TCU basketball takes its rebuilt roster to Costa Rica for two exhibitions, giving Jamie Dixon an early look at a team chasing another NCAA Tournament run.
The Horned Frogs will travel to Costa Rica from July 31 through Aug. 5 for two exhibition games, giving coach Jamie Dixon a valuable early look at a dramatically reshaped roster.
TCU will spend time in Playa Hermosa and San Jose while mixing competition, team building and a little international exposure before the pressure of the 2026-27 season arrives.
This won’t be a sightseeing trip disguised as basketball.
Dixon is entering his 11th season at TCU, and he’ll use the tour to begin sorting out roles for a team carrying 10 newcomers.
The Horned Frogs return only four players from last season’s NCAA Tournament squad, though three were starters.
That returning core gives TCU something solid to build around.
All-Big 12 forward Xavier Edmonds is back and should be one of the roster’s central pieces.
Brock Harding, Micah Robinson and Tanner Toolson also return, providing experience for a program that has reached the NCAA Tournament four times in the past five seasons.
The real intrigue surrounds the new faces.
Gavin Sykes arrives after earning 2026 Big West Freshman of the Year honors, bringing immediate scoring potential and proven college production.
Trent Lincoln may be even more fascinating after finishing last season as the nation’s No. 1-ranked junior college player.
Costa Rica gives both players - and the rest of TCU’s massive newcomer class - a chance to begin proving they belong before official practices and Big 12 competition raise the stakes.
TCU last took an international summer tour in 2024, playing games in London and Paris. This year’s destination may be different, but the mission is the same: create chemistry before the season exposes every weakness.
Dixon doesn’t need a polished finished product in August. He needs answers.
Who can defend? Who can handle the ball late? Which newcomers fit beside Edmonds? And who’s ready to handle the physical grind of Big 12 basketball?
The Horned Frogs are headed to Costa Rica for two exhibitions. They could return with the first real blueprint for another March run.
