The surprise of having Jeriah Horne come back to Tulsa was an incredible development for TU basketball this season.

Undeniably, Tulsa has a much better team with Horne back at Tulsa after a year away at Colorado.

The 6-foot-7 Horne has gotten out to a strong start in his return season, leading Tulsa with averages of 18.9 points and 7.3 rebounds through TU's first eight games of the season.

Horne is a man of sincere religious beliefs. When being interviewed in press conferences, Horne always opens with, "I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

His deep faith is at the center of his being, and was a big reason for both leaving and returning to Tulsa.

"Tulsa is where I found myself, where I found my relationship with Christ," Horne said.

Also, his respect for Tulsa coach Frank Haith was a big factor for wanting to return.

"Tulsa is where I became a better man on and off the court. A lot of that is a testament to Coach Haith pushing me in a loving way," Horne said. "So for Coach Haith to want me back and be a part of the program and a part of this team is a blessing."

Horne had a strong year in his last year for TU in 2019-2020 where Tulsa tied for the AAC regular season title before Covid canceled the conference tourney and the postseason. Horne averaged 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds. He graduated from TU.

Those numbers were better than as a sophomore for TU when he averaged 10.1 points and 4.9 rebounds. He sat out his first season at TU due to the transfer rules at the time. As a freshman at Nebraska, Horne averaged 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 2016-2017.

The decision to transfer from Tulsa to Colorado was a stunner for TU fans. It was perhaps equally surprising when he decided to come back.

"I didn't intend to come back here," Horne said. "Just as I'm embarking on a journey, that's what God had for me, so that's where my mind was. At the same time it shows it is unpredictable how he works. It is amazing ever since I've stepped foot back on this campus, I've been excited about the season.

"It was my last year and I just wanted to step out on a limb, step out on faith. That's what God was calling me to do. I didn't ask too many questions, I didn't think about it in depth too much. I think that's why I came back here and I was obedient to (God) because that's what he was calling me to do."

Even though Horne's transfer away from TU was a tough one for Haith, it was a no-brainer to take Horne back.

"I was disappointed. I would have loved to see Jeriah stay. I understood it. There were no hard feelings," Haith said. "Therefore, when he had a chance to come back - he could have stayed in Colorado, their second leading scorer and leading rebounder, but he wanted to come back and finish his career here. It just tells you about our culture and what we have here."