University of Houston Athletics
Men’s Basketball Welcomes Transfer Braden East
4/24/2026 3:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Junior forward joins Cougars after competing first two seasons at Lamar
HOUSTON – Forward Braden East will begin play with University of Houston Men's Basketball program for the 2026-27 season after signing a scholarship agreement, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced Friday afternoon.East will compete as a junior with the Cougars during the upcoming season and have two years of eligibility after transferring from Lamar, where he played for former Head Coach and Assistant Coach Alvin Brooks.
In two years with the Cardinals, East competed in 40 games with 28 starts and averaged 10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
"We're excited about Braden. He gives us a size guy with great hands. He is athletic with long arms and can score and rebound the ball. He fits into our plans next year," Sampson said. "The more we talked with Alvin and the more we looked, we saw that Braden was outstanding during his second semester, which means he is still developing. He is going to have a great summer and will be in a position to really help us next season."
As a sophomore in 2025-26, East competed in 30 games with 28 starts and averaged 12.8 points and a Southland Conference-leading 9.1 rebounds per game. He recorded 21 double-digit scoring games, including each of the last 13 to close the season.
East scored a career-high 33 points at Stephen F. Austin and snared 14 rebounds against Omaha. With 14 double-doubles, he led the Cardinals and the Southland Conference and tied for 18th in the nation.
As a high school star, East played at Stafford High School in Houston and was ranked the No. 13 prospect in the city by OTR Exposure. He was named to the All-State Team as a season and earned All-District Honors as a junior after averaging 14.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game.
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