Isiah Harwell Buying Into His Role with Houston Basketball
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Houston men’s basketball is prepping for a 2025 season full of very high expectations with an outstanding freshman recruiting class. While this class is highlighted by center Chris Cenac Jr., projected to be a top pick in the NBA draft, former five-star shooting guard Isiah Harwell is just as exciting for the Cougars.
Harwell played for Wasatch Academy in Utah during high school and was truly an elite scorer. In his senior season, Harwell averaged over 17 points and five rebounds as the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Utah. The Idaho native was ranked the 14th overall prospect and the no. 4 shooting guard in the country according to ESPN100.
Harwell as a Houston Cougar
After summer practice has now transitioned into official season practice for the program, Harwell has fully embraced his role on the team. Young first-year players often experience a strong difference once they join the Cougars under head coach Kelvin Sampson. They have to learn the new culture, always play strong defense, and most importantly, adapt to their specific role.
The freshman generally may not get much playing time, but these are truly special players that the Cougars have brought in. Houston will be starting Cenac Jr. and may end up starting Harwell as another shooting guard who has the potential to put up some big numbers offensively. The Cougars started Jarace Walker in his freshman year, the last five-star prospect since Cenac Jr. and Harwell.
The Defensive Culture
The 6-foot-6 Harwell has great size and can be a strong asset defensively. Typically, offensive-dominant guards have to learn the defensive effort required to play on Sampson’s system, and Harwell looks to be settling in.
“Definitely knock down open shots, be the best defender on the team, guarding, holding everybody as close to zero as possible,” Harwell said. Based on his answer, it seems that he’s ready to learn to be that defender while being a shotmaker for the offense.
He does have the family history to perform defensively, as his father, Ron Harwell, was an award-winning guard for Iowa State back in 1993-97 and ranks third in school history in career steals.
Additionally, Harwell has the right mindset to learn from the veterans, such as senior guards Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, on the team and to be a sponge.
“They’ve been here, they know the culture, and they’ve been teaching us and getting involved,” Harwell said.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.