D1 · Big 12 Conference

Houston Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #5 · 30–7 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · Big 12 Conference · Houston, TX

Houston finished 30–7 (Big 12 2nd, KenPom #5) in 2025–26. 14 players hold the 2026–27 roster; 9 are new this season.

Roster data through 2026–27

Roster14 players
New this season9
Transfer additions5
Clearest projected openingForwards · 2028
Most common home stateTX (5)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Forwards: open from 2028 — 2 ahead.

Centers: blocked until 2030.

2027
Gcrowded8 ahead
Fbalanced4 ahead
Ccrowded2 ahead · multi-yr
2028
Gbalanced5 ahead
Fopening2 ahead
Ccrowded2 ahead · multi-yr
2029
Gopening4 ahead
Fopen1 ahead
Ccrowded2 ahead · multi-yr
2030
Gopen3 ahead
Fopen0 ahead
Copen2 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (8)
Chendall Weaver6′3″Grad
Corey Hadnot II6′2″Sr
Kordel Jefferson6′3″RS-So
Ikenna Alozie6′2″Fr
Mercy Miller6′4″Jr
Tyus Thomas6′0″Fr
Bryce Jackson6′6″RS-Fr
Dedan Thomas Jr.6′1″Sr
Forwards in that room (4)
Joseph Tugler6′8″Sr
Delrecco Gillespie6′8″Sr
Chase McCarty6′5″RS-So
Braden East6′9″Jr
Centers in that room (2)
Djafar Silimana6′10″Fr
Arafan Diané7′0″Fr
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at Houston

How to get recruited here

For 2027 arrivals the roster projection reads: G crowded (8 ahead), F balanced (4 ahead), C crowded (2 ahead · multi-yr).

Of the latest cycle's 10 arrivals, 5 came straight from high school and 5 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from TX, NV, CA.

11 of 14 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 11 of 14 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

22% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2026–27 · 14 players

Guards 8 of 14

Bryce Jackson6′6″RS-Fr
Mercy Miller6′4″Jr5.0 PPG
Chendall Weaver6′3″Grad · final yr
Kordel Jefferson6′3″RS-So
Corey Hadnot II6′2″Sr · final yr
Ikenna Alozie6′2″Fr
Dedan Thomas Jr.6′1″Sr · final yr
Tyus Thomas6′0″Fr

Frontcourt 6 of 14 · forwards + centers

Arafan Diané7′0″Fr · C
Djafar Silimana6′10″Fr · C
Braden East6′9″Jr · F
Joseph Tugler6′8″Sr · F · final yr8.4 PPG
Delrecco Gillespie6′8″Sr · F · final yr
Chase McCarty6′5″RS-So · F4.1 PPG
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

22%of recorded scoring returns
1 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Joseph Tugler8.4 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Mercy Miller5.0 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Chase McCarty4.1 PPG in 2025–26 · returning

Computed from 11 of 14 players on the 2025–26 roster with recorded stats; "returning" means listed on the 2026–27 roster.

Who actually gets onto this roster?

How players arrive

5from high school5via the portal

9 of 14 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

11 of 14

11 of 14 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

1 five-star: Arafan Diané #28 (2026).

Where from

TX 5 · NV 3 · CA 2 · LA 2 · AL 1 · FL 1

5 international: Rouen; Lagos; Conakry; Segou and 1 more

High schools: LibertyMajor Undeclared ×2; Shadow CreekMajor Integrated Studies; Martin HS [Arlington, Texas]Major Integrated Studies and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2025–26 → 2026–27 · in

→Chendall Weaver
→Corey Hadnot II
→Delrecco Gillespie
→Braden East
→Dedan Thomas Jr.

2025–26 → 2026–27 · out

←Chris Cenac Jr.
←Isiah Harwell
←Kalifa Sakho
←Cedric Lath
←Jacob McFarland
←Kingston Flemings
←Ramon Walker Jr.

How this roster compares

Big 12 Conference (16 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureHoustonConference
Average guard height6′3″6′4″−1″
Average frontcourt height6′9″6′10″−1″
Roster size1415−1
Freshman share36%36%

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#22021–22#32022–23#2→ moved to the Big 122023–24#12024–25#52025–26
32–6 · American 1st33–4 · American 1st32–5 · Big 12 1st35–5 · Big 12 1st30–7 · Big 12 2nd

Coaching staff

Kelvin SampsonHead coach
Kellen SampsonAssistant coach
Mike EkanemAssistant coach
Hollis PriceSpecial assistant to the head coach / assistant coach
Staff changes3 on-court staff changes in 4 offseasons — 1 before 2024–25, 2 before 2025–26.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate74%
SAT midpoint1235
ACT midpoint26

How this page is made: Rosters: official Houston rosters, 2025–26 and 2026–27, read from the athletic department's own site · Season: Houston's 2026–27 roster is posted, so this page reads it; the conference comparison uses 2025–26, the newest season every program has on file. · Stats: 2025–26, the last season played — the 2026–27 season has no games yet. · New this season: players not listed on the 2025–26 roster; a newcomer who is not a freshman counts as a transfer addition · Ratings: KenPom, five seasons; conference finish computed among same-conference teams by rating · Openings: Depth Chart's roster projection from listed class years; confidence stated per year · Sample: among players who made a college roster — the data cannot see who didn't. Among players who made a college roster. Model judgments describe positions and cohorts, never a named player's future. Refreshed automatically when the rosters change. Corrections: research@mydepthchart.com.

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