Meet the future of Houston men’s basketball: The Cougars’ top recruiting class in program history

Houston men’s basketball landed the top recruiting class in the country for the first time in program history.

The Cougars received commitments from guard/forward Bryce Jackson, point guard Kingston Flemings, shooting guard Isiah Harwell and forward/center Chris Cenac Jr. Together, they make up the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history.

Cenac’s rare skillset

The most recent addition to Houston’s recruiting class is Cenac, a 6-foot-10 recruit from Branson, Mo.

The stretch-big attends Link Academy and averaged 12.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

“I built a great relationship with Coach Sampson and the rest of the staff. They have a plan to develop me, and I trust them,” Cenac said. “I know Coach Sampson is going to coach me hard, and I need that.”

Although associate head coach Quannas White accepted the men’s head coaching position at Louisiana, Sampson prioritizes finding the right fit on his staff to continue the player development of the program.

Cenac committed to Houston last November and chose the Cougars over offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee.

“Chris is an upbeat, positive young man and is a great teammate,” Sampson said. “He wanted to go somewhere where he could get better and prepare him for the next level of basketball.”

Cenac is a five-star recruit, ranked No. 7 nationally and the top player in Missouri.

“Chris is an elite frontcourt player who has a chance to be a long-time NBA player with the track he is on,” Link Academy coach Chad Meyers said. “He can push the ball in transition, initiate offense, along with being able to make threes and score in the paint. He is a physically strong athlete who can guard multiple positions and rebound outside his area.”

Cenac represented the Cougars in the 2025 McDonald’s All-American game and totaled 11 points on 5-9 shooting, 1-3 from three and seven rebounds for the West team.

Beyond the advantages of his 7-foot-four wingspan for rebounding, it also makes him a significant disruptor on the defensive end, affecting everything from passing lanes to closeouts and interior defense.

Aside from his defensive tools and his nose for hauling in rebounds on the glass, Cenac will bring an archetype that has yet to be seen in the Sampson era of Houston basketball: a big man with a polished three-point jump shot.

“He will be one of the better 3-point shooters on the team. Instead of a roll guy, he gives us a pop guy,” Sampson said. “He gives us a guy who can spot up in transition, he can also handle the ball and he can pass. Chris has a chance to be a high-level player.”

The No. 1 center in the 2025 class is considered Houston’s highest-rated recruit in program history.

Harwell’s commitment

Harwell is one of the wings that Sampson and his staff are excited about adding to this program.

“Bryce and Isiah have great size,” Sampson said. “They both have high basketball IQs and are very skilled.”

The 6-foot-6 shooting guard is from Pocatello, Idaho, and attends Wasatch Academy in Utah.

Across his junior and senior varsity seasons, Harwell averaged 14 points per game while shooting 47% from beyond the arc.

Harwell is a five-star recruit and is ranked 16th nationally. He is also rated as the No. 4 shooting guard in the class and the second-best player in Utah.

Texas, Gonzaga, California and Houston were the Final Four schools that Harwell considered. 

“I chose Houston because of the culture,” Harwell said. “Also, everyone is a family there.” 

The talented recruit has attracted attention nationwide and has received praise from scouts and basketball insiders alike.

“Isiah Harwell is a well-rounded shooting guard,” On3 sports analyst Jaime Shaw said. “At six-foot-five, he is of good length and has a strong lower body. Harwell plays at a great pace; he does not play rushed and makes great decisions with the ball in his hands. He has a solid handle, frame, skill, and IQ; there is a lot to like about his game, giving him a high floor as a prospect.”

He has also earned respect from his high school coach and teammates through his work ethic and desire to improve in all facets.

“Isiah is a physical force with a much-improved jump shot from three,” Wasatch coach Paul Peterson said. “He could be one of the premier two-way players in college basketball as a freshman.”  

Harwell has many accomplishments throughout his basketball career, including multiple all-star and all-state selections. 

On April 1, Harwell, like Cenac, demonstrated his skill set to a national audience when he participated in the McDonald’s All-American game.

Harwell, despite going scoreless in the first half, caught fire early in the third quarter and displayed his entire offensive arsenal.

Aside from his perimeter shooting that got his East team back in the game, Harwell showed off his drive-and-kick ability and threw down a putback dunk midway through the third.

Harwell finished the game with a team-high 16 points on 6-9 shooting, alongside four 3-pointers and two steals. 

A new point guard on the horizon

Flemings was highly sought after as part of the Brennan High School Bears in San Antonio. He ultimately chose Houston over Arkansas, Gonzaga, Texas and Texas Tech.

He is ranked as a five-star recruit, rated the No. 3 point guard in his class and the top recruit from Texas.

In his senior year, Flemings averaged 20.4 points, 6.8 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game at his high school.

Flemings had six performances with 10 or more assists this season.

“I’d say the best thing I do is drive and kick out,” Flemings said. “I see the court very well and trust my shooters.”

Another strength of Flemings is his rebounding ability, a trait that Sampson seeks in all of his guards. 

“Defense and rebounding is mainly about mentality,” Flemings said. “I always try to go and rebound and get every single ball. As soon as it goes in the air, I’m thinking I want to be the one to get the ball.”

Flemings averaged 6.4 rebounds this season and 7.1 the year prior.

“Kingston is a point guard who understands the game at a high level,” Sampson said. “His athleticism, quickness and competitive spirit make him everything you want in a point guard.”

He’ll now look to follow in the footsteps left behind by former Houston point guards such as Galen Robinson Jr., DeJon Jarreau and Jamal Shead.

“The point guard is the most important position you start with when building your program,” Sampson said. “I think Kingston has a chance to be special. He is a tough and smart kid who wanted to go somewhere that lives at a high level, and I think he made a great decision.”

Jackson stays home

Jackson was the first of the group to commit and is a three-star recruit from Shadow Creek High School in Pearland.

He is ranked 200th nationally and 32nd in his position. He is also ranked 16th in the state of Texas. 

The incoming freshman stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 185 pounds.

Jackson is next in a family with a basketball lineage that spans generations.

His father, Luke Jackson, played four years of college basketball at Syracuse from 1992-95.

His grandfather, Lucious Jackson Sr., played eight seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and was part of their 1966-67 championship team. Jackson Sr. was also named an NBA All-Star in 1965.

Jackson has the potential to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, but the young guard endured several setbacks. 

“When Bryce was a 10th grader, he was tracking to be possibly the best player in the state,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “That was until he had a horrific leg injury that required surgery, and he had to sit out quite some time.”

Sampson and his staff saw Jackson play last summer and were reminded of the player he and his staff recruited.

“I saw signs of the old Bryce,” Sampson said. “We are excited about Bryce and his future here.”

Despite the injury setbacks, many in the industry are still very high on his talent and what he could bring to Houston.

“He’s a versatile wing that impacts the game in several ways and makes winning plays,” former professional basketball player Herb Baker said. “I see him being a fan favorite and becoming a Cougar legend when it’s all said and done.”

With the addition of these four talented recruits, Houston’s 2025 recruiting class is poised to have an immediate impact on the program’s success next season, on top of the returners from this past season’s national title runner-up team.

More than that, they are a testament to the efforts that Sampson and the University of Houston have made to rebuild the credibility of the school’s men’s basketball program and make it a desirable destination for top-flight players all around the country.

sports@thedailycougar