HOUSTON — The Houston Cougars, in advance of their big move to the Big 12 conference, are in need of reinforcements in the frontcourt.
Jarace Walker was among the NCAA's best freshmen last season, averaging 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, which should lead him to a top 10 selection in the NBA draft.
Houston does not return a single player over 6'9, and while the guard room will be bursting with talent in Jamal Shead, LJ Cryer, and Terrance Arceneaux, coach Kelvin Sampson will need to add some size if they want to compete in year one in college basketball's strongest conference.
Locked on Coogs host Parker Ainsworth offers a handful of potential options in his latest episode, starting with North Dakota State's 6'10 star Grant Nelson - who is a perfect offensive fit who could grow and develop in Houston's defensive-focused system.
"One thing that makes [Nelson] a perfect Houston Cougar is that Sampson and company have done a really great job of developing bigs," Ainsworth said. "They are some of the best defensive coaches in the country, and so the idea they could help him develop the defensive side of the game and then go back to the NBA draft."
Nelson is being recruited by a litany of prolific college basketball programs, including Arkansas, Alabama, Gonzaga, Arizona, Kentucky, Kansas, and Villanova, among others, and he has made it clear his priority is remaining in the NBA draft process.
If Houston is unable to land Nelson, what other options might they explore? Ainsworth lists three other options in Moussa Cisse (Oklahoma State) Olivier Nkamhoua (Tennessee) and Warren Washington (Arizona State). Each offer size, tenacity on the glass, and the kind of motor Sampson covets at Houston.
For more on these and any other options for Houston in the NCAA transfer portal, check out the Locked on Coogs podcast!