Kelvin Sampson Deep Dives Into Houston's Talented Freshmen After Game One
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The Houston Cougars' much-anticipated return to the court after a heartbreaking loss in the title game last season started on a commanding note, with the Coogs playing the same style of hard-nosed defense that is accustomed to a Kelvin Sampson-coached team, defeating Lehigh 75-57.
Most of the focus was on the returners, who were a significant part of the Cougars' championship game appearance last year, with guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan and forward Joseph Tugler all returning to Houston for another shot at the program's first national title.
However, blended with the upper-class talent, the Coogs also have a trio of young freshmen who come into the 2025-26 season as some of the top freshmen players of their class. Guards Kingston Flemings and Isiah Harwell, and the highest rated freshman, forward Chris Cenac Jr, all have played their first college basketball games.
How Did Each Freshman Play on Their Collegiate Debut?
Both Cenac Jr. and Flemings started the ball game against Lehigh alongside Sharp, Tugler, and Uzan, of the two first-year players who started, Cenac Jr. received the most game time with 26 minutes, followed by Flemings with 21, and then off the bench, Harwell had 19. At a media availability on Thursday, Sampson mentioned how important any minutes are for the youngsters, especially in allowing them to learn from their mistakes.
"I think all the experience right now, good or bad, is good; it's important for them to make mistakes," Sampson said. "Basketball is a very imperfect game, a lot of people think you should be perfect...but we're not perfect. It's just about getting better, that's the focus, I don't chase perfection, I chase progress, progress is what we're looking for."
Cenac Jr.'s debut was the most anticipated, with the forward ranked as the best player at his position and from the state of Missouri, while also being ranked as the No. 7 player in the entire 2025 recruiting class. In his 26 minutes, Cenac Jr. was tied as the Coogs' second leading scorer with 12 points, shooting 5 of 10 from the field, with 10 rebounds, a steal, and a block. Sampson touched on Cenac Jr's standout rebounding ability but knows the freshman still has things to work on.
"He's probably been our most consistent rebounder," Sampson said. "It's the other areas that he is trying to get comfortable with and playing with new teammates, new system, all of that, but his rebounding has certainly been a bright spot."
The other starting freshman in Flemings recorded eight points while making three out of his four shot attempts with two rebounds and two assists. Off the bench, Harwell totaled three points, four steals, two assists, and a rebound while making one of his two field goal attempts.
With just one game under their belts, there is still plenty of time for the trio of talented freshmen to grow throughout the Coogs' season, with Sampson explaining what he wants to see from his freshmen throughout the season.
"Keep showing up every day with the right attitude," Sampson said. "Come from a position of humility, guys who aren't humble think they know everything. You can just tell by their attitude, the entitlement, we don't have those kinds of people in this program. So just keep progressing, you never go from 1 to 100 in November or December, and some teams never get to it, but you're always striving, working, and always coming up with different ideas on how to help this kid."
