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Why Houston Transfer Guard Corey Hadnot II is Pumped To Be a Cougar

Nov 7, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons guard Corey Hadnot II (10) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Why Houston Transfer Guard Corey Hadnot II is Pumped To Be a Cougar

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Maanav Gupta | Last updated Apr 18, 2026 10:20 AM ET

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This is arguably the most important transfer portal period for the Houston Cougars in recent history. The program has high expectations to remain competitive, and needed to use the portal to reload given the holes that were on the roster.

The Cougars lost all three starting guards from this past season as seniors Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan move on, while freshman Kingston Flemings will head to the NBA Draft. Besides that, freshman Isiah Harwell also transferred to Gonzaga.

Houston was in desperate need of guards as it only had three on the roster. Mercy Miller is expected to start as a junior, Bryce Jackson is coming off a redshirt year and Kordel Jefferson doesn't have much experience coming in as a redshirt junior. The portal was a perfect place to build the guard room, and the Cougars just made their second addition to that.

Houston earned the commitment of incoming senior transfer guard Corey Hadnot II from Purdue Fort-Wayne on Tuesday evening. This was a big portal signing that significantly upgrades the guard depth on the team. After filling the need at point guard with incoming senior transfer Dedan Thomas Jr. from LSU over the weekend, the Cougars add another vital guard to the mix.

Hadnot II Excited For The Opportunity

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Hadnot II averaged 20.4 points, four rebounds, and 3.5 assists in his junior season at PFW while shooting 52 percent overall. He also shot close to 36 percent from three. The 6-foot-3, 185 pound guard started all 32 games and played an average of over 30 minutes. While Hadnot II was just 69 percent from the free throw line, he was at 80 percent the year prior as a sophomore.

It's likely that Hadnot II would be the sixth man off the bench in terms of guards and can provide that scoring spark. He deepens the guard depth and provides a great option when Thomas Jr. or Miller is on the bench. Hadnot II is in fact a Houston native as well from the suburb of Cypress and went to Cy Creek High School where he was a three-star recruit and ranked 28th overall in Texas.

Hadnot II is very excited for this opportunity with Houston. There were multiple reasons he chose the Cougars besides returning home detailed by Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Houston. One was the culture. The other was that the program provided him the chance to achieve his long-term goals. That is to make it into the NBA.

"(Kelvin Sampson) told me it's basically like a guard university. That caught my eye. Definitely," Hadnot II said to PaperCity Houston.

Corey Hadnot II to @PaperCityMag on why he went with Kelvin Sampson's Houston program: "I chose Houston because of the culture there. The coaching staff made me feel like they had my best interests at heart. They made me feel like they could get me to where my goals and my dreams… https://t.co/yyy5M6eYR4
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) April 14, 2026

"Six of their last seven (guards), they all have played significant minutes in the NBA," Hadnot II said. "And that's one of my goals. That's where I'm trying to get. That was a big factor why I chose Houston."

Some of those guards that have played in the NBA include Dejon Jarreau, Quentin Grimes, Marcus Sasser, Jamal Shead, and LJ Cryer. Kingston Flemings is expected to join that group as well. A college basketball program is supposed to develop you for the next level and Houston has done exactly that over the years. Hadnot II wants to be a part of that.

"They also made me feel like they would take care of my family as well. The culture there is not just a one-year thing. Since I'm going to be a senior this year that matters," Hadnot II said to PaperCity.

Houston allows him the chance to play in the Big 12 and compete for a national championship while being in a culture that supports his family and makes him feel welcome. Hadnot II could play a key role as the main guard off the bench for Houston this upcoming season.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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