- Kurt Thomas had his No. 40 retired by TCU.
- Lee Nailon was the WAC Player of the Year in 1998.
- Dick O’Neal’s No. 28 was retired by TCU.
Since the turn of the century and through the 2024 college basketball season, there haven’t been many chances to be on the TCU Horned Frogs NCAA basketball odds during March Madness.
They’ve made it to the tournament just four times over that span, all four of which occurred between 2018 and 2024.
Today, you can do some online sports betting on their basketball odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
Below, you’ll find my list of the best Horned Frogs ever.
5 Best TCU Horned Frogs Basketball Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Horned Frogs Years |
| 1 | Kurt Thomas | F/C | 1990-1995 |
| 2 | Lee Nailon | F | 1997-1999 |
| 3 | Dick O'Neal | F | 1953-1956 |
| 4 | Carven Holcombe | G/F | 1983-1987 |
| 5 | Gary Turner | F | 1955-1958 |
TCU Horned Frogs All-Time Greatest Basketball Players
1. Kurt Thomas
Thomas played at TCU from 1990 to 1995 (he didn’t play during the 1992-93 season). However, he didn’t really come into his own until the 1993-94 season.
As a senior, he was unstoppable, averaging 28.9 points, 14.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game.
He was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, NABC, and UPI.
In 1995, he was the NCAA’s rebounding and scoring leader.
Additionally, he was SWC Player of the Year, SWC Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time first-team All-SWC.
Despite just two seasons of meaningful production, Thomas finished his career with 1,512 points (eighth in program history), 782 rebounds (ninth), and 166 blocks (fifth).
His No. 40 was retired by the school.
2. Lee Nailon
Nailon played just two seasons at TCU after transferring in from Butler Community College. He even played at Southeastern Iowa Community College a year before Butler.
He was named a third-team All-American by the AP, WSBWA, and NABC.
Nailon was also named WAC Player of the Year in 1998 and two-time first-team All-WAC.
Over his two seasons, he averaged 23.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
He scored 1,503 points over his career (10th). He holds two of the top three spots—including the No. 1 spot—in single-season scoring, scoring 796 points during the 1997-98 season.
If he had played there for a full four seasons with similar production, he would have over 3,000 points, dwarfing Darrell Browder, the program’s all-time leading scorer, by more than 1,100 points.
3. Dick O’Neal
O’Neal suited up for TCU from 1954 to 1957.
He was a third-team All-American and three-time first-team All-SWC.
He had 1,723 points (fifth) and 790 rebounds (seventh) over his career.
In three seasons, he averaged 23.9 points and 11 rebounds per game. He averaged 28.2 points per game as a sophomore.
The program retired his No. 28.
4. Carven Holcombe
Holcombe had 1,734 points over his career at TCU (fourth) from 1983 to 1987.
He was the SWC Player of the Year, AP Honorable Mention All-American, first-team All-SWC, two-time second-team All-SWC, and was SWC Freshman of the Year.
Over his career, he averaged 15.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per game.
5. Gary Turner
Turner played at TCU from 1963 to 1966, when he hauled in 887 rebounds (third).
He averaged 20.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game over that time.
Turner was two-time All-SWC.
He finished just shy of the top 10 in points with 1,456, which is just behind Nailon’s 1,503.
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