10. Houston Cougars
Kelvin Sampson has earned quite the reputation throughout his coaching career and his work with Houston only cements his legacy. He’s brought and coached some really talented players during some magnificent seasons for these Cougars. While this past year’s team fell in the Sweet Sixteen, the recent deep runs are a testament to the players he’s brought like LJ Cryer, Jamal Shead, and Kingston Flemings.
If you’re looking for who might be the next big thing at guard for the Cougars, look no further than Dedan Thomas Jr. The former LSU point guard averaged 15.3 points and 6.5 assists for the Tigers and likely gets the keys to the castle, running Houston’s offense and contributing on this stingy defense. The backcourt also gets Corey Hadnot, a prominent scorer from Purdue Fort Wayne who averaged 20.4 points a night for the Mastodons last season.
Let’s not act like the frontcourt has been ignored because Sampson lured two talented forwards into the fray as well. Delrecco Gillespie averaged a double-double at Kent State, putting up 17.7 points and 11.3 rebounds this past season. Lamar’s Braden East was just shy of those numbers as a sophomore and adds another strong frame and endearing presence around the basket.
A decade ago this program was doing nothing in the AAC and now they are competing on a yearly basis for Big 12 titles and deep postseason runs. Houston is a juggernaut and another fantastic offseason only bolsters that potential moving forward. We don’t know specific minute breakdowns or what Sampson is going to expect from each player, both transfers and returners, but with the talent assembled it’s hard not to think we’ll see them in the Big 12 title race again.
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