This opportunity only comes around once a year.
It is the NCAA transfer portal for collegiate basketball.
What will Houston be doing during this 30-day window before the period closes? Searching for the best players it can afford to bring in.
There are several positions open that can be filled soon, and it all depends on what head coach Kelvin Sampson wants to do and is leaning towards after investigating the players in the portal.
The Cougars have already lost several players due to eligibility expiring or because they wanted to play for another school, so there are many questions about what this 2026-27 roster will look like. Securing these athletes would make a great start to the transfer season.
ASU Sun Devils forward Marcus Adams Jr. (8) celebrates his 3-point shot against the Oklahoma Sooners at Mortgage Matchup Center on Dec. 6, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
If anyone considers themselves a huge Big 12 basketball fan, they likely have heard of the name Marcus Adams Jr, who was a former player for Arizona State . What would make this pickup attractive is his familiarity with the conference and how the different schools operate. Yes, there will be new players, but there tend to be many similarities in the plays coaches like to run.
Adams Jr. should want to come to Houston because he would be joining a coach with plenty of NCAA Tournament experience and who values maturity. There are plenty of other great skills about the baller, like his ability to shoot from long range, rebound, and handle the ball effectively. He confuses defenders and can play defense. Sampson takes pride in his team's ability to block out, create turnovers, and defend effectively.
Feb 14, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wing Karter Knox prior to the game against the Auburn Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
There have been two years in a row now that Karter Knox has stayed in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to play basketball, but it ultimately didn't end up the way he would have hoped it would have. In his first year there, he posted great numbers, averaging 24 minutes per game. He was a 46.2 percent shooter from the field and went 34 percent from three. After this past season, the numbers were similar. He is consistent and brings leadership, respect, and a positive attitude.
This season, the game in which he did his best was against No. 16 Texas Tech, where he posted 20 points and went 8 of 11 on his field goal attempts. He was also 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and was effective around the perimeter when the ball was in his hands.
He's a player who played in one of the best conferences in the league and would bring it to the other best conference in all of college basketball. Sometimes, it just takes a player getting in a new environment and testing the market to see what fits him, and this could be a home run and steal if Sampson and Co. could convince him to play at the Fertitta Center for them and the home crowd.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/houston as Here's Why These Players Would Be Great Addition For Kelvin Sampson .
