Houston Cougars Roster After Chris Cenac Jr Selected No. 27 Overall in 2026 NBA Draft
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The 2026 NBA Draft took place on Tuesday, June 23 at 7 p.m., and 30 athletes had the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of playing at the highest level.
Two Houston Cougars were included in that bunch with Kingston Flemings being selected No. 8 overall to the Hawks and Chris Cenac Jr. following landing with the Boston Celtics with the No. 27 pick.
Now without Cenac on the roster, how will Houston’s forwards/centers look for next season?
What Cougars Will Step Up in Chris Cenac’s Absence?
Cenac came to Houston as the No. 1 overall center in the 2025 class, and he was as advertised in his one-and-done season with the Cougars.
Last year, he averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and he really showcased why so many NBA teams are really excited about his future.
At just 19 years old, Cenac stands at 6-foot-11 and weighs 240 pounds. He has an ideal frame for a forward/center at the next level and his main focus will be to continue to add size.
In the modern NBA, everyone shoots three-pointers at a high level, and Cenac fits in that mold perfectly.
In 2025, shot 33.3 percent from behind the arc, making him one of the best shooting bigs in all of college basketball.
While he can shoot well from behind the arc, the best part of his game is his midrange shooting.
Cenac going to the NBA is a huge loss for the Cougars; however, they have plenty of talent that can step up in his absence.
Houston has a strong returner in senior forward Joseph Tugler, who has been the anchor of the Cougars’ defense for the past three seasons.
Going into 2025, he could very well be Houston’s next All-American if he can make the offensive strides that the coaching staff believes he can make.
With Tugler as the leader of the defense, Houston also brought in senior forward Delrecco Gillespie, who is known for his rebounding and scoring ability around the rim.
Last year, he averaged 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and just over a block and steal per game.
While his offensive ability is well known, he will need to take a major step on defense to be able to fit in defensively.
The final projected starter who will play significant minutes at either the three or four is sophomore Chase McCarty, who arguably made the biggest jump last season of any returner.
While he only averaged 12.3 minutes per game last season, he showed sparks of what he is called of in several games towards the end of the season.
Against Oklahoma State, he scored a career-high 20 points which really earned him more minutes going forward.
He also was a lone bright spot in Houston’s NCAA Tournament loss to Illinois, where he scored nine points on three made three-pointers to keep Houston in the game.
The final two players that will add much-needed depth to this team is 5-star freshman center Arafan Diané and Lamar transfer Braden East.
While Cenac had an incredible rookie season with the Cougars, it is safe to say Houston has a strong enough mix of returners, transfer and incoming freshman where Houston will remain highly competitive in 2026.
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Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).