In the midst of summer, Jamie Dixon can relax and do something he didn’t get to last summer — watch practice.
Real, bona fide, five-on-five practice.
Unlike the summer of 2018, a full roster of healthy players — 20, counting walk-on hopefuls — is at the TCU basketball coach’s disposal. Twelve months ago, a handful of key veterans and newcomers sat out all or part of the eight weeks of summer work because of injuries. Two years ago, transcript delays caused a late start for others.
This year, only one player is missing. Freshman point guard Francisco Farabello spent two weeks in Crete playing for Argentina in the FIBA Under-19 World Cup, which ended Sunday. When the veteran of international youth competition joins the Horned Frogs, the team will be at full strength with the start of Dixon’s fourth season as head coach four months away, Nov. 5.
“Last summer we had seven guys when we were practicing,” Dixon said. “And we didn’t practice (full-squad) all year last year. There was a little stretch in November and December where we were able to practice.”
In that respect, the Frogs are off to as good an all-around start as ever under Dixon.
“Hopefully we can play guys at positions that we actually intend them to play,” Dixon said. “Last year we had a completely different lineup than I anticipated. Kouat was playing a different position than I anticipated him playing. Desmond was really playing a different position. That kind of happens when you lose a couple guys.”
The Frogs are certainly closer to the model Dixon has in mind for the new era that college basketball is entering, where transfers and one- and two-year stints become more commonplace as growing numbers of players seek NBA inroads.
“We’re in a whole new world now,” Dixon said. “It used to be if you were a lottery pick, ‘Go,’ and if you weren’t, ‘Don’t.’ Now, if you’re getting drafted, you definitely go. And the opportunities to make money overseas, they’re growing. Kids are forgoing that last year even knowing they’re not getting drafted.”
Graduate transfers Jaire Grayer of George Mason and Edric Dennis of UTA are among seven newcomers who join veterans Desmond Bane, Kevin Samuel, RJ Nembhard, Russell Barlow and Lat Mayen. Two others are sitting out a transfer year.
“We wanted to get some graduate transfers, we wanted to get some sit-out guys, we wanted to get some high school guys,” Dixon said. “I like the addition of the fifth-year guys. I think they’re exactly what we needed. So I thought we did a good job with that. Our injury thing was our biggest thing. We had to get healthy. We had to build some depth. When we’ve been good, it’s been about having depth. And I just haven’t been able to get the depth as I’d like it since we’ve been here. The injuries have been so unique.”
The other newcomers include four-star recruit P.J. Fuller, a guard from Seattle who played his last high school season at Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep, where fellow incoming guard Taryn Todd of Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, also played.
Mickey Pearson Jr., a former Saint Louis commit who played last year at Hargrave Military Academy, and four-star recruit Diante Smith of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., are in as forwards.
Kevin Easley (Chattanooga) and Jaedon LeDee (Ohio State) will be eligible next season. Another transfer, Keonte Kennedy (Xavier), signed in April and also would have been eligible in 2020-21 but is no longer coming to TCU, a team spokesman said.
“It’s got a chance to be the most talented team we’ve had,” Bane said. “Speed, athleticism, really versatile. They’re tough. We’re really fast.”
It will certainly be a new team. Four players announced transfers mid-season last year (Jaylen Fisher, Yuat Alok, Kaden Archie, Angus McMillan). Kendric Davis announced on June 3 his intent to transfer. Kouat Noi declared for the NBA draft and last week signed professionally in New Zealand.
Change happens every year, but it’s not a stretch to think in the Frogs’ case, it might have been more than they once planned for. No matter. Dixon says that’s college basketball today.
“Get used to it. The rules have been made for that,” he said. “Fifth-year transfers, that’s going to be common. There’s only going to be more of those. I said when they made the rule, you know what this is going to lead to, and it certainly has, probably even more than I thought. It is what it is, and that’s fine. You just embrace it. That’s how it’s going to be. You adjust. You make it work. And we will. Every year, you’re going to be building a new roster.”
Dixon provided assessments of the newcomers.
Of Fuller, Dixon said, “Good kid, good instincts. He’s obviously very athletic and quick. I think he’s a good teammate. Just going to get better and better. He’s got a nice feel. Good touch.”
Of Farabello: “True point guard, knows how to play, good teammate.”
Of Dennis: “Brings us some experience, a little more balance to our class. Love his enthusiasm, his energy and his physicality, competitiveness.”
Of Todd: “Really explosive, quick guard. Really good athleticism and length, all those things you want.”
Of Smith: “Shoots it well. He’s long, he’s athletic. He’s got a pretty good feel, too.”
Of Gray: “Gives us that fifth-year guy. He can shoot it, he can rebound it. Got some physicality to him.”
Of Pearson: “Can shoot the ball well and really long and athletic.”
Sense a theme?
“Across the board, we’re long and athletic, which is probably the most I’ve ever had,” Dixon said. “But at the same time, certainly the youngest we’ve ever had. Things come with that as well. The biggest thing, I think, is that we have high-character guys that are leaders. Desmond is going to do a great job as a leader, in work ethic, showing guys how to do it, and then he’ll have the results that come with it. It’s a great example for guys.
“And I think Ed brings that, and I think Jaire brings that — no-nonsense guys that play hard and are pretty good athletes but great, great teammates. So I think that’s going to be good. That’s a good thing to start with.”
