What’s Next for the Houston Cougars After Falling Short in the 2026 Men’s March Madness?
The Houston Cougars suffered an unfortunate ending in the 2026 March Madness Tournament. They lost in the Sweet 16 as the second seed, 65-55, against the third-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini. Houston was a top-five favorite to make the championship, but after falling so far short of expectations, they have a lot of work on their hands. The Cougars have been busy reshaping their roster, with a handful of transfers already locked in for the 2026-2027 season. The transfer portal has become the key aspect to rebuilding a college team, and Houston has already secured four players.
Corey Hadnot is transferring from Purdue Fort Wayne and is looking to be a massive boost for the Cougars' backcourt. The six-foot-three guard is entering his senior year and is coming off his best season yet. Hadnot averaged 20.4 points, 3.5 assists, and four rebounds. The downside to this scoring is the mediocre three-point shooting with 35% and a terrible free-throw percentage with 69%. Another possible downside is that he only has one season playing more than two games, so it will be hard to tell if the 20 points per game will stay consistent, ultimately meaning Hadnot could land a sixth man role for the Cougars.
Braden East is a four-star power forward transferring from Lamar University. The upcoming junior averaged a near double-double with 12.8 points and 9.1 rebounds. East is also a lackluster three-point and free-throw shooter, shooting 31% from behind the arc and 70% from the line. The Texas native adds some great depth to the Houston roster and will also be looking to add a versatile spark off the bench.
An incoming transfer that could land a day one starting spot is Dedan Thomas. The former LSU guard averaged 15.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game. Houston is going to have to work around his awful shooting abilities, though. While Thomas shot a healthy 83% from the free-throw line, he shot 30% from the three-point line and 45% from the field. Although the shooting splits need a lot of improvement, the combo guard would be taking over the playmaking responsibilities left by star freshman Kingston Flemings, who is most likely going to enter the NBA Draft.
Rounding out the acquisitions for Houston so far is Delrecco Gillespie. The six-foot-eight forward is transferring from Kent State and could be the best pick-up yet for the Cougars. Gillespie averaged a double-double with 17.7 points and 11.3 rebounds. He is also reliable from the field goal and the free-throw line, shooting 50% and 78%. The senior will also jump into the starting lineup right away, adding a high level of athleticism and versatility.
The Cougars have had all good transfer portal acquisitions so far through the offseason. While there is high scoring, rebounding, and playmaking across the four players, they all lack a key skill in basketball: three-point shooting. A player like Paul McNeil would slot in perfectly for this need. He is currently in the transfer portal, leaving North Carolina State. The sophomore guard averaged 13.8 points and shot an amazing 42% from three. A player like this could be exactly what Houston needs to put them over the top.
