We continue the recruit and return series with the Houston Cougars, whose season ended Saturday against Michigan. A look at what the 2018-19 season could hold for Kelvin Sampson and Houston.
Possible 2018-19 starting five:
G: Corey Davis
F: Fabian White
F: Breaon Brady
Who is lost: Houston bids farewell to two of the most important players behind the program’s most successful season since the 1980s: Rob Gray and Devin Davis. Gray, a 6-foot-1 point guard, led UH in scoring in each of the past three seasons. Davis was an undersized power forward at 6-foot-6 who nevertheless more than held his own on the defensive glass and in terms of scoring inside the arc. Nura Zanna, a 6-foot-6 reserve and LIU Brooklyn transfer who averaged 14 minutes a game, also played his senior season in 2017-18.
Who is added: Departing seniors Gray and Davis both arrived at Houston via junior college, and Sampson continues to blend JC transfers with recruits out of high school. For next season, the Cougars will add two junior college veterans: DeJon Jarreau, a 6-foot-5 wing, and Brison Gresham, a 6-foot-9 power forward. Jarreau and Gresham are former junior college teammates who decommitted from UMass as a two-player package. That being said, the highest-rated new arrival in Houston next season might be freshman Nate Hinton, a 6-foot-6 wing ranked as the nation’s No. 95 recruit in the ESPN 100. Sampson also adds 6-foot freshman and reputed sharpshooter Antoine Davis, a 2-guard from Houston. Lastly, 6-foot-5 Cedrick Alley Jr. will be eligible after taking a redshirt season as a freshman.
What it means for next season: If Sampson can find the answer at point guard, Houston could be in surprisingly good shape for a team coming off its first appearance in the NCAA tournament since the program’s miracle run from the No. 7 seed line to the Conference USA tournament title in 2010. The first option at the point will be Robinson, a strong defender who up to now has operated strictly as a pass-first distributor alongside Gray. Robinson’s usage-weighted turnover rate looks worrisome, but improvement there is not a far-fetched expectation for a senior-to-be. If the point guard situation is settled, there’s a lot to like for 2018-19. Corey Davis and Brooks combined to drain 44 percent of their 3s, White posted a promising freshman season, and Brady shows considerable potential as an elite rebounder (if he can stay out of foul trouble).
Trending: Neutral. Replacing a first-team all-conference performer like Gray at point guard would ordinarily be a recipe for a rocky transition, but give Sampson credit. In four seasons at Houston he has built the program to the point where the Cougars will likely, and deservedly, earn a good many second- and even first-place votes in preseason American Athletic Conference polls for 2018-19. With a veteran core made up of returning starters Davis, Brooks and Robinson, UH will be tough once again next season.