TCU basketball in the 70's (Swaim only); the 80's (Killingsworth); and the 90's (some of the Tubbs teams), had some very good years. DMC was a rocking place to be...and we played everyone tough in good years and bad. If it was a down year, I always felt like we were rebuilding to compete or win the conference.
IMO, Killer was the best of them all. He was a great strategist. He wasn't a great recruiter, but when he got one or two studs, he was able to combine them with mediocre athletes who were well coached.
Given that Dixon was a Killer disciple, I thought we would see some of Killer's coaching talent in Dixon, but it has just not been there. I used to go to games with two people who played D-1 basketball. Neither went to TCU, but they cheered for TCU. Over the years, they have expressed confusion and concern about Dixon's coaching strategy (specifically, the lack of one).
I like Dixon as a person and as a fellow alum. I was very optimistic and hopeful when we hired him. For whatever reason, we are clearly on a downward trend for the last few years. Players don't ever seem to develop under him. There is absolutely no home court advantage anymore. I think this team would struggle in the old WAC.
I don't know what happened, but for all the reasons already mentioned, it was a huge mistake to keep him here when he wanted to go to UCLA. I have heard that both of his parents are not in good health, which is probably another reason why he wanted to return to southern California. So, I am sad for him, his family, and TCU.
Pathetic that TCU Administration did not learn from their horrible mistake with keeping Pat Sullivan around after he wanted to go to LSU. It, too, was a lose/lose proposition for him and TCU.
Unfortunately, we are now stuck with each other until the contract runs out. I just don't have any faith anymore in Dixon.......or in TCU Administration to make a commitment to excellence in basketball. We've got a beautiful arena located in a basketball hotbed of talent and college basketball fans. If BU can turn around their sorry, crime-ridden basketball program in a pathetic place like Waco, then there is no excuse for TCU basketball to be this awful.
The good news for TCU fans is that I will not be renewing my basketball tickets of 25+ years, which will open up some prime seats for you guys that are younger/more optimistic than me.
Thanks for the memories.