Delreeco Gillespie Will Fit Right In With Houston Cougars Offense

Houston continues cooking.

It was a big week for the athletics program, as the Cougars added two highly rated players from the portal, who were desperately needed to continue the pursuit of NCAA Tournament success.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson knew it was going to cost money to bring guys in, and it did when he convinced Delreco Gilliespie to transfer to the Space City to continue his collegiate career.

After losing several key stars to the portal or the NBA Draft, it left plenty of questions about how Sampson would reconstruct the roster, given that players hit the portal at a high rate when he brings them in. Now, there aren't as many questions surrounding the shooters, and Gillespie has the goods that fit the culture and system.

Playmaker and Leader

Kent State power forward Delrecco Gillespie announced on his Instagram account that he's transferring to Houston. Big pickup for Kelvin Sampson. Gillespie averaged 17.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game for Golden Flashes last season, shooting 51 percent from the field. pic.twitter.com/VWte4HorF2
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) April 11, 2026

The Cougars knew exactly what they were getting when they brought in the 6-foot-8 weapon that was the leading scorer for Kent State one season ago. During his short tenure there, he gained a ton of minutes each year he progressed, and averaged 32.2 minutes his last year there after spending four years there.

A reason why this is a great fit is because Sampson and Co. like players to go deep in games and not rely as much on the bench if it doesn't have to, and he is one of those stars who knows what it takes to go far without a break when his team needs him.

When the Benton Harbor native played in the most recent season, he averaged 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, proving he was always stepping up to the occasion. Houston needed a player who could crash the glass and fill the hole left by veterans like Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac Jr., Emanuel Sharp, and Milos Uzan. Now that the next guy up is in place to take over.

He’s not only well known to be an elite rebounder but someone who is an interior scorer that also exhibits great defense, an important quality that the Cougars pride themselves on every season, and the reason that they were one of the best, if not the best, to do it a year ago.

One notable area many might not be familiar with is that he led the NCAA with 22 double-doubles. To add to his impressive resume, he was also the leader in rebounding, which is extremely hard to do given the competition out there. In almost every game, it seemed he would get a block or two, so his frame definitely factored into opponents' struggles to box out and defend him.

From the field, Gilliespie shot over 50 percent and had a consistent groove in his game that showcased his ability to nail his shots and his relentless style of basketball. He is almost an 80 percent shooter at the line, too, which means he’s very aware and disciplined to draw trips to the charity stripe, which is needed.

Not many programs can say they snagged someone who can orchestrate as many things as he does compared to other athletes in the transfer portal. Houston has landed a stud and finisher.

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