By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The timing was right, Raegan McCowan said, to make a move.

And now the former Western Illinois guard has a new home. McCowan announced on Thursday that she was transferring to Houston after three years with the Leathernecks.

McCowan, who has averaged 20.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in her 2 ½ seasons at Western Illinois, will have two years of eligibility remaining, having gained a medical redshirt year after suffering a season-ending elbow injury last December.

“It’s been very hectic, very stressful at times,” McCowan said of the process that started when she entered the NCAA transfer portal. “But knowing God had the right plan for me, and that I knew I was going to land somewhere ultimately would be the right fit for me, I had peace with that.”

McCowan visited Iowa, Iowa State and DePaul before taking a trip to Houston late last week.

“I think there were a lot of things that went into my decision,” she said. “But the No. 1 thing I was looking at going into the portal was going somewhere and being a priority, and going somewhere and competing for minutes immediately. Another huge thing for me is culture, and I know that word gets thrown around a lot, but going somewhere where I can surround myself with amazing people who will push me to get better every day is important.”

Houston went 7-23 last season, 1-12 in the Big 12, under coach Matthew Mitchell, who was in his first season with the Cougars. Mitchell also has been a head coach at Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

“The thing that stood out to me was, with Coach Mitchell and his staff, was the love they felt for me,” McCowan said. “And Coach Mitchell’s vision for me as a player, it aligned perfectly with the vision I have for myself. I know he’s been a very successful coach at Kentucky, and I have no doubt he’s going to do the same thing at Houston. I have the utmost confidence in him and his staff.”

McCowan scored in double figures in 71 of the 75 games she played at Western Illinois. She was a two-team first-team all-conference selection in the Ohio Valley Conference, and was the OVC’s freshman of the year in 2024.

McCowan ranked third nationally among freshmen in scoring in 2024 behind USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, and was fourth in scoring among sophomores the following season behind Watkins, Hidalgo and Iowa State’s Audi Crooks. She has been at her best in some of the biggest games — she averaged 28 points per game in three games in the OVC tournament in 2024-25, and followed that by averaging 29 points in the Leathernecks’ two WNIT games. She has averaged 17.5 points in four games against power-conference teams.

McCowan started all 10 games she played in this season before suffering a dislocated left elbow in the December 18 OVC opener at Lindenwood, and could only watch from the sidelines as the Leathernecks shared the OVC regular-season championship before winning the conference tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.

“It was extremely hard not being out there, but in a way, I think it changed my perspective,” McCowan said. “I think my passing is a lot better, my court vision is a lot better.

“Having a chance to see those girls, who I have played with for the last three years, accomplish their goals and dreams, it was amazing. It’s what we’ve worked for in the last three years — we had that one big goal, and to see it come to fruition, it just made my heart so happy for them.”

The decision to leave Western Illinois, McCowan said, wasn’t easy.

“I think for me, it ended up being a timing thing for me,” said McCowan, who will graduate in two weeks with a degree in kinesiology and then will work toward a master’s degree in sports administration at Houston. “I enjoyed my last three years there, more than anything. I wouldn’t change my experience for anything in the world. (Head coach) JD (Gravina) and his staff, they took me in as one of their own. I will always sing JD’s praises, because he saw something in me when, really, no one else did. I will forever be thankful for him. He’s someone who will never leave my corner, which I truly appreciate.”

Photo: Former Western Illinois guard Raegan McCowan (right) announced on Thursday she would be transferring to Houston. (Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)