TCU guard Trent leaves men’s basketball program

TCU guard Malique Trent, the team’s top returning scorer from last season, has left the program, men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon confirmed Tuesday. TCU cited personal matters as the reason for Trent’s departure.

Trent, a junior who averaged 11.6 points per game last season, has seen his playing time steadily diminish this season as the Horned Frogs (11-2, 0-1 in Big 12) have leaned more heavily on three newcomers at the guard positions: freshmen Jaylen Fisher and Desmond Bane, along with Alex Robinson, a transfer from Texas A&M who is a Mansfield Timberview graduate.

In addition, 6-foot-7 guard Kenrich Williams, who missed last season because of a knee surgery, has become on of the Frogs’ primary contributors this season (10.5 points, 10.1 rebounds per game).

Dixon, a former TCU player in his first season as the team’s coach, used several players in games throughout nonconference play but tightened his playing rotation to 10 players in last week’s 86-80 loss to Kansas in the Big 12 opener for both schools. Trent did not play in that contest, per coach’s decision.

In TCU’s first 12 games this season, Trent averaged 3.8 points per contest and 12.3 minutes per game. He arrived at TCU last season, signed by former coach Trent Johnson as a transfer from New Mexico Junior College. Trent started 27 games last season and led the team in steals, at 2.1 per game.

In a statement, Dixon said: “We wish Malique the best of luck and thank him for his contributions to the TCU program.”

TCU returns to action Tuesday night against Oklahoma in Schollmaier Arena (8 p.m., ESPNU).

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 12:39 PM with the headline "TCU guard Trent leaves men’s basketball program."