What's Next For Houston in Portal After Dedan Thomas, Delrecco Gillespie Commits?
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If there's a surefire trait of coach Kelvin Sampson every offseason, it's that he consistently picks up reputable names in the transfer portal while also uncovering talents previously less exposed on a national scale.
Both of those came true once again in his first portal pickups of the offseason over the course of a few hours on April 11, when LSU transfer guard Dedan Thomas Jr. and Kent State transfer forward Delrecco Gillespie announced their commitments to Sampson and Houston men's basketball for their senior and graduate seasons, respectively.
Both will bring valuable assets to Sampson's rotation, especially on the offensive end where Thomas establishes a combo guard presence similar to what L.J. Cryer fulfilled at the 2 in his two seasons at Houston including a national championship game run. In the frontcourt, Gillespie brings a 6-foot-8 stature and 17.7 points per game mark from 2025-26 as an All-MAC First Team selection and three-time conference player of the week.
But while these commitments may provide a better outline of what Houston's starting five and rotation will look like for 2026-27, the possibilities remain endless for how wealthy the rotational depth will be.
So who could or should Sampson pursue further in the portal? Here are two possibilities, whether in reach or by a miniscule chance, that could represent in scarlet and white.
Cruz Davis
While incoming freshman guard Ikenna Alozie poses depth behind Thomas, the point spot may become a viable option for former Hofstra Pride guard Cruz Davis, whether in front of or behind guard Mercy Miller.
The 2025-26 CAA player of the year can bring an avid scoring presence to fulfill a spot left behind what Milos Uzan shared in a dual point effort with Kingston Flemings, as he averaged over 20 points per game while racking close to five assists in 35 games.
Those are tools left behind the previous joint effort, and knowing that depth at the point needs to be fulfilled once again for Houston, Davis' minutes won't necessarily be anchored as a veteran if he were to come off the bench.
A second chance at Ahmed?
In the previous recruiting cycle, though quite the controversy in the current landscape of Division I athletics eligibility, BYU and Houston were the top two landing spots for former NBA G-League center Abdullah Ahmed for his sophomore season.
However, as a rotational center averaging just 1.3 points per game in 12.2 minutes over the course of 20 games in 2025-26, his samples already became limited on a size-heavy frontcourt for BYU.
With Ahmed entering the portal, is it possible Houston becomes that second chance for him?
With the additions of center Arafan Diane a potential starter at the 4, Ahmed's role has a chance not to be buried deep in Sampson's roster with Cedric Lath and Kalifa Sakho's departures as centers.
Putting Ahmed behind Diane off the bench would also allow for a another viable screen-setting option for pick-and-roll coverage, one which Houston got a chance to claw at last season in facing him.
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Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.