Pepperdine vs Sam Houston prediction: Griff Aldrich's rebuilt Pepperdine faces a continuity test in Huntsville
A Pepperdine roster almost entirely new to the program visits a Sam Houston team that kept its coach, two preseason all-league guards and a home floor.
- Sam Houston's continuity and home floor should shape the early game while Pepperdine's newcomers learn to play together in a first-ever meeting.
- Jahari Williamson's shooting against a Sam Houston defense that held opponents to 31.5% from three last season.
- No line posted yet; last season's adjusted net ranks, 112th vs. 270th, mean little for a Pepperdine team returning 5.1% of its minutes.
A roster built from scratch
Almost nothing about last season's Pepperdine team is coming to Huntsville. The Waves went 9-23, and the players on this season's roster accounted for just 5.1% of last season's minutes. Griff Aldrich, hired in March after one season as Virginia's associate head coach, brought in 13 newcomers through a mix of transfers and international signings. Seven players on the roster are international, the seventh-highest count in Division I.
That makes last season's numbers a poor guide. Pepperdine finished 270th of 365 in adjusted net efficiency (points per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponents), but the players who built that rating are gone. The only real returner, guard David Mager, played 10.6 minutes a game off the bench. WCC coaches picked the Waves seventh. This game marks the first meeting between the programs.
Sam Houston keeps its core
Sam Houston went 22-12, finished second in Conference USA and reached the NIT, where it lost to New Mexico 83-107 in the first round. Chris Mudge, the league's co-coach of the year, starts his fourth season, and the roster brings back 23.6% of last season's minutes. That isn't much, but it is a lot more than Pepperdine has.
The Bearkats lost real pieces, including Kashie Natt and Jacob Walker to Oklahoma State. The guards who remain carry the team: Jacobe Coleman and Justin Begg were both named preseason All-CUSA, and coaches picked Sam Houston fourth. Begg ran the point before he was hurt during conference play last season. The program listed him as a returning contributor on Oct. 8 but has given no update on his health.
Williamson and the arc
Pepperdine's most dangerous newcomer is Jahari Williamson. At Kent State last season he shot 44.5% from three on 182 attempts, and he did it as a low-usage finisher rather than a ball-dominant scorer. Evan Haywood, a Butler transfer, adds a second volume shooter.
Sam Houston's defense will test that. The Bearkats held opponents to 31.5% from three last season, 51st nationally, even though they allowed plenty of attempts. Whether Williamson gets clean looks against a defense that returns its guard rotation is the matchup that best reveals how far along Aldrich's offense is.
Second chances and speed
Sam Houston's clearest strength last season was the offensive glass. It rebounded 37.4% of its misses, 14th in the country, while Pepperdine's defense grabbed only 66.5% of opponent misses, 323rd. Those Waves are mostly gone. Petar Majstorovic, who averaged 6.4 rebounds as a full-time starter at Long Beach State, and Youri Fritz from Northeastern now anchor the frontcourt. Indiana State transfer Enel St. Bernard gives Sam Houston a new rebounder of its own.
The Bearkats also played faster last season: 71.1 possessions per 40 minutes, 38th nationally, against Pepperdine's 68.2. A quicker game at home gives an established rotation more chances to pull away from a group still learning to play together.
Key players
- Jahari Williamson (Pepperdine): Made 81 threes at a 44.5% clip last season at Kent State.
- Petar Majstorovic (Pepperdine): Started all 32 games last season at Long Beach State, averaging 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.
- Youri Fritz (Pepperdine): Shot 59.5% from the field last season at Northeastern but just 52.1% at the line.
- Jacobe Coleman (Sam Houston): Shot 37.8% from three last season with an offensive rating of 120.4 despite starting only three games.
- Justin Begg (Sam Houston): Averaged 9.5 points and 3.6 assists in 22 starts last season before an injury, with no update on his status since.
- Enel St. Bernard (Sam Houston): Shot 66.9% and grabbed 5.5 rebounds in 18.2 minutes a game off the bench at Indiana State last season.
Numbers that matter
| Pepperdine returning minutes | 5.1% | Nearly the whole rotation is new, so last season's team numbers say little about these Waves. |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston offensive rebound rate, last season | 37.4% | Ranked 14th nationally and was the Bearkats' clearest edge. |
| Williamson 3-point %, last season | 44.5% | Came on 182 attempts at Kent State, the shooting that gives Pepperdine's new offense its sharpest weapon. |
| Sam Houston opponent 3-point %, last season | 31.5% | Ranked 51st and sets up the matchup with Pepperdine's new shooters. |
Pepperdine vs Sam Houston: quick answers
When is Pepperdine vs Sam Houston?
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET.