Desmond Bane is in the midst of the most offensively efficient season of his NBA career, serving a big role on a Memphis Grizzlies team that sits in second place in the Western Conference at the All-Star break. His smooth shooting stroke, strong work ethic and valuable leadership presence regularly shines through in the FedExForum. TCU basketball recognizes it as well.
Bane's Alma mater retired his jersey in Tuesday night's clash with top-10 ranked Texas Tech. The 26-year-old donned the No. 1 for the Horned Frogs from 2016-20, doing his part to help spark a long-awaited turnaround in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU won the NIT championship in his freshman season and ended a 20-year NCAA Tournament dry spell in 2018.
Under head coach Jamie Dixon, Bane was a key catalyst for the program's rebirth, which has since resulted in three additional trips to the Big Dance. Aside from what he did for the Frogs as a whole, the 2020 First-Team All-Big 12 selection etched his name all over the TCU history books. He lays claim to the school's all-time records for made 3-pointers (249), true shooting percentage (61.1) and games played (141) and ranks third in points (1,784).
Bane spoke about the special honor hours before TCU-Texas Tech tipped off in SchollMaier Arena. “Never imagined something like this,” he said, via Grind City Media, with his child in one arm. “It's a dream come true. A lot of people had their hand in this success… Extremely blessed and thankful that TCU feels this way about me. And I feel this way about them.”
.@memgrizz star Desmond Bane on getting his jersey retired at TCU:
“never imagined something like this. it’s a dream come true” pic.twitter.com/tDjOyTLPMc
— Grind City Media (@grindcitymedia) February 19, 2025
Desmond Bane hopes to keep the joyous times going with the Grizzlies
TCU basketball made it a proper tribute night for Desmond Bane, the fans and themselves, as they upset the visiting Red Raiders, 69-66. Following this signature victory, the 15-11 Horned Frogs have a glimmer of hope heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Meanwhile, Bane and the Grizzlies have big ambitions of their own in 2025. They are 36-18 and are positioned to exceed 50 wins in a campaign for the third time in four years. Catching the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-10) is improbable, but clinching the No. 2 seed could be crucial for the playoffs. The odds of that happening are far more likely if Bane can stay hot.
The No. 30 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is scoring 18.1 points per contest while shooting 49.6 percent form the field and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. He is also posting 5.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals through 43 games. There is a possibility that Bane has the privilege of enjoying yet another grand celebration before the year's end.