The TCU men’s basketball season will start in earnest this Friday at 5 p.m. when the team begins full practice. The Frogs have been taking part in individual workouts, with full team workouts only allowed for two hours per week.

Head Coach Jim Christian had his best offseason at TCU when he completed what many Frog fans think will turn out to be his best recruiting class yet.

Toward the end of last season, Christian’s players spoke loudly and clearly about the character of the TCU program and their passion for playing for their coach.

When TCU encountered a conference losing streak at the end of its season, few people still remembered the Frogs’ blazing start to the season.

Christian and his team started 9-4 with big wins over University of Southern California, Texas Tech University and SMU, but the Frogs suffered several tough losses in conference play.

TCU entered the Mountain West Conference tournament having to play Wyoming in the first round.

Christian’s players were still fighting as hard as they had all season, and the Frogs were able to beat the Cowboys to advance to the second round against BYU.

They took BYU down to the final minute before the Cougars were able to come out with a victory.

The returning players from last year’s team will be joined by five newcomers. Kyan Anderson is a 5-foot-10-inch point guard from North Crowley High School. He was originally committed to Providence College before changing his commitment to TCU. He was rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com.

Adrick McKinney is a 6-foot-9 center from Fort Worth who transferred to TCU from Angelina College. McKinney was a McDonald’s All-American finalist out of high school.

Next is Nate Butler, who is a 6-foot-6-inches shooting guard from Puerto Rico. Butler has a smooth stroke from the wing, and he can use his athleticism and length to bother opposing teams on defense. Butler represented Puerto Rico in the 2007 under-19 FIBA World Championships.

Connell Crossland is another newcomer for the Frogs. The St. Louis, Mo., native is a 6-foot-7-inch small forward who is one of eight players on a TCU team that stand at 6-foot-6-inches or taller. Crossland, like Butler, has great length and athleticism with a slashing offensive game.

The final newcomer is Temple University transfer Craig Williams, who will be a senior this season for the Frogs.

Williams already earned his bachelor’s degree from Temple in May, so he was not required to sit out a season after transferring. He is 6-foot-9-inches and 240 pounds, but his outside game is equally impressive as his game in the paint. Williams made nine starts in his career at Temple.

The final member of Christian’s recruiting class last offseason was the heralded power forward from Queens, NY, Ryan Rhoomes.

Rhoomes will redshirt this season. He ranked as a three-star prospect during last season at NIA Prep.

The point guard position will be a huge strength for the Frogs this season. Hank Thorns, Jr. was a Bob Cousy Award nominee last season for the best point guard in the country.

This season, he was named to the preseason All-Mountain West team. Anderson , the other point guard on the Frogs’ roster, has great quickness and court vision, which gives him a very bright future in a Frogs uniform.

TCU will play its first game on Nov. 11 at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum versus Florida Gulf Coast University. TCU will scrimmage Cameron University on Nov. 5. The Frogs will take place in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands from Nov. 18-21.