What Four-Star Recruit Triston Hawthorne Can Bring to Houston Cougars Basketball

Houston Cougars basketball has already put together a stellar 2027 recruiting class. UH now has four four-star prospects that are all ranked in the top 100 for next season. This is currently ranked as the No. 1 overall class in the country, according to 247Sports.

Coach Kelvin Sampson's program has taken their recruiting efforts to a whole new level over the last few years, and it looks like that will continue next season. The Cougars have two guards and two frontcourt players assembled.

Power forward Triston Hawthorne was the latest 2027 four-star prospect to commit to Houston, which he did on Sept. 17.

The 6-foot-7, 190-pound Hawthorne is ranked the No. 1 overall player in the state of Mississippi per 247Sports and the 15th-ranked power forward in the country according to the 247 Composite ranking. He's also ranked the 80th overall player in the 2027 class as a whole.

Hawthorne received many offers, but only three were from Power Four programs. Houston, along with Ole Miss and Mississippi State, were the ones to offer. The Ellisville, Miss., native visited Houston on Aug. 20. He then visited LSU on Sept. 5 and Harvard on Sept. 8.

What Hawthorne Can Bring to Houston

Hawthorne went to South Jones High School and is very strong at the rim on both sides of the court. He's honestly a perfect fit for what the Cougars like to do as an excellent rebounder and blocker. Hawthorne has a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan, which is typical of big men at Houston.

He averaged double-digit rebounds of 10.8 per game and also four offensive rebounds per game. It doesn't get better than that to be a Cougar. Hawthorne is a fluid athlete who can cover the entire court as a defender. He has all the physical tools to be successful on that end of the floor, and Houston can maximize it.

Hawthorne definitely has what it takes to be an elite rebounder given his bounce. He averaged 4.3 blocks per game as well. It's likely that he will gain more muscle at Houston and get bigger,

While Hawthorne is still a raw prospect on the offensive end, he's still a huge threat at the rim and can be effective in the dunker's spot. He's also a smart player who understands his role, with almost all his shots inside the paint.

Hawthorne can be that traditional Houston big man, a great rebounder and a dangerous force in the paint. He can also shoot free throws at around 60 percent, even with mechanical issues.

He joins Derek Daniels, who is a top-10 center in the country, along with two top-12 guards in Oneal Delancy and Darrell Davis.

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