the country.
The spread opened up with Arizona as 6.5-point favorites and has grown to 7.5 points as of Saturday morning. The over/under opened at 153 total points and has moved up to 154.5 total points.
The undefeated Wildcats (15-0, 2-0 Big 12), led by freshman guard Brayden Burries, are looking to stay perfect in their third Big 12 contest with TCU. Arizona cruised by Kansas State and Utah – two teams still below 10 wins – to open conference play at 2-0.
As for the Horned Frogs (11-4, 1-1), Tuesday’s loss at Kansas is their first since another overtime loss to Notre Dame, this time at home and coming down to a single basket. Led by star forward David Punch, TCU has six Power Four wins already on its resume and came awfully close to hanging a seventh in Lawrence earlier this week.
TWO PLAYERS TO WATCH
BRAYDEN BURRIES, ARIZONA GUARD
In 15 games, five-star freshman guard Brayden Burries (15.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5) is playing his way into the 2026 NBA Draft conversation. The 6-foot-4 California native is fresh off a 28-point performance at Kansas State, including nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block. NBA Draft Room currently slots Burries as a mid-first to second-round pick in 2026 or 2027.
DAVID PUNCH, TCU FORWARD
Punch, powering through late-game cramps at Kansas on Tuesday, is a difference-maker at both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-7 and 246 pounds, Punch leads the Big 12 with at least two blocks and a steal per night; Punch matched a season-high five blocks against the Jayhawks. The Texas native is also the Horned Frogs’ leading producer with 14.4 points and 7.8 boards (tied for 90th nationwide) per night.
KEY STORYLINES
MEETING ARIZONA IN THE FRONTCOURT
Arizona boasts two lethal weapons inside: Lithuanian center Motiejus Krivas (11.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.1 apg) and true freshman forward Koa Peat (14.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 apg). The Wildcats, as a team, lead in the Big 12 in rebounding with 44.3 boards per night. Slowing down Arizona begins forcing the 3-point ball, where the Wildcats are just 37%.
SNAPPING THE STREAK
TCU is just 1-10 all-time against No. 1 opponents ranked by the AP Poll, and just 2-10 all-time against those inside the top 5. But the Frogs are 8-1 on their home floor at Schollmaier Arena, and are poised to break the streak should they give Arizona a hard enough time inside.
PREDICTION: ARIZONA 84, TCU 81
This one has the potential to become one of the more rewarding watches of the weekend, and most of that stems from just how well TCU is playing right now. Arizona is the obvious giant to topple as of late, but the Horned Frogs are arguably more tested through their two conference games than Arizona, and will have their home crowd behind them following a quality showing against Kansas on Tuesday. Ultimately, TCU must meet the Wildcats at the rim through 40 minutes if they wanna knock off the top dog. Arizona slips back across the border with a close one in Fort Worth.
