‘He’s the perfect example.’ TCU’s Dixon thrilled to see Desmond Bane taken in first round
The TCU basketball program continues to end lengthy droughts under coach Jamie Dixon.
The Horned Frogs snapped a 20-year NCAA Tournament drought in 2018. Another lengthy drought came to an end on Wednesday night with Desmond Bane being a first-round pick by the Memphis Grizzlies (via the Boston Celtics).
Bane is the program’s first NBA Draft pick in 21 years (Lee Nailon was a second-round pick in 1999) and the program’s second player to be taken in the first round (Kurt Thomas in 1995).
“We’re really excited,” Dixon said on a Big 12 coaches teleconference Thursday. “We were up watching and trying to figure out which team he was going to go to. Memphis we always felt was a possible destination for him. I think it’s a great place, a great opportunity for him. He’s their one draft pick and a first-round draft pick.”
Yes, Bane will forever be known as a first-round draft pick. He was the last to earn that honor on Wednesday, being taken with the 30th overall pick.
More importantly, Bane becomes a poster child for Dixon and TCU basketball. Bane had only one Power Five offer coming out of Seton Catholic in Richmond, Indiana, and developed into an NBA talent.
Bane showcases what a program such as TCU can do for a player who stays all four years and puts in the work.
“He’s the perfect example,” Dixon said. “Under-recruited and developed and, as they said on TV, he got better every year. That’s not easy to do. His stats showed it, his game showed it and he paid the price. He did the work. He sacrificed and he grew into a first-round pick. We’re excited for his family and for him.
“It was great to talk to him last night afterward. Just as he always does, he handles things the right way. We’re happy for him and we’re proud for him. It’s always good to have a guy get drafted. It’s hard to get drafted, especially hard when you’re not a top 10, top 20 recruit coming out, and he overcame a lot of obstacles. Now he’s got more work to do.”
Ready for the season?
TCU, like most schools in the country, has dealt with its share of COVID-related issues in preparing for the upcoming season. Players are consistently in and out of practice, and there’s no real gauge of where the team is without going against other teams via “secret scrimmages.”
With the season less than a week away, Dixon wasn’t ready to analyze or grade how his team has looked so far. Instead, the focus is simply being able to play games amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re just trying to get enough guys to be ready to play the first game,” Dixon said. “I think that’ll be a constant battle as we prepare each week. The main thing you hear from the kids is they want to play. They want to do everything they can to play and they want to play games. That’s why they come here. That’s what we’re trying to do and give them every opportunity to perform and live their dreams.”
Talkin’ March Madness
Dixon, who is the president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) this year, is optimistic that March Madness will be played in the spring.
He believes the NCAA’s decision to host the event in one city better ensures the tournament goes on with the fewest interruptions possible.
“Flying around was going to be a challenge,” Dixon said. “You’d hate to have a team win and one of their guys get COVID on the trip back. It would really kill the tournament. I don’t know how you replace that team.
“This [one-site approach] gives us the best chance and I do believe it’ll be played. I think it needs to happen. To take the tournament away for another year would be really troubling.”
