Kelvin Sampson Says He Saw Something Special in Kingston Flemings From the Start
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Houston Cougars' head coach Kelvin Sampson recently met with the media via Zoom to preview the program's first-round matchup against the Idaho Vandals in the NCAA Tournament.
Towards the end the Zoom session, Sampson was asked about whether or not Kingston Flemings felt comfortable speaking up within the program early on. The question centered on how quickly the freshman guard found his voice at Houston and, if it didn't happen right away, when that shift took place.
“He’s a very good conversationalist," Sampson said. "He likes to talk about things. He likes to ask questions… he’s just a well grounded young man. Very mature in some ways, but naive in other ways. That’s being a freshman though.”
Before praising Flemings for his maturity as a true freshman, Sampson spoke on the guard's recruitment out of high school. The Houston head coach also revealed why he might have earned a commitment from the guard as well.
Why Sampson Bet Big on Kingston Flemings
Sampson told the media that the recruitment of Flemings to Houston was unique. Rather than a typical recruitment, the guard's path to signing with the Cougars was built on trust and relationships.
"Recruiting Kingston, you had to go through the process," Sampson said. "It's not easy to gain Kingston's trust. That's based on relationships. He's got to be able to trust you. Nobody was going to influence Kingston's decision, it was going to be his decision based on his trust in you."
It's safe to say that the mutual trust between Sampson and Flemings has paid off. Flemings has been one of, if not the best freshman guards in the country, averaging 16.4 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.
While the Cougars' defense has taken a small step back this season, Flemings has allowed the program to weather the storm of Big 12 conference play with his ability to create offense. Houston ended the regular season with a conference record of 14-4 and an overall record of 26-5.
"We could have stayed old and just taken transfer portal kids," Sampson added. "You always have that option, but I always thought Kingston was special. There was something about him."
Sampson's decision to prioritize Flemings speaks to how the head coach approaches recruiting. While Houston might bring in some of the best recruits in the country, it isn't because of an eye-popping stat line or one good season. Sampson has said before that he and his staff look at character before anything else in a recruit.
In Flemings' case, those traits were evident long before he ever joined the Cougars. Sampson didn't just see a young guard that had talent, but one that also that carried himself with a maturity that stood out during conversations.
Now, with Houston looking to make another deep run in March Madness, both Flemings' skills and maturity will be put to the test.
