What TCU Learned During Its Business Trip to Costa Rica

Early Returns on TCU's Transfer Class

TCU opened its first game with its new roster on Saturday against the University of Ottawa, winning 93-66. The Horned Frogs saw positive production from some of the new guys on the block, as the top 4 scorers were all transfers. TCU was led in points by Long Beach transfer Gavin Sykes, who contributed 20 points and made five three-pointers, a positive sign for Jamie Dixon, as his teams tend to struggle from three-point range.

Next in line was West Virginia transfer DJ Thomas, who made three three-pointers with 15 points, adding some lockdown defense.

Texas Tech transfer Luke Bamgboye scored 13 points, which was an awesome sign of things to come for him as a longtime rebounding, defensive big. If TCU can get solid offensive production from the big man, it adds a whole extra level to this team.

Lastly was highly anticipated JUCO transfer Trent Lincoln, who added 11 points and three 3-pointers. Lincoln is a continuation of Jamie Dixon attacking the JUCO levels as he joins the previously No. 1 JUCO-rated player, Xavier Edmonds.

TCU Sets the Tone in Game One

The game broke down well for the Frogs. TCU led 28-15 after the first quarter and 51-32 at the half. After the third, they led 70-40 as the Frogs' defense locked in, finishing the game with a 93-66 win.

The returners played well as the Frogs got 10 points from Micah Robinson, who added two three-pointers and moved the ball around well. Brock Harding had five points, and JUCO transfer Ryan Hunt added three points. Tanner Toolson had seven points.

TCU made 14 three-pointers, which was a really nice sign going into the year. And, the ever-consistent Jamie Dixon-led defense showed its colors, with TCU having 37 deflections and making things really difficult for Ottawa.

This game saw Micah Robinson, Brock Harding, Ryan Hunt, Tanner Toolson, and Xavier Edmonds get the start in what will be a very fluid team going into 2027.

Outscored them 19-8 in the third quarter#GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/fenUVni7tE
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) August 2, 2026

TCU Shows More Balance in Game Two

TCU wins its Sunday night match-up vs the University of Ottawa with a score of 99-70. The Frogs had to work a bit harder for this game, as they trailed 16-6 by one point in the first, but would later pull back.

Leading scorer for the Frogs once again was Gavin Sykes with another 20-point game. Sykes has been an exciting name for both fans and media, and so far, he's living up to the hype.

Jamie Dixon teams usually thrive on team-centric ball movement where many guys get touches, and many guys score. I do not expect that to change, but having a guy you can count on to go grab you a 20-point game any night really allows the Frogs to rely on some consistency.

Tanner Toolson added 18 points. The high-energy Toolson is going to be a big name to watch, either starting or coming off the bench. This team played its best ball last season when Toolson was getting touches.

Trent Lincoln added 13 points, another guy the Frogs want to rely on for offensive production. Luke Bangboye, Micah Robinson, and DJ Thomas all finished with 11 points. Bangboye continues to show he can score, expect him to be all over the glass and be an Ernest Udah of old for the Frogs, catching lobs and doing the dirty work.

As previously stated, TCU trailed 16-6 at one point in the first quarter but later rallied, tying it at 20-20 at the end of the first quarter. From here on, the Frogs started to pull away. Going into the half, the Frogs jumped out to a 54-34 lead. Frogs wouldn't look back as they scored 18 in the third and 27 in the fourth, winning 99-70.

Frogs tallied just nine turnovers to Ottawa's 14. Frogs didn't shoot the three-ball as well this game, and that will be something to continue to watch going into the regular season.

Can the Frogs get that unit of the game going to truly evolve the type of basketball they want to play? TCU showed a different starting lineup from game one, with Sykes, Lincoln, Bangboye, and Thomas all getting their respective first starts, alongside Micah Robinson.

Another win in Costa Rica #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/Ha9gBLOGhp
— TCU Men's Basketball (@TCUBasketball) August 2, 2026

Costa Rica Trip Gives Jamie Dixon a Foundation

Frogs ended the weekend 2-0 in San Jose, Costa Rica, where they traveled to a beautiful place and played some beautiful basketball. Frogs played many different guys, many different rotations, and startling lineups. The type of talent TCU saw isn't going to be Big 12 level, but it was a great opportunity for TCU to get its feet wet early, early on, and play a ton of different guys in a game that couldn't hurt them, only help.

This is a continued trend of teams traveling out of the country to play exhibition games, allowing them to circumvent NCAA rules and play against someone that doesn't share their jersey. TCU can leave Costa Rica after a few more days of vacation for the Frogs, happy with what they saw, and with a baseline for improvement.

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