Prized Transfer Guard Corey Hadnot II Loved Kelvin Sampson’s “Fully Blunt” Houston Presentation — Inside The Usage Plan That Made Him a Cougar

Corey Hadnot II liked what the University of Houston’s recruiting presentation lacked — any fluff. Instead Kelvin Sampson and his elite staff presented the coveted 6-foot-3 transfer guard, who Kentucky was also after, with a clear game plan of how they would use him.

“They were fully blunt and upfront with me on my role this upcoming season,” Hadnot tells PaperCity. “They didn’t sugarcoat anything. They showed me how they were going to use me. They had film.” Utilizing video clips to demonstrate how Hadnot would be deployed in the offense helped this player who played his high school ball in greater Houston (Cypress Creek High School) but considers Atlanta home sees himself as a Cougar.

More specifically as another elite Kelvin Sampson guard.

Hadnot says the role laid out to him centers on him being a combo guard who can take on some of the lead scoring and defensive responsibilities while also sliding over to play backup point guard at times when fellow transfer (and expected PG starter) Dedan Thomas Jr. goes to the bench. “They said they want me coming off ball screens,” Hadnot tells PaperCity. “It’s going to be me and a starting point guard coming off ball screens. Stuff like that.

“They said I’m going to have freedom. They’re going to use me to my strengths, work on my weaknesses.”

Hadnot excelled at getting to rim at Purdue Fort Wayne, especially his last season when he averaged 20.4 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the field even with opposing defenses building game plans around trying to stop him. He put up 29 points in a win at Notre Dame, hitting four threes and shooting 10 for 16 from the field overall.

“I’m very quick,” Hadnot says when asked about the strengths of his game. “I have a good handle. I feel like I can get past anyone that’s in front of me. Whether you’re strong or fast. I feel like I can find my teammates. I feel like at the end of the shot clock, my scoring ability is elite.”

Hadnot has shown bail-out scoring ability, still creating a good shot when everything else breaks down. Hadnot joining Dedan Thomas Jr., who showed his own ability to get into the lane and stress defenses at LSU, UH battle-tested third-year guard Mercy Miller and three man Chase McCarty in a remade Houston guard rotation offers a lot of offensive upside. This should be a Houston team with plenty of scoring punch.

“They were fully blunt and upfront with me on my role this upcoming season. They didn’t sugar coat anything. They showed me how they were going to use me. They had film.” — coveted transfer guard Corey Hadnot II

Corey Hadnot Wants the Entire Houston Experience

As far as Corey Hadnot is concerned, he’s signing up for the entire University of Houston experience. Which means Kelvin Sampson relentlessly pushing him to raise his game. “They made me feel like if I’m coming here, I’m going to be challenged,” Hadnot tells PaperCity. “I’m going to be pushed.”

To Hadnot, the end goal examples are clear. It is the run of University of Houston guards under Kelvin Sampson who have found success in the NBA (Marcus Sasser, Quentin Grimes, Jamal Shead, LJ Cryer and Dejon Jarreau, with last season’s freshman point guard Kingston Flemings expected to be a Top 7 pick in this June’s NBA Draft).

“Six of their last seven (guards), they all have played significant minutes in the NBA,” Hadnot tells PaperCity. “And that’s one of my goals. That’s where I’m trying to get. That was a big factor why I chose Houston. (Kelvin Sampson) told me it’s basically like a Guard University. That caught my eye. Definitely.”

Houston will actually send another elite big man to the NBA too in this year’s draft with Chris Cenac Jr. joining Jarace Walker, who went No. 8 overall to the Indiana Pacers in the 2023 NBA Draft. But Kelvin Sampson’s magic with guards goes back decades and includes Eric Gordon at Indiana and current UH assistant coach Hollis Price at Oklahoma.

This is a guard fraternity you want to be part of.

It did not even take until the end of his visit to UH for Corey Hadnot to be certain he wanted in.

As he talked to PaperCity from the tarmac, waiting for his plane back home to take off, Hadnot’s excitement came through loud and clear. Even over the sound of the cabin announcements.

Hadnot only has one year of college eligibility left, one season to make the most of the big-time major stage that Houston basketball provides. But he’s already imagining being a Cougar for life now. That is part of the no-fluff, plenty-of-substance pitch presented by Kelvin Sampson’s Houston program too.

“I chose Houston because of the culture there,” Hadnot says as a flight attendant reminds everyone to buckle their seatbelts. “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 are. 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. It’s a lifetime. They really helped me feel that. And made me realize that. So that was one of the reasons why I committed.”

Corey Hadnot will be in the air soon. But he’s already ready to start flying for Houston.