Why this junior college transfer could be a breakout star for TCU basketball
TCU basketball struck gold last season with the signing of Xavier Edmonds from the junior college ranks.
Edmonds went from the top-ranked JUCO player in the country to third team All-Big 12 in his first season. Now the Horned Frogs are hoping for Trent Lincoln to have a similar impact in 2026.
Like Edmonds, Lincoln was the No. 1 JUCO player in the country last cycle after averaging 19.4 points, 6.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game at Gulf State Community College in Panama City Beach, Florida. Lincoln’s arrival in Fort Worth from Gulf State is the result of him betting on himself out of high school.
“I felt like I needed more development for those two years coming out of high school,” Lincoln said. “I felt like JUCO was the best route overall for my player development. I had a couple Division I offers, but I just decided I wasn’t ready for it right out of high school.”
Coming out of Warton High in Tampa, Lincoln played his first season at Chipola College in Florida before transferring to Gulf State.
The 6-foot-3 guard quickly established himself as an elite scorer and picked up offers from Kansas, Oregon and Kansas State before committing to TCU last December.
How were the Horned Frogs able to beat out those programs? Lincoln said it was his relationship with head coach Jamie Dixon that was the difference.
“I was looking for a great environment, a great area,” Lincoln said. “I love Fort Worth, I love Texas. I was just looking for a place that had good player development. I feel like Coach Dixon develops guys a lot. He was a JUCO coach before and he understands that jump from JUCO to Divison I.”
Dixon coached at LA Valley Community College as an assistant from 1989-91, and he hasn’t forgotten those JUCO roots as programs are having to get more creative to fill out their rosters in the revenue sharing-era of college sports.
Leaning onto the JUCO ranks is a smart roster approach as Edmonds and Lincoln were further along in their development than an incoming high school signee due to their years battling other, older prospects also looking to reach the D-I level.
Playing at Gulf State allowed Lincoln to refine the areas of his game and is a big reason why he could be in line for a large role in his first season.
“I feel like it helped me grow as a leader,” Lincoln said. “I feel like I was able to get more mature on and off the court. I got to work on my body a little bit, gaining more weight and developing my shot a little bit more.
“I feel like that summer before my second year, I was just in the gym everyday working on my game really helped me. I figured out how to score more and get to my spots.”
Lincoln has been one of the early standouts from TCU’s summer workouts with his athleticism and shot-making impressing teammates like point guard Brock Harding.
“Trent is one of the most athletic I’ve seen,” Harding said. “I played with Jace [Posey] last year, but just the way he gets off the ground is really impressive. He’s really good at the one spot and the two spot. We’re able to mix back and forth and play well together. It’s nice to have somebody else handle the ball. He’s a super freak athlete that knows how to win and wants to win.”
Lincoln’s explosiveness is a welcome edition to the guard rotation and gives TCU a strong trio with him, Harding and Long Beach State transfer Gavin Sykes.
Sykes also praised the early impact Lincoln has made.
“Trent, that’s my guy,” Sykes said. “I think we’ve worked out every day since we got here. We just really clicked, and he’s definitely a good dude I’m excited to play with.”
Lincoln has also leaned on Edmonds to make the transition smoother and has received good advice on how to be successful when the season begins.
“He just told me to stay level-headed,” Lincoln said. “There’s going to be ups and downs regardless, just do everything with effort and give it my all. It should work out.”
That’s good advice coming from a player that went through the same experience last season. Edmonds went from an unknown to being viewed as one of the top returning players in college basketball this season.
If things go as planned, Lincoln is hoping to have a similar breakout as Edmonds.
“I want to try to be first, second or third team [All-Big 12],” Lincoln said. “I want to win the conference overall, just have a successful season and make the tournament and go as far as we can.”
