College Basketball · Big 12 · 2026-27
Houston Cougars
1-0 · Coach Kelvin Sampson
Power Rankings
#5▲4
Who is best right now.
+31.3points per 100 possessions vs an average D-I team
Last week: +28.6 (#9)
Preseason: #9
Full Power Rankings → Compare to another teamRating breakdown
Adjusted for every opponent and home court. Power = offense minus defense.
Projected record
24-6
- Conference record
- 13-5
- Conference title
- 29%
- Outright title
- 16%
- Luck
- 0.0
Actual results so far plus the rest of the seasonplayed out 10,000 times with the win chance for each game (non-Division I opponents count as 97% wins). The title is the regular-season crown; conference tournaments aren't included. Later rounds of holiday tournaments are added once the opponent is known.
Why #9 in the preseason
What the computer saw going in
- →Last season: #5 in the country (+36.3), 30-7.
- →23% of last season's minutes are back.
- →5 transfers in, led by Corey Hadnot II (Purdue Fort Wayne, 20.4 ppg), Delrecco Gillespie (Kent State, 17.7 ppg), Dedan Thomas Jr. (LSU, 15.1 ppg). Transfers moving up a level are counted cautiously.
- →3 ranked freshmen: Arafan Diane (#28), Ikenna Alozie (#52), Tyus Thomas (#255).
- →Lost Milos Uzan (11.1 ppg), Kingston Flemings (16.1 ppg), Emanuel Sharp (15.5 ppg).
The preseason rating counts for about five games, then real results take over.
Teams like Houston
The closest matches across all 365 Division I teams, based on the current ratings.
This season
Everyone who has played, most minutes first: per-game numbers from the box scores, updated after every game.
| Player | G · GS | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedan Thomas Jr.G · Senior · #17 ranked | 1 · 1 | 27.0 | 16.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 28.6 (2-7) | 50.0 (1-2) | 78.6 (11-14) |
| Mercy MillerG · Junior · #389 ranked | 1 · 1 | 26.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 25.0 (1-4) | 0.0 (0-2) | 75.0 (3-4) |
| Corey Hadnot IIG · Senior · #210 ranked | 1 · 0 | 22.0 | 14.0 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 60.0 (6-10) | 25.0 (1-4) | 50.0 (1-2) |
| Delrecco GillespieF · Senior · #82 ranked | 1 · 1 | 22.0 | 13.0 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 83.3 (5-6) | 100.0 (1-1) | 66.7 (2-3) |
| Arafan DianeC · Freshman · #615 ranked | 1 · 0 | 21.0 | 10.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 55.6 (5-9) | — (0-0) | 0.0 (0-1) |
| Chase McCartyF · Sophomore · #500 ranked | 1 · 1 | 20.0 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 50.0 (2-4) | 0.0 (0-1) | 85.7 (6-7) |
| Joseph TuglerF · Senior · #49 ranked | 1 · 1 | 16.0 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 66.7 (4-6) | — (0-0) | 50.0 (1-2) |
| Braden EastF · Junior · #400 ranked | 1 · 0 | 15.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 60.0 (3-5) | — (0-0) | 75.0 (3-4) |
| Kordel JeffersonG · Sophomore · #1230 ranked | 1 · 0 | 13.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 50.0 (2-4) | 50.0 (2-4) | — (0-0) |
| Bryce JacksonG · Freshman | 1 · 0 | 10.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 (0-1) | — (0-0) | — (0-0) |
| Ikenna AlozieG · Freshman · #905 ranked | 1 · 0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — (0-0) | — (0-0) | — (0-0) |
| Tyus ThomasG · Freshman · #3348 ranked | 1 · 0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — (0-0) | — (0-0) | — (0-0) |
| Djafar SilimanaC · Freshman | 1 · 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 (1-1) | — (0-0) | — (0-0) |
Projected rotation
The preseason model's minutes projection for each player with a track record (college stats or a recruiting rank), most minutes first. Players without one aren't projected here; This season above lists everyone who has played.
| Player | How he got here | Proj. min | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph TuglerF · Senior |  Returning | 25 | 8.4 pts · 5.3 reb · 1.3 ast |
| Chendall WeaverG · Senior |  Transfer from Texas | 17 | 5.8 pts · 4.1 reb · 1.1 ast |
| Delrecco GillespieF · Senior |  Transfer from Kent State | 16 | 17.7 pts · 11.2 reb · 1.7 ast |
| Dedan Thomas Jr.G · Senior |  Transfer from LSU | 16 | 15.1 pts · 2.7 reb · 6.4 ast |
| Arafan DianeC · Freshman | Freshman · #28 recruit | 15 | — |
| Mercy MillerG · Junior | Returning | 14 | 5 pts · 1.8 reb · 0.5 ast |
| Chase McCartyF · Sophomore | Returning | 14 | 4.1 pts · 2.5 reb · 0.2 ast |
| Braden EastF · Junior |  Transfer from Lamar | 14 | 12.8 pts · 9.1 reb · 0.7 ast |
| Corey Hadnot IIG · Senior |  Transfer from Purdue Fort Wayne | 13 | 20.4 pts · 4 reb · 3.5 ast |
| Ikenna AlozieG · Freshman | Freshman · #52 recruit | 11 | — |
| Tyus ThomasG · Freshman | Freshman · #255 recruit | 8 | — |
| Kordel JeffersonG · Sophomore | Returning | 5 | 1.3 pts · 0.7 reb · 0.3 ast |
Gone from last season: Milos Uzan (11.1 ppg), Kingston Flemings (16.1 ppg), Emanuel Sharp (15.5 ppg), Chris Cenac Jr. (9.5 ppg), Isiah Harwell (3.6 ppg, to 
Gonzaga), Kalifa Sakho (2.4 ppg)
Roster
Everyone on this season's roster, with this season's numbers for anyone who has played. Names link to player pages, ranked players first.
| # | Player | How he got here | Pos | Class | Ht / Wt | Hometown | This season | Last season | Rank · Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Dedan Thomas Jr. | Transfer from LSU | G | Senior | 6-1 · 180 | Las Vegas, NV | 16.0 pts · 3.0 reb · 5.0 ast (1 G) | 15.1 pts · 2.7 reb · 6.4 ast (16 G) | #17 · +2.77 |
| 11 | Joseph Tugler | Returning | F | Senior | 6-8 · 230 | Monroe, LA | 9.0 pts · 6.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 8.4 pts · 5.3 reb · 1.3 ast (37 G) | #49 · +2.13 |
| 23 | Delrecco Gillespie | Transfer from Kent State | F | Senior | 6-8 · 240 | Benton Harbor, MI | 13.0 pts · 7.0 reb · 2.0 ast (1 G) | 17.7 pts · 11.2 reb · 1.7 ast (34 G) | #82 · +1.91 |
| 2 | Corey Hadnot II | Transfer from Purdue Fort Wayne | G | Senior | 6-2 · 185 | Atlanta, GA | 14.0 pts · 1.0 reb · 5.0 ast (1 G) | 20.4 pts · 4.0 reb · 3.5 ast (32 G) | #210 · +1.39 |
| 25 | Mercy Miller | Returning | G | Junior | 6-4 · 200 | Los Angeles, CA | 5.0 pts · 7.0 reb · 5.0 ast (1 G) | 5.0 pts · 1.8 reb · 0.5 ast (36 G) | #389 · +1.05 |
| 4 | Braden East | Transfer from Lamar | F | Junior | 6-9 · 250 | Houston, TX | 9.0 pts · 5.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 12.8 pts · 9.1 reb · 0.7 ast (30 G) | #400 · +1.02 |
| 24 | Chase McCarty | Returning | F | Sophomore | 6-5 · 225 | Madison, AL | 10.0 pts · 6.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 4.1 pts · 2.5 reb · 0.2 ast (35 G) | #500 · +0.87 |
| 7 | Chendall Weaver | Transfer from Texas | G | Senior | 6-3 · 180 | Mansfield, TX | Hasn't played | 5.8 pts · 4.1 reb · 1.1 ast (36 G) | #514 · +0.85 |
| 13 | Arafan Diane | Freshman | C | Freshman | 7-0 · 280 | Conakry, Guinea | 10.0 pts · 4.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | #615 · +0.75 |
| 1 | Ikenna Alozie | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-2 · 190 | Lagos, Nigeria | 0.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | #905 · +0.45 |
| 0 | Kordel Jefferson | Returning | G | Sophomore | 6-3 · 195 | Bogue Chitto, MS | 6.0 pts · 1.0 reb · 1.0 ast (1 G) | 1.3 pts · 0.7 reb · 0.3 ast (3 G) | #1230 · +0.24 |
| 3 | Tyus Thomas | Freshman | G | Freshman | 6-0 · 180 | Las Vegas, NV | 0.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | #3348 · -0.64 |
| 6 | Bryce Jackson | Returning | G | Freshman | 6-6 · 210 | Pearland, TX | 0.0 pts · 1.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
| 15 | Djafar Silimana | Freshman | C | Freshman | 6-10 · 240 | Segou, Mali | 2.0 pts · 0.0 reb · 0.0 ast (1 G) | — | Not ranked yet |
Schedule
Projected scores and win chances come from the current ratings and update every morning.
| Nov 2 |  vsLa Salle | W94-55Box score → |
| Still to play · computer projections | ||
| Nov 8 |  vs (N)CaliforniaLake Tahoe Classic | Projected 80-67HOU: 88% to winHouston: 88% to win Compare |
| Nov 11 |  vsJacksonville State | Projected 84-56HOU: 99% to winHouston: 99% to win Compare |
| Nov 17 |  vs (N)RutgersPlayers Era 8 | Projected 80-65HOU: 90% to winHouston: 90% to win Compare |
| Nov 18 | Players Era 8Round 2 | Opponent TBD |
| Nov 19 | Players Era 8Championship or placement game | Opponent TBD |
| Nov 27 |  vsOakland | Projected 89-60HOU: 99% to winHouston: 99% to win Compare |
| Nov 29 |  vsQueens University | Projected 95-68HOU: 99% to winHouston: 99% to win Compare |
| Dec 2 |  vsCentral Arkansas | Projected 85-61HOU: 98% to winHouston: 98% to win Compare |
| Dec 5 |  vsTexas State | Projected 82-60HOU: 97% to winHouston: 97% to win Compare |
| Dec 8 |  vs (N)#22AlabamaJimmy V Classic | Projected 82-78HOU: 66% to winHouston: 66% to win Compare |
| Dec 13 | vs (N)LSUHouston Hoopfest | Projected 79-68HOU: 82% to winHouston: 82% to win Compare |
| Dec 20 |  vs (N)Florida StateJacksonville Hoops Showdown | Projected 82-73HOU: 78% to winHouston: 78% to win Compare |
| Dec 29 |  vsTexas A&M-Corpus Christi | Projected 82-56HOU: 99% to winHouston: 99% to win Compare |
| Jan 2 |  vsTCUConference | Projected 78-69HOU: 79% to winHouston: 79% to win Compare |
| Jan 5 |  atKansas StateConference | Projected 82-69HOU: 87% to winHouston: 87% to win Compare |
| Jan 10 |  atBaylorConference | Projected 78-73HOU: 67% to winHouston: 67% to win Compare |
| Jan 13 |  vs#16Iowa StateConference | Projected 76-70HOU: 70% to winHouston: 70% to win Compare |
| Jan 16 |  atColoradoConference | Projected 79-69HOU: 81% to winHouston: 81% to win Compare |
| Jan 19 |  vs#17Texas TechConference | Projected 73-67HOU: 70% to winHouston: 70% to win Compare |
| Jan 23 |  atArizona StateConference | Projected 78-70HOU: 75% to winHouston: 75% to win Compare |
| Jan 30 |  vs#15BYUConference | Projected 81-76HOU: 69% to winHouston: 69% to win Compare |
| Feb 1 |  vs#3KansasConference | Projected 74-73HOU: 54% to winHouston: 54% to win Compare |
| Feb 6 |  at#10ArizonaConference | Projected 76-77HOU: 44% to winHouston: 44% to win Compare |
| Feb 10 |  atUCFConference | Projected 82-72HOU: 81% to winHouston: 81% to win Compare |
| Feb 13 |  vsUtahConference | Projected 81-60HOU: 97% to winHouston: 97% to win Compare |
| Feb 15 | at#17Texas TechConference | Projected 70-71HOU: 49% to winHouston: 49% to win Compare |
| Feb 21 |  vsOklahoma StateConference | Projected 82-73HOU: 79% to winHouston: 79% to win Compare |
| Feb 24 | vsColoradoConference | Projected 82-66HOU: 92% to winHouston: 92% to win Compare |
| Feb 27 |  at#25West VirginiaConference | Projected 71-69HOU: 59% to winHouston: 59% to win Compare |
| Mar 2 |  at#21CincinnatiConference | Projected 72-71HOU: 54% to winHouston: 54% to win Compare |
| Mar 6 | vs#10ArizonaConference | Projected 79-74HOU: 66% to winHouston: 66% to win Compare |
Big 12 standings
| # | Team | Conf | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 2 | Houston | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| 3 | BYU | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 4 | Texas Tech | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 6 | West Virginia | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 7 | Oklahoma State | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 8 | TCU | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 9 | Baylor | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 10 | Arizona State | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 11 | UCF | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 12 | Utah | 0-0 | 2-0 |
| 13 | Arizona | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 14 | Iowa State | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 15 | Colorado | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 16 | Kansas State | 0-0 | 1-1 |