Notre Dame guard Markus Burton and Kent State forward Delrecco Gillespie are scheduled to visit Houston by this weekend.
The Cougars currently have seven players on the roster, two of whom are incoming freshmen. That number does not account for freshman duo Chris Cenac and Kingston Flemings, who are expected to declare for the NBA Draft in the coming weeks.
Burton is scheduled to be in Houston on Thursday, prior to visiting Indiana beginning Sunday.
Markus Burton – Guard, Notre Dame
Coming off an ACC-leading 21.3 points per game season as a sophomore, Burton’s junior campaign was cut short after a left ankle injury that required season-ending surgery in Notre Dame’s December 5 win over TCU.
Houston saw Burton up close at the Players Era Tournament in November. Burton led Notre Dame with 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, playing all 40 minutes against UH. He hurt his knee the day before Notre Dame played UH in the 2024 Players Era and did not play in the game.
Burton provided instant offense for the Irish from the moment he set foot in South Bend. His 17.5 points per game as a freshman led the ACC and ranked third nationally among first-year players. After finishing No. 5 nationally in scoring as a sophomore, Burton was off to a hot start offensively, putting up 18.5 points on nearly 50 percent shooting before the ankle injury. In three seasons at Notre Dame, Burton averaged 19.1 points per game on 43.8 percent shooting from the field, including hitting 33.2 percent of his 3-pointers.
Emanuel Sharp, Kingston Flemings, and Milos Uzan accounted for 55 percent of UH’s scoring and 74 percent of its assists in 2025-26. With UH set to lose its entire starting backcourt, adding a proven scorer and primary ball handler in Burton would help fill a glaring hole.
Jayme Hollingsworth’s Scout
Markus Burton – 5’11” – SR – Guard – 18.5ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.7apg
- One of the top scoring point guards in the country at 18.5ppg last season in 10 games.
- He is a bit undersized at probably closer to 5’9″-5’10”, but in the words of Kelvin Sampson for other small guards, “He’s been small his entire life, and it’s never slowed him down.”
- He does an incredible job of getting to the paint to score. He has a nice floater and uses his size to get under bigger defenders and score with a nice layup package at the rim.
- He’s really good in the pick-and-roll game. He can get downhill, find the open roller, or score off the jumper.
- Burton does a nice job getting to the free-throw line and making them when he gets there. He shot 92% last season and is a career 85% shooter.
- Markus did not shoot the ball from outside particularly well in his 10 games last season, but shot 38% as a sophomore. I would expect him to get back to form at UH, where he won’t be depended on “as much” to take tough outside shots.
Delrecco Gillespie – Forward, Kent State
Call him Mr. Double-Double. Gillespie’s 22 double-doubles were tied with Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Washington’s Hannes Steinbach for most in the nation.
Gillespie was named to the All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Defensive Team, averaging 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and one steal as a senior. His head coach, Rob Senderoff, was an assistant on Sampson’s staff at Indiana from 2006-08.
The biggest hole on the 2025-26 UH roster was its lack of a consistent post scorer. While the latest Cougars’ team was one of the tallest under Sampson, with Chris Cenac (6’11”), Kalifa Sakho (6’11”), and JoJo Tugler (6’8”), none of these players’ primary strengths was playing through the low post. Gillespie made a living down low as an upperclassman at Kent State. The 6-foot-8 forward would bring the toughness and strength required to be a go-to post scorer, something that is much-needed for the Cougars.
Gillespie, who spent four years at Kent State, was granted an extra year of eligibility due to a season-ending knee injury that limited him to just 11 games as a sophomore. He played 3 minutes in Kent State’s 2022 game in Houston.
Jayme Hollingsworth’s Scout
Delrecco Gillespie – 6’8″ – GR – Forward – 17.7ppg, 11.3rpg, 1.7apg
- Big/strong/athletic forward from Kent State. Seems like an emotional leader.
- He reminds me a ton of Norchad Omier from Baylor/Miami.
- Double-double machine with 18ppg and 11rpg.
- Runs the floor and is an excellent rim-runner to get dunks in transition.
- Capable of catching on the perimeter and driving to the basket vs a slower defender.
- Does an incredible job getting to the free-throw line and shoots them pretty well for a big man (165-209, 79%).
- Not afraid to shoot the three-pointer, but is capable (17-63, 27%).
- Does a nice job blocking shots with a little over one per game.
Transfer Portal Special
Join Brad Towns, Jayme Hollingsworth, Steve Cheng, and Galen Robinson for a portal podcast at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
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