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All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

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16 new signees join TCU Athletics during Early Signing Period

16+players+signed+with+various+TCU+programs+this+week.+Photo+courtesy%3A+Fort+Worth+Star-Telegram
16 players signed with various TCU programs this week. Photo courtesy: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Many of TCU’s teams have gotten off to a successful start during the NCAA’s Early Signing Period. Here is a look at the most recent signings for five different teams.

Men’s Basketball

The TCU men’s basketball team announced the signing of Francisco Farabello, P.J. Fuller and Diante Smith to their 2019-2020 class Friday.

Farabello is a 6-foot-2 guard who plays for the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. Originally from Argentina, Farabello represented his home country in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship, averaging over eight points per game. According to 247Sports.com, he is a four-star recruit who is ranked No. 93 in the 2018 class.

“Francisco is a heady, strong and physical guard who sees the floor and plays unselfish,” said head coach Jamie Dixon. “He’s versatile, can guard multiple positions and can shoot the ball really well.”

Fuller is a 6-foot-4 guard who 247Sports.com also lists as a four-star. He won state titles at both Nathan Hale High School and, most recently, Garfield High School, where he averaged 17.7 points and 6.8 rebounds in his junior season. The No. 63 overall recruit and sixth-best shooting guard, Fuller will finish his high school career at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada.

“PJ is a versatile guard who can shoot the ball really well and is a really good athlete,” said Dixon. “He will also give us size at the guard position.”

Smith, also a four-star, is a 6-foot-6 forward who averaged 17.5 points and 6.8 rebounds last season as a junior at Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He is ranked No. 96 in the 2019 class.

“Diante is a skilled wing with good size and an impressive wingspan,” said Dixon. “He’s athletic, very skilled and has an enormous upside.”

The class is ranked third in the Big 12 and 15th nationally, according to 247Sports.com.

Women’s Basketball

The TCU women’s basketball team announced the signing of Tavy Diggs and Maddi Puli on the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period.

Diggs is a 6-foot-2 guard from Plano East High School, where she averaged 14.6 points and 9.2 rebounds as a junior. Prospects Nation lists her as a four-star recruit.

Puli is a 6-foot-2 guard/forward from Werribee, Victoria, Australia. Listed as one of the top players in Australia, she won a gold medal with her national team at the 2017 U17 Oceania Championship, where she averaged 14 points, six rebounds and 1.4 steals. Puli is the 11th player from Australia that head coach Raegan Pebley has signed while at TCU.

“We are really excited about adding these two quality young women to our program,” said Pebley. “I love the character, I love the fit, I love the skill and I love the length, but I especially love the potential that both Maddi and Tavy have to be great here at TCU.”

The two players will begin as true freshmen in 2019.

Volleyball

The TCU volleyball team announced the signing of four of Texas’ best players in Audrey Nalls, McKenzie Nichols, Afedo Manyang and Julia Adams this week.

Nalls is a 6-foot-1 outside hitter from Waxahachie, Texas. She was a PrepVB top 50 junior and is listed as the No. 20 player on the PrepVB Senior Aces.

Nichols is a 5-foot-10 setter from Southlake, Texas. She was the district 5-6A setter of the year last year and is listed as No. 34 on the PrepVB Senior Aces.

Manyang is a 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Fort Worth, Texas. She was also a PrepVB top 50 junior and is listed as No. 41 on the Prep VB Senior Aces.

Adams is a 6-foot-3 outside hitter from Plano, Texas. Along with being a PrepVB top 50 junior, she was the district 6-6A MVP and is listed as No. 18 on the PrepVB Senior Aces.

Men’s Golf

The TCU men’s golf team announced the signing of Chris Berzina, Caden Christopherson, Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, Gustav Frimodt and Aymeric Laussot on Thursday.

Berzina attends Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth and is ranked 65th in his class by Junior Golf Scoreboard.

Christopherson is 45th in his class out of Chandler, Ariz. He finished his senior season with a scoring average of -3.27 after finishing third at the Arizona State Championship.

Fernandez de Oliveira, from Argentina, is the top-ranked golfer in his country. Last season, he made the cut at the Open de Argentina, which is the best professional tournament in Argentina.

Frimodt holds a World Amateur Ranking of 141 out of Glamsbjerg, Denmark. He has finished top-10 in several international tournaments.

Laussot is the No. 1 under-18 player in France. He holds a World Amateur Ranking of 335 and represented France in the 2018 European Boys Championship.

Head coach Bill Montigel said that this signing class was important for the program, as they will be losing six seniors next season.

“I feel like the guys we signed will be a great fit for TCU and our golf program,” said Montigel. “Everyone in this class has done a lot of special things in junior golf. I’m looking forward to them getting here in August.”

Women’s Golf

The TCU women’s golf team announced the signing of the top two golfers in Texas for the class of 2019, Trinity King and Jennie Park.

King attends Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, is ranked 39th nationally by Golfweek and is a three-time District 4-6A Champion.

Park is ranked No. 29 nationally out of Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas. She has won two AJGA tournaments in her career.

Head coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin believes the two young golfers can grow to become two of the best in the nation.

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