2. Houston Cougars
Joseph Tugler (8.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg)
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)
Coach Kelvin Sampson benefited greatly from the recent five-star freshman class but has also consistently had seniors to lead the team. This new rule change could be huge for the Cougars, considering who they landed from the portal this offseason.
Thomas played 16 games last season at LSU before a season-ending injury and likely wouldn’t receive a waiver under the new rule. Now, he has two years no matter what, while Hadnot, who has gotten better in each year at Purdue Fort Wayne, gets a 5th year and two seasons to develop under this system.
The same goes for Gillespie, one of the top big man transfers from the portal. Plus, Tugler, a former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, has the chance to be a rare 5th-year senior, helping keep Houston’s elite defense among the best in college basketball.
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