STEPHENVILLE – Three-year Texan, Freddy Hicks, will return to Stephenville to play in his final collegiate season for the Texans.
“What great news to have Freddy Hicks back at Tarleton State University,” said head coach Billy Gillispie about the signing. “I know everyone will be excited to have the opportunity to watch Freddy play and lead the Texans. What Freddy has done here and will do has and will be amazing. With a record-breaking year this year and a great excitement about the future, things could not better for Texan Basketball. Freddy has chosen Tarleton twice now and will be remembered forever for his playing ability, gaining a degree, and being a leader. Along with Shakur Daniel, Jakorie Smith, Lue Williams, KiAndre Gaddy and others, Freddy will go down as one of the all-time greats of the Division I era. Welcome home Freddy!”
Hicks spent his first three years with Tarleton State from 2020 through the 2022-23 season, the first three seasons of the Texans’ NCAA Division I era. He spent last season at Arkansas State, the alma mater of his father, Freddy.
During his time with the Texans, he leads the program in seven statistical categories in the Division I era. As the leader in points, he is just 66 points from being the first 1,000-point scorer in the Texans’ D1 era. Hicks leads the program in free throws made (327), free throws attempted (437), total rebounds (410), defensive rebounds (297), rebounds per game (5.5) and points (934).
Hicks will have an opportunity to increase his already leading totals and will hope to add more records to his title. He currently is second in program history in games started (70), field goal attempts (660), offensive rebounds (113), fouls (231), and blocks (44). He also ranks third in games played (74), minutes played (2,123) and field goals made (277). Hicks will look to crack the top-15 in all-time program history in a few categories in his fourth season at Tarleton. To reach the top-15, he is in need of 107 points, 106 rebounds, or 27 steals.
“It’s going to be great to finish my career where I started,” said Hicks. “I can’t wait to play in the place that made me be at my best and do it for the fans, the coaching staff, and my teammates. I’m excited to help Tarleton win a WAC Championship and go to March Madness.”
Hicks began his career joining coach Gillispie for each of their first seasons in Stephenville. In his freshman campaign with the Texans, Hicks was named WAC Freshman of the Year, averaging 8.2 points per game, the most by a first-year WAC player. He led the team in total rebounds (108) and blocks (0.6) and was second with 5.4 rebounds per game. His first career double-double came against California Baptist with a 20-point, 13-rebound performance. He started 16 of the squad’s 20 games and posted seven double-digit scoring totals. He recorded three double-doubles including two in the Texans’ final five games.
In his second year with the Texans, he started all 31 games averaging 12.8 points and posting a career-high 398 points. He posted double-digit scoring totals in 20 games while notching at least 20 in seven games. The Texans were 7-0 in those games. He averaged 16.3 points per game in conference play, double his average during non-conference games (8.1). He posted 20 or more points in three straight games during WAC play, the longest such streak of his career. Hicks scored a season-high 29 on the road at UTRGV. He grabbed a season-high nine boards in four games. He made 122 of his 157 free throws attempts, ranking second in attempts and third in makes in a single season in Tarleton’s D1 era. He pulled down 164 rebounds with 42 on the offensive end, both ranking third in the program’s D1 era in a single season.
Hicks third year with Tarleton culminated with the Texans’ first WAC Tournament victory and the first trip to the CBI in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was tabbed to the All-WAC Second Team after leading the team in points (16.2) and rebounds (6.0). His 16.2 points per game is the highest single-season average by a Texan in the D1 era. Hicks shot 146-for-194 from the free throw line, both single season highs in the Texans’ D1 era. Hicks also posted the third most rebounds in a single season in the Texans’ D1 era pulling down 164 boards. He posted a season-high 30 points in two games coming against Radford in the CBI and Drake in the Paradise Jam Championship game. Hicks was one of five WAC players to notch multiple 30-point games during the season. He owns the program record making 18 free throws against Belmont at the Paradise Jam, a mark that topped the WAC and ranked eighth in the country in the 22-23 season. Hicks was a preseason All-WAC selection and was named to the Academic All-WAC Team. He was named WAC Player of the Week for the first time in his career following the first two games of the Paradise Jam averaging 23.5 points on 58.8 percent shooting, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals.
Last year with the Red Wolves, Hicks earned a pair of Sun Belt Conference awards. In A-State’s three Sun Belt Tournament games, he averaged 22 points and seven rebounds including hitting a buzzer beater against App State to send the Red Wolves to the title game. For his performance, he earned a selection to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team. During the season, he was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week following a 21-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist outing at Iowa. He posted 18 games with at least 10 points, averaging 11.8 on the season. He notched five 20-plus scoring totals including a 21-point effort in the season opener at Wisconsin. His season-high 24 came in the Sun Belt Championship game against NCAA Tournament participant, James Madison.
He was a three-year letter winner at Searcy High School, serving as the team captain his senior year. He finished his career at Searcy as the all-time leading scorer with 1,603 points. Hicks was a two-time All-State and two-time All-Conference selection. As a senior, he averaged 24 points on the season, including 27 points per game in conference play, with 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks He shot 47 percent from the floor, 30 percent on three-pointers and 78 percent at the free throw line. Hicks led the 5A East region in scoring his senior season. After his senior year was the 13th ranked player in the state of Arkansas when he committed to Tarleton State. He excelled off the court in the classroom as he was in the Spanish Honor Society and a member of student council at Searcy HS.
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