The Memphis Grizzlies Star talks coach Jamie Dixon, his education degree and the power of four years at TCU
Armani Bane bounced on his dad’s lap, taking in the group of reporters before him.
“Daddy, you almost done?” he asked.
Not quite yet. On a night when Texas Christian University retired his jersey, Horned Frogs basketball legend and Memphis Grizzlies star Desmond Bane ’20 had one more question to answer—and probably the most important one.
Why did he not only choose to forgo the NBA draft and return for his fourth year at TCU – a rarity even back in 2019 – but commit to graduating with his youth advocacy degree from the College of Education?
“TCU just felt like a sense of community and a sense of home,” Bane said, “and somewhere I didn’t want to leave.”
Everything that followed — from being a first-round NBA draft pick by the Grizzlies to his jersey being raised at halftime of TCU’s victory against No. 9 Texas Tech — was a result of that decision. Bane believes the trajectory of his life changed because Horned Frogs coach Jamie Dixon ’87 believed he had Power 5 talent when nobody else did. What Dixon will tell you is that type of belief changed his life as well. He too had been underrecruited out of high school before TCU tapped him.
“I always thought I’d be a coach and help guys get their degrees,” Dixon said. “It’s a different path now but the same mission.”
Bane may be the last of a vanishing breed, but he is proof that the impact of TCU extends well beyond the court, field and arena for Horned Frog athletes.
Five Questions with Desmond Bane
You truly are the last of a vanishing breed of players. Do you see a possibility of
players embracing the benefits of staying for all four years?
I hope so. I had teammates that transferred and regretted it. The relationships you
can build, opportunities, doors that you can potentially open for yourself just by
being around and leaving an impact somewhere is something you can’t put a price on.
So, it’s something I highly encourage (for other players). It would be great if all
of college basketball and all of college athletics returned that way.
How did you choose your degree?
I started in business, and it was too hard, for real. I took microeconomics, and I
was like ‘No.’ I went into psychology, and that was cool. I liked it, but I didn’t
really know what I wanted to do with it. I’ve always been about community and youth
and the (youth advocacy) degree was really new that year so, like I said, everything
at TCU just worked in a weird way where everything fell right in line like it should
be. This degree has served me well and I’m very, very grateful for it. … I just started
a foundation. I have an AAU (American Athletic Union) team. Everything just connected
how it was supposed to.
Do you feel like your foundation is doing what TCU did for you?
That’s the goal. It’s all about giving back and being the role model that a lot of
us didn’t get the chance to have when we were growing up.
What impact has Coach Dixon had on your life?
Coach Dixon had a huge impact on me and still does. Phone calls, texts, constant communication.
He is one of the best coaches in college basketball history. When I found out I was
getting the chance to play for somebody like him, in a league like this, it was a
no-brainer for me. It changed everything. To have somebody of his stature, that’s
been where I wanted to go and coached the players I wanted to emulate and believed
in me—the sky’s the limit.”
That’s the goal. It’s all about giving back and being the role model that a lot of us didn’t get the chance to have when we were growing up.
Could you see yourself coaching?
I could. It’s funny I was talking with one of my trainers at dinner the other night,
and I was like, ‘What do you think about coaching here?’ He’s like, ‘What are you
talking about?’ I was like, ‘Coaching at TCU.’ I’m building my staff behind closed
doors. Dixon still has a lot of time but whenever he’s ready to give it up, I’ll be
calling my good friends over here.