Houston Just Suffered Its First Major Loss to the NBA Draft
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The Houston Cougars' 2025-2026 season came to a screeching halt last month, when they fell in disappointing fashion to the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Sweet 16.
That loss also marked the end of the road for a handful of key players, including Emmanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan, and likely, star freshman guard Kingston Flemmings.
Unfortunately, however, it doesn't appear that will be the end of the losses for Houston.
Per an announcement on his X account, Houston star star freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. has declared for the NBA Draft, leaving another gaping hole in the starting lineup for the Cougars.
The NBA was an easy choice for Cenac Jr.
Cenac revealed exactly why he chose to leave for the NBA in his statement, while thanking all those that helped him along the way.
I chose Houston because I knew I had to face adversity in order to be a much better version of myself. Every hard practice. Every film session. Every moment where I had to dig deeper than I thought I could. That wasn't just basketball. That was character being built. And character is something that travels with you everywhere you go in life.Chris Cenac Jr.
I would like to start off by thanking GOD for blessing me to be in this position that l am in now.
To my parents and sister, everything I am starts with you. The belief you poured into me before I ever believed in myself. The sacrifices you made so I could stand here today.
To Coach Sampson and the entire Houston coaching staff, thank you for not making it easy. Thank you for holding me to a standard that forced me to grow into someone I'm proud of. You didn't just coach basketball. You lead by example and coached men.
To my teammates, you made me better every single day just by showing up, competing, and offering lifelong friendships.
Lastly, to all the Cougar fans who have shown love and support throughout the entire season.
Thank you and Go Coogs!
I've learned that when you do the most challenging things first, everything else in life becomes possible.
Now I'm ready for what's next.
I am officially declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.
During his one season witht he Coogs, Cenac averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds, while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three.
Those numbers put him fourth on the team in scoring and first on the team in rebounding.
While Cenac likely won't be a lottery pick in the upcoming draft - at least as the latest projections show right now - he is certainly a heavy favorite to be selected somewhere in the first round.
And according to Kelvin Sampson, the likely guarantee of a contract with a first round pick, as well as Cenac's upside as a prospect to NBA scouts, should make the decision to turn pro easy.
"How many points you average, how many rebounds you average has nothing to do with their decision. They don't even look at your numbers," Sampson said. "But he was the eighth pick in the Draft because he showed great potential. And that's what the NBA's about. They love taking young guys that are going to develop over time... My advice to all our players is if you've got an opportunity to go and you're going to get guaranteed money in this slot, then go."
The NBA Draft will be held June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
