Big 12 Portal Thoughts: TCU Men Hoping Big Transfer Haul Hits
The TCU Horned Frogs men’s basketball team knew they would experience significant turnover after the season, thanks in part to eligibility.
Between players that ran out of eligibility and the transfer portal, the Horned Frogs lost 11 players. It’s the kind of turnover seen when coaching changes are made. But head coach Jamie Dixon isn’t going anywhere. So he and his staff will have to navigate a roster with a lot of new faces next season.
In this edition of Portal Thoughts we take a look at where TCU is now and what’s left to do this offseason.
TCU’s Losses (6)
TCU’s roster was veteran-heavy, with several players in their final year of eligibility, and now six of them have moved on.
Foremost among them was forward Emanuel Miller, who emerged as the team’s leader in his final two seasons. He was the team’s leading scorer (15.8) and rebounder (6.1) last season.
The Horned Frogs have a lot of scoring to replace.
Guard Jameer Nelson Jr. transferred in with one year left and averaged 11.2 points and 3.3 assists. Guard Avery Anderson III, who was with Oklahoma State and transferred to the Horned Frogs to be closer to home, averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 assists.
Forward Chuck O’Bannon Jr. had been with TCU for a few years and finished off his final season by averaging 5.5 points in 14 minutes. Guard Trevian Tennyson, who transferred in with one year remaining, averaged 8.4 points and was TCU’s second-best 3-point shooter.
Forward Xavier Cork was a solid bench presence who averaged 4.2 points last season.
TCU’s Transfer Losses (5)
TCU lost five players to the transfer portal, foremost among them guard Micah Peavy and forward JaKobe Coles.
Peavy is on his way to the Big East to play for the Georgetown Hoyas. He’ll take his 10.9 points and 4.9 rebounds with him. He also had 1.3 steals.
Coles was the Horned Frogs’ best 3-point shooter by percentage and averaged 10 points and 3.8 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes. He’s transferring to Grand Canyon.
The other three transfers didn’t play big roles last season. Guard Darius Ford played in eight games and transferred to Alabama A&M. Forward Essam Mostafa played in 30 games and averaged nearly 10 minutes but is headed for Middle Tennessee. Guard Zach Gonsoulin didn’t play and hasn’t landed at another school yet.
TCU’s Transfer Gains (7)
With a lot of players out the door, the Horned Frogs had to hit the portal and hit it hard. At the moment, they have seven new players coming in with college experience:
Guard Noah Reynolds averaged 20 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists for Green Bay;
Forward Trazarien White averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists for UNC Wilmington;
Guard Vasean Allette averaged 17.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists for Old Dominion;
Guard Frankie Collins averaged 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for Arizona State;
Guard Brendan Wenzel averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists for Wyoming;
Guard R.J. Jones averaged 2.4 points for Kansas State;
And forward C.J. Walker averaged 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds for UCF.
That’s a haul. Five players that averaged double figures in scoring last year, one of them for a new Big 12 rival. Plus, stealing two players from current Big 12 rivals. Some of these players, like White, are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so they’re coming home.
TCU’s Recruiting Gains (4)
TCU pulled a quality freshman class that featured four players, one of which was ranked in the final 247Sports Top 100 in the country.
Micah Robinson, a 6-foot-6 forward, was ranked No. 98 and is a four-star player. He’s coming from one of the top prep schools in the country, Oak Hill Academy.
Forward David Punch is from Harker Heights, Texas, and was ranked No. 115 overall. Center Malick Diallo played for Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, and was ranked No. 160. Guard Ashton Simmons is a Top 250 player from West Brook High School in Beaumont, Texas.
Set to Return (6)
It’s a returning group short on experience. The most experienced is forward Ernest Udeh Jr., who is a junior who transferred in from Kansas last season and averaged 4.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Forward Isaiah Manning and guard Jace Posey, both Top 100 players coming out of high school, redshirted last season.
Guards Tyler Lundblade, Trey Stuart and Cole Despie return but played little last season and are likely walk-ons.
What’s Left?
TCU should be one of the most intriguing teams in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs have lost their wealth of experience and are working to replace it with players who have great stats but haven’t played together. TCU’s top seven scorers from last season are out the door. The bigger question will be how long it will take this group to come together defensively.
It appears that TCU is out of scholarships unless something changes.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
