The Horned Frogs’ forwards could use a revamp.
Onto the next. After reviewing the TCU Horned Frogs’ guards, we’ve transitioned to the forwards. This group includes Micah Robinson, Isaiah Manning, Brendan Wenzel, and Trazarien White. While freshman David Punch could be included in this grouping, we’ll save his inclusion for our following review—the bigs. Here, we’re solely focusing on off-ball wings.
TCU’s forwards were arguably its worst positional grouping. Head Coach Jamie Dixon routinely started two guards and two bigs, with the fifth spot a revolving door. Dixon first went with the sharpshooting transfer Wenzel, then White, before using freshmen Robinson and Jace Posey at the lone wing spot. Despite three-fourths of wings departing, the grouping is set for future success with Robinson leading the way.
Position Review: Wings
Micah Robinson
We’ll start with Robinson, the lone returnee. The freshman was ESPN’s 68th-ranked recruit in the 2024 class—a top-five recruit in program history. Robinson played in all 32 games this season, including two starts, averaging 5.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. The 6-foot-6 forward shot 39.6 percent from the floor and 31.9 percent from three-point range. Robinson led all Horned Frogs with a 76.5 percent clip from the free throw line.
Although his three-point clip was below average, he proved one of TCU’s more reliable marksmen. Robinson ranked third among rotation regulars in true shooting percentage at 52.4 percent. The freshman’s counting stats aren’t nearly as impressive as his advanced analytics. Robinson ranked among the top three best Frogs (Noah Reynolds and Ernest Udeh Jr.) in player efficiency rating, sixth in win shares, and fifth in box plus/minus.
Robinson’s offensive diet was made primarily of catch-and-shoot triples, transition opportunities, cuts, and put-backs. 69 of 139 shot attempts were from beyond the arc. Robinson’s offensive repertoire is especially intriguing as he gains experience. He was a confident shooter with a pretty-look stroke as a freshman. More off-the-dribble opportunities will help expand his game. Nonetheless, the addition of Iowa transfer Brock Harding, who averaged 5.3 assists per game should increase and enhance Robinson’s catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Robinson’s defense graded much worse than his offense. He only totaled 15 combined blocks and steals in 450 minutes. The 6-foot-6 wing ranked in the bottom three of rotation regulars in defensive rating and win shares. Surely more reps will aid in Robinson’s defensive progression. The wing is athletic with a strong, physical build. He’s built to defend the Big 12’s best forwards. Although his freshman season was so-so, his potential is among the best on the team.
Grade: C
Isaiah Manning
Next up is Manning, the redshirt sophomore who began the season by scoring 10 points and knocking down two three-pointers in TCU’s season opener. However, Manning’s playing time dwindled following the early November affair. Manning saw double-digit minutes in only six contests all season. In those games, he averaged 4.8 points per game. Throughout the entire campaign, Manning averaged 2.0 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game. 43 of his 58 shot attempts came from beyond the arc, where he shot 20.9 percent.
In 24 appearances, Manning only totaled 176 minutes—11th-most on the team. He wasn’t given much of a chance to make an impact, typically suiting up in garbage time. Thus, leading to his transfer. Manning committed to Sam Houston State on April 11. Manning exhibited impressive shotmaking confidence and 3-and-D potential during his brief time in Fort Worth. The 6-foot-8 forward perhaps could have been a key contributor moving forward.
Grade: Incomplete
Brendan Wenzel
A transfer via Wyoming, 6-foot-8 wing Wenzel was brought in to improve TCU’s continuously porous shooting. To start the season, it seemed Wenzel would do just that. The San Antonio native connected on two or more threes in TCU’s first five contests. The Wyoming transfer converted 14 of his first 31 three-point attempts—a 45.2 percent clip. Wenzel scored eight or more points in these first five games and even contributed on the glass, averaging 5.6 rebounds over this span.
While there were impressive performances sprinkled in throughout the season, Wenzel’s first month was his best as a Horned Frog. The forward’s play regressed as the season wore on. Wenzel’s last double-digit performance came on January 29, when he scored 11 against Texas Tech. From February onward, he averaged 2.9 points per game in TCU’s final 12 contests. Wenzel’s season-long averages were 6.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.7 steals per game. Two years after shooting 40.6 from beyond the arc, and a year after converting 37.7 percent of his three-pointers, Wenzel shot 32.0 percent from three as a Horned Frog.
Aside from spot-up triples, there really wasn’t much to Wenzel’s offense. He showed some ability to score off-the-bounce, primarily following a pump fake, but those instances were few and far between. If Wenzel wasn’t converting from beyond the three-point line, he wasn’t providing much, if anything, to Dixon’s offense. Thus, the reason for his decreasing playtime was evident.
Only the two previously mentioned players were worse defensively than Wenzel, at least according to his defensive rating. Like Robinson, Wenzel didn’t provide much playmaking, he totaled 22 blocks and steals this season. Wenzel could adequately defend the perimeter, but was only suited to defend smaller wings—not guards or bigs. Of course, defense was never his calling card, shooting was. The Wyoming transfer was brought in to elevate the Frogs’ offense but failed to make an impact.
Grade: D
Trazarien White
One of the more overlooked recruits, White had just averaged 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds for a 21-win UNC Wilmington team. He was the Seahawks’ best, and most well-rounded player. White began the season as a starter for the Horned Frogs, and he played well. The 6-foot-6 wing scored in double-digits in three of his first five games. White continued to play well through December. His cold spell, which led to a benching, began in January and lasted a while. White scored in single-digits for 12 straight contests before a strong outing in TCU’s upset over Texas Tech.
After months of favoring threes, White regained confidence as an all-around scorer in late February. The UNC Wilmington transfer was far more assertive at the tail end of the 2024-25 campaign. White finished the season scoring in double-figures in six of TCU’s last seven games. White finished the season averaging 9.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He converted 39.0 percent of his field goals and 32.0 percent of his triples.
The forward was one of the few reliable offensive creators for Dixon’s offense. He could do more than launch spot-up triples. However, White’s season-long performance was up-and-down. In the first half of Big 12 play, when TCU saw its most success, White struggled to find his footing to make an impact. His best outings came at the end of the season when the Horned Frogs lost almost every contest.
White was a versatile defender for the Horned Frogs. At 6-foot-6, with a lean 190-pound frame, the forward defended the perimeter well and offered enough physicality to defend stronger players. White only graded out as average on the defensive end, but his combined 45 blocks and steals were third-best on the team. White was arguably the Horned Frogs’ most well-rounded player. Aside from creating for others, he could do it all. Consistency was White’s only flaw.
Grade: C+
The Horned Frogs’ wings left much to be desired. No player could effectively and consistently, create on offense. TCU trotted out several specialists, but none of the wings were capable of providing much beyond spot-up shooting—even White got too comfortable launching threes before his offensive resurgence at the end of the season. All in all, what’s most encouraging is Robinson’s experience and improvement through last season. He’ll be one of the Horned Frogs’ best players next season.
Cumulative Grade: C-