TCU basketball: Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed is huge for Horned Frogs
By Doug Winkey
TCU basketball will be a true contender in the Big 12 next year. VCU transfer Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed will go a long way in helping the Horned Frog effort.
The faithful in Fort Worth are about to watch the best season in some time for TCU basketball. The Horned Frogs are fresh off an NIT championship and have all the pieces to enter the top half of the Big 12. The majority of last year’s production also returns along with several new faces. The newcomer that could make the biggest impact is VCU transfer Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed in the middle.
The former Ram is listed at 6’9″, 240 pounds. He averaged 5.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in just over 13 minutes a night for Will Wade’s VCU squad. The reason I believe Hamdy-Mohamed could be a big part of the TCU picture is his potential fit with star forward Vladimir Brodziansky. Brodziansky could benefit moving away from the hoop a bit after hitting 37% of his three-point attempts. Coach Jamie Dixon could use the experienced grad transfer at center and shift Brodziansky into a hybrid stretch-four/rim protector scenario. The combination of those two up front would be a nightmare for opposing Big 12 frontcourts, most of whom are trending younger this year.
Hamdy-Mohamed should play big minutes for the Horned Frogs, if only because his competition is so much younger than him. TCU has four other bigs on scholarship, but only JUCO addition Andre Pierce has experience as a traditional college forward. Junior JD Miller is more of a hybrid wing/forward and two others are freshmen. Hamdy-Mohamed’s experience against rugged A-10 forwards should give him an edge in the position battle.
Next: Zach Smith returning to Texas Tech
Hamdy-Mohamed won’t dominate, but he is a guy that can help TCU reach its first NCAA Tournament since 1998. The frontcourt will determine just how high the Horned Frogs’ ceiling is next season.