Projected Starting Five
With quite a few guys from last years team gone predicting who the Cougars will go with to start games is difficult as it could be a number of guys. Kelvin Sampson will have a lot of different options as this year’s team provides him with enough depth to run a deep rotation similar to last season. This is my best guess for who will start for the Cougars at the beginning of the year.
Nate Hinton
After earning a spot on the AAC All-Freshman team last season, Nate Hinton is actually the teams leading returning scorer at 7.2 points per game. Hinton missed out on playing in the summer tour with his teammates but is still primed to be a big contributor this season. Hinton came off the bench last year for Brooks and Davis and should slot in nicely for Kelvin Sampson at one of the guard spots.
Dejon Jarreau
A potential break out player for this season, there’s a lot of hype surrounding Dejon Jarreau. Last seasons AAC Sixth Man of the Year enters his junior season primed to have a breakout year and put up some big numbers. Jarreau and Hinton are likely to be the main scoring threats for the Cougars this season and are one of the best backcourt duos in the American Athletic Conference.
Cedric Alley Jr
Cedric Alley found himself starting about half of the games for Houston last year. He has the ability to stretch the floor by knocking down the three-ball which is something Kelvin Sampson should be looking to take advantage of. He’ll look to be more consistent with his shot but we should see his scoring and rebounding numbers go up as he’s given an opportunity to earn more minutes this season.
Fabian White Jr
Fabian White had himself a really good summer tour and is another player looking to have a breakout year for Houston. White started 21 games for the Cougars last season and will play a large role for the team. His size at 6’7 will be important, as well as his athleticism and defensive presence. Fabian White may not light up the scoreboard with his points but will be a guy who will do all of the dirty work.
Brison Gresham
Gresham and Fabian White are the ones who will be patrolling the paint this year. Brison Gresham plays his game down low and shot an impressive 70% from the floor last season. Add in his 1.3 blocks per game last year, Gresham will be one of the Cougars main rim protectors. He’ll be a valuable asset but may find himself coming off the bench in some games depending on the situation and how the matchups look.