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1. Houston Cougars
2025-26 record: 30-7 (14-4)
Likely departures
- Kingston Flemings (16.1 ppg and 5.2 apg)
- Emanuel Sharp (15.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg)
- Milos Uzan (11.1 ppg and 4.0 apg)
- Isaiah Harwell (3.6 ppg and 2.0 rpg)
- Kalif Sakho (2.4 ppg and 2.6 rpg)
- Chris Cenac (9.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg)
Likely returnees
- Joseph Tugler (8.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg)
- Mercy Miller (5.0 ppg and 1.8 rpg)
- Chase McCarty (4.1 ppg and 2.5 rpg)
Roster additions
- Dedan Thomas Jr. (15.3 ppg and 6.3 apg at LSU)
- Corey Hadnot II (20.4 ppg and 3.5 apg at Purdue Fort Wayne)
- Delrecco Gillespie (17.7 ppg and 11.3 rpg at Kent State)
- Braden East (12.8 ppg and 9.1 rpg at Lamar)
- Ikenna Alozie (4-star guard prospect)
- Arafan Diane (4-star center prospect)
Houston’s transfer group is one of the best in the country, with Thomas being a quality lead guard joining a winning program. Hadnot was the top scorer in the Horizon League, while Gillespie was one of the top rebounders in the country, and paired with Tugler, should give them another quality frontcourt.
It’s not a guarantee that these new pieces will work out perfectly. But Coach Kelvin Sampson has been right at the top of Big 12 Basketball ever since he joined the league. As long as the newcomer guards can defend, the Cougars should be just as formidable as ever.
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