TCU secured the commitment of Gavin Sykes, one of the best mid-major players last season, and the Horned Frogs have high expectations for the young guard.
TCU men's hoops once again had a memorable season under head coach and former Horned Frog Jamie Dixon, who has helped turned his alma mater into an annual contender for a March Madness berth.
However, Dixon and company have yet to take the next step -- a trip to the second weekend in the big dance. Last year was an especially bitter pill to swallow, as TCU earned a gritty opening round win over Ohio State and hung with No. 1 seeded Duke before the Blue Devils ran away in the second half.
Following the most recent stint of so close yet so far away, TCU suffered another blow in the departure of star forward David Punch to cross-state rival Texas, who was arguably the leader during the run for the Horned Frogs.
Nonetheless, Dixon put his head down and got to work rebuilding this latest squad to not only return to March Madness but finally reach the Sweet 16 and maybe even beyond.
One of the biggest gets for the Horned Frogs and one that is presumed to play a big role in making these hopes a reality is Gavin Sykes, a sophomore transfer from Long Beach State.
While he came from a mid-major school, Sykes has showcased his skillset in his lone collegiate season. He averaged a whopping 19.4 points with the Beach and knocked down close to 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, which earned him the Big West Freshman of the Year honor.
To put these numbers into perspective, only five freshman throughout the NCAA averaged more points than Sykes in BYU's A.J. Dybansta, Arkansas' Darius Acuff, North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, Duke's Cameron Boozer and Stanford's Ebuka Okorie.
All of these standouts are now headed for the NBA and all five were taken off the board in the first round of the draft.
Sykes has the talent to contend with the best in the nation, but can he continue to tap into that potential and bring his latest starring guard to the next level in his first season in the power conference ranks?
Steven M. Johnson of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram spoke with Sykes ahead of the debut campaign for Horned Frogs.
He emphasized his desire to compete in what he dubbed "the best league in the country" and prove that his record-breaking year was not solely due to the conference he was a part of.
"I want to be able to prove I can really guard my man, especially in the Big 12. It’s basically the best league in the country, so I just want to prove I can compete and really guard and prove to everybody I can be a really solid defender."
Sykes also spoke highly of his new coach and explained that Dixon played a key role in landing his transfer to TCU.
"I was looking for somewhere that was home, I don’t want to have to look for anything else again. I was just looking for somewhere where I can eventually play in the NBA, that’s the end goal at the end of the day. Talking to Coach Dixon, they were really honest."
That connection will be pivotal in a season that carries potentially the loftiest expectations for the Horned Frogs under Dixon, as TCU looks to show the rest of the nation why they hit the jackpot in taking one of, if not, the best transfer in the mid-majors.
