After finishing the 2009-2010 season with a 95-85 loss to BYU in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Championships, the TCU men’s basketball team will have a new look entering its regular season opener.
The most notable roster difference is the number of transfers acquired during the offseason who are now part of the Horned Frogs squad.
Guards J.R. Cadot and Sammy Yeager and forward Andre Clark, all juniors, signed National Letters of Intent in April after finding success during their junior college years at their previous schools.
Cadot earned National Junior College Athletic Association Third Team All-American honors after the conclusion of his sophomore season at Sheridan College. Last season, Cadot averaged 17 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Yeager ranked third among all North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference players in scoring average with 19.5 points per game as a sophomore. He also connected on 47.4 percent of his three-point field goals. Yeager said he feels that he can contribute in that regard.
“I think I can be a leader out on the court and make some big shots for the team,” he said. “It’s just a great experience to be able to play at the Division I level for the first time.”
Clark spent his freshman season at the University of Arkansas and appeared in 24 games before continuing his basketball career at John A. Logan Community College his sophomore year. Clark led his team to a 24-7 record and secured the Great Lakes Athletic Conference regular-season championship. Clark ranked as the third-best forward prospect according to jucojunction.com.
On the other hand, senior forward Nikola Gacesa decided to attend TCU to obtain his masters degree after graduating from Florida International University.
“TCU jumped out at me because I heard it was a great school, and I also know one of the players [sophomore forward Nikola Cerina], and I talked to him,” said Gacesa.
Gacesa appeared in 83 games at FIU before suffering a season-ending injury last year.
With Yeager starting and Cadot and Gacesa contributing from the bench, they combined to record 16 rebounds and 11 points in Tuesday night’s exhibition game against Rogers State University.
