The TCU Horned Frogs have rarely been known for their prowess on the basketball court. For most of the program’s history, cheap TCU basketball tickets have been easy to find. However, TCU joining the Big 12 in 2012 gave the program a bigger spotlight and a chance to improve. The Horned Frogs have done just that. With a significant amount of progress in a short time, last-minute TCU basketball tickets are now in demand, and the Horned Frogs are working their way into the national conversation on the basketball court.

Hey, Buster

Most college basketball fans don’t remember, but the Horned Frogs had some good days back in the 1950s under longtime head coach Buster Bannon. After taking over a troubled program in 1948, Bannon helped the Horned Frogs go from last to first in the Southwest Conference, winning three straight conference titles from 1951 to 1953. TCU also reached the Sweet 16 twice during those three years and again in 1959 after winning another Southwest Conference title. In 1968, the year after Bannon stepped down, his replacement Johnny Swaim guided TCU to the Elite Eight, which remains the program’s high watermark.

The Prodigal Son Returns

Not surprisingly, the Horned Frogs hit some hard times after making the jump to the Big 12. However, they called upon one of their own to turn things around. Jamie Dixon, who played at TCU in the 1980s, left a stable job at Pitt to take over at his alma mater in 2016. In his first season coaching the Horned Frogs, Dixon led TCU to an NIT championship. A year later, he got the Horned Frogs back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years. It was an incredible accomplishment by Dixon that showed a stunning amount of progress in a short period and makes it clear that the future is bright for TCU basketball.