TCU men's basketball season preview
KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 08: Head coach Jamie Dixon of TCU reacts during the first round game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against Oklahoma at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
TCU
Last season: 24-15, NIT champions.
Nickname: Horned Frogs.
Coach: Jamie Dixon.
Conference: Big 12.
Who's gone: G Brandon Parrish, F Karviar Shepherd, F Chris Washburn, G Michael Williams.
Who's back: All five starters: F Vladimir Brodziansky, a preseason all-Big 12 pick after averaging team-high 14.1 points with 5.7 rebounds last season; PG Jaylen Fisher (9.9 points, 4.0 assists); F JD Miller; G Alex Robinson; F Kenrich Williams (11.4 points, 9.7 rebounds), who missed the 2016-17 opener before returning to the court after more than 600 days away from competition because of injuries.
Who's new: F Ahmed Hamdy, a graduate transfer from VCU, who is eligible to play immediately; Australian forwards Lat Mayen and Kouat Noi; G RJ Nembhard; JUCO transfer G Shawn Olden, a former top freshman at Pepperdine; C Kevin Samuel.
The Skinny: Dixon had an immediate impact at his alma mater after leaving Pittsburgh to return to Fort Worth. The Frogs won more than 20 games for the first time since 2004-05, and the NIT title. With all five starters back and some experienced newcomers, TCU is already getting noticed in the Big 12 - coaches picked them third in the preseason poll. They could make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.
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