Houston is gearing up for the Final Four, and the Cougars received more positive news on Friday.
Kalifa Sakho, a 6-foot-11 forward who played this past season at Sam Houston State in nearby Huntsville, announced he will be transferring to Houston for next season and will have one more year of eligibility.
Sakho averaged 7.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game at Sam Houston. In his final game with the Bearkats, he scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and blocked two shots in a loss to UTEP in the Conference USA Tournament. He also recorded 22 points in a November matchup against Lamar.
A native of Rouen, France, Sakho began his college career with two seasons at South Plains College, a junior college in Levelland, Texas. In the 2023-24 season, he played for Utah State and helped the Aggies advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating TCU in the first round.
Sakho is expected to fill the gap left by starting forward J’Wan Roberts, who is concluding his Houston career at this weekend’s Final Four, including Saturday’s semifinal game against Duke. The Cougars are also losing 6-8 senior reserve forward Ja’Vier Francis to graduation.
Pending any further transfers, the Cougars will bring back 6-8 sophomore forward Joseph Tugler, who was recently named the nation’s top defensive player with the Lefty Driesell Award, along with 6-9 sophomore center Cedric Lath and 6-11 redshirt freshman center Jacob McFarland.
Houston will also welcome 6-10 center Chris Cenac Jr. as part of their highly ranked recruiting class. Cenac, along with another incoming signee, guard Isiah Harwell, played in the McDonald’s All-American Game earlier this week.
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