Meet the transfers: An overview of the newest TCU men’s basketball transfer players

Get a glimpse at the newest men’s basketball players.

By Ethan Love, Staff Writer

Published Nov 9, 2023

TCU coach Jamie Dixon waves to the crowd after the team’s first-round college basketball game against Arizona State in the men’s NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Plenty of new faces helped TCU basketball to its first win of the season in the opener against Southern University.

This is an overview of the newest men’s basketball transfers ahead of their second game this season against Omaha.

Delaware’s Jameer Nelson Jr. (0) handles the ball during an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) (Ben McKeown)

Jameer Nelson Jr. (Senior)

If this name sounds familiar, it’s because Jameer Nelson Jr. is the son of former NBA guard Jameer Nelson, who played most of his 17-year NBA career with the Orlando Magic. Nelson Jr. transferred from Delaware, where he shined. He averaged 20.6 points per game and shot 44.5% from the field. Just like his father, Nelson Jr. is a guard and provides the Frogs with a great option at the position after losing Mike Miles Jr. to the NBA draft and Shahada Wells transferring to McNeese State University.

Coastal Carolina’s Essam Mostafa, center, DeAndre Gholston, left, and Noah Carter, right, battle for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022 in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson) (L.G. Patterson)

Essam Mostafa (Senior)

The next player to transfer to TCU in the offseason was power forward Essam Mostafa. Mostafa will act a good rotational piece for the Frogs, with star forward Emmanuel Miller getting a bulk of the minutes at the position. Mostafa averaged 12.4 points and 10 rebounds per game last year with Coastal Carolina. He will provide TCU with some much needed size off the bench after Souleymane Doumbia transferred to Sam Houston.

Texas A&M-CC guard Trevian Tennyson (0) lays in a basket around Alabama center Charles Bediako (14) in the second half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, March 16, 2023. Alabama won 96-75. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill)

Trevian Tennyson (Senior)

Trevian Tennyson moves closer to home by transferring to TCU from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The guard out of Mansfield Legacy High School was arguably the Islanders’ best player, averaging 15.7 points per game and leading the Islanders to a conference championship and NCAA tournament berth. He will pair well with Nelson Jr. to provide the Frogs with a veteran presence in the back court.

Oklahoma State guard Avery Anderson III (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Eric Gay)

Avery Anderson III (Senior)

Similarly to Tennyson, guard Avery Anderson III moves closer to home. His move from Oklahoma State to TCU brings him closer to his hometown, Justin, where he played at Northwest High School. Frog Fans should be well acquainted with Anderson III at this point, seeing him play against TCU at Oklahoma State the last four years. While his stats were down last year, he was dealing with a wrist injury for the majority of last season. He will play starting minutes for the Frogs and will provide yet another veteran presence on an already very experienced team.

Kansas center Ernest Udeh Jr. during an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley) (Colin E. Braley)

Ernest Udeh Jr. (Sophomore)

The only non-senior transfer, Ernest Udeh Jr.’s size at the center position is much needed after the departure of Eddie Lampkin Jr. to the Colorado Buffaloes. Xavier Cork is the starter, but Udeh Jr. will play valuable minutes off the bench and take this year to establish himself at TCU. At Kansas last year, he averaged 8.3 minutes per game. That number should go up as he already had three blocks in the 13 minutes he played in the first game.

Hot Start

Every transfer player is set to have a significant role on the team this season. With the 108-75 win over Southern, head coach Jamie Dixon has them meshing well and poised for a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament.