TCU Signs Former Five-Star, LSU Standout Hines
4/13/2026 9:15:00 AM | Women's Basketball
5-10 combo guard was the nation’s No. 24 overall recruit in the class of 2025
FORT WORTH – TCU landed yet another coveted transfer portal guard, this time securing a pledge from LSU freshman Bella Hines.
Hines, a 5-10 combo guard, was a member of the Tigers' No. 1 ranked recruiting class in 2025. She graduated from ABC Prep in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a consensus five-star prospect and was graded the nation's No. 24 overall prospect by 247Sports and On3.
Across her lone season in Baton Rouge, Hines checked into 33 games and averaged 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists across 13 minutes per game. She received increased opportunities as the 2025-26 campaign progressed. Hines logged at least 15 minutes in seven of LSU's last 10 games, carving out a permanent spot in a veteran-heavy rotation. Known for her shooting prowess coming out of high school, Hines became a defensive ace for LSU, leading the squad in charges as the Tigers maintained a top-10 AP ranking all season and reached the Sweet 16.
With Hines' addition, TCU has now signed three former top-50 recruits from the class of 2025. Hines joins fellow soon-to-be sophomores Lara Somfai (No. 12) and Avery Hjelmstad (No. 49) in a portal class that now stands at five players. TCU previously announced the signings of rising junior guards Lanie Grant and Jadyn Wooten.
An elite shooter, Hines connected at a 49 percent clip from the field and knocked down 38 percent of her attempts from behind the arc during her freshman campaign. As a high school junior at El Dorado HS, Hines knocked down the 11th-most 3-pointers of any prep player in the country with 138.
Hines flashed her volume scoring ability when given an extended look on the hardwood in the Bayou. She scored in double figures on four occasions, including a career-high 14-point effort vs. Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 6. Hines paired a career-best 10 rebounds with nine points in the Tigers' NCAA Tournament opening round victory against Jacksonville on March 20. She twice scored 10-plus in SEC play, notably tallying 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench in a 112-78 home win vs. Oklahoma on March 6.
One of the most celebrated players the Land of Enchantment has produced, Hines was named Player of the Year in New Mexico in 2024 and 2025. She averaged 28.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game over the course of her prep career. Hines increased her offensive output to 32.5 points per game her junior year at El Dorado HS and led the state of New Mexico in scoring average, 3-pointers, field goals (321) and free throws (208). Hines transferred to ABC Prep ahead of her senior year and concluded her decorated four-year high school run with 3,170 career points.
She also competed on the club circuit for CyFair Elite, one of the top-rated Nike AAU organizations out of Houston, Texas.
Hines will be a sophomore and has three seasons of eligibility for the Horned Frogs.
Hines, a 5-10 combo guard, was a member of the Tigers' No. 1 ranked recruiting class in 2025. She graduated from ABC Prep in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a consensus five-star prospect and was graded the nation's No. 24 overall prospect by 247Sports and On3.
Across her lone season in Baton Rouge, Hines checked into 33 games and averaged 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists across 13 minutes per game. She received increased opportunities as the 2025-26 campaign progressed. Hines logged at least 15 minutes in seven of LSU's last 10 games, carving out a permanent spot in a veteran-heavy rotation. Known for her shooting prowess coming out of high school, Hines became a defensive ace for LSU, leading the squad in charges as the Tigers maintained a top-10 AP ranking all season and reached the Sweet 16.
With Hines' addition, TCU has now signed three former top-50 recruits from the class of 2025. Hines joins fellow soon-to-be sophomores Lara Somfai (No. 12) and Avery Hjelmstad (No. 49) in a portal class that now stands at five players. TCU previously announced the signings of rising junior guards Lanie Grant and Jadyn Wooten.
An elite shooter, Hines connected at a 49 percent clip from the field and knocked down 38 percent of her attempts from behind the arc during her freshman campaign. As a high school junior at El Dorado HS, Hines knocked down the 11th-most 3-pointers of any prep player in the country with 138.
Hines flashed her volume scoring ability when given an extended look on the hardwood in the Bayou. She scored in double figures on four occasions, including a career-high 14-point effort vs. Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 6. Hines paired a career-best 10 rebounds with nine points in the Tigers' NCAA Tournament opening round victory against Jacksonville on March 20. She twice scored 10-plus in SEC play, notably tallying 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench in a 112-78 home win vs. Oklahoma on March 6.
One of the most celebrated players the Land of Enchantment has produced, Hines was named Player of the Year in New Mexico in 2024 and 2025. She averaged 28.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game over the course of her prep career. Hines increased her offensive output to 32.5 points per game her junior year at El Dorado HS and led the state of New Mexico in scoring average, 3-pointers, field goals (321) and free throws (208). Hines transferred to ABC Prep ahead of her senior year and concluded her decorated four-year high school run with 3,170 career points.
She also competed on the club circuit for CyFair Elite, one of the top-rated Nike AAU organizations out of Houston, Texas.
Hines will be a sophomore and has three seasons of eligibility for the Horned Frogs.
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