Kingston Flemings Makes His NBA Draft Decision Official
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Kingston Flemings has now made it official. The Houston Cougars' freshman All-American point guard still had yet to make an announcement on his future since the season ended, but that time finally arrived.
Flemings announced in a press conference on Sunday at Fertitta Center alongside coach Kelvin Sampson that he will be declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.
This was a widely expected decision that was not a surprise at all. There was never really a chance that Flemings would come back for his sophomore year given the kind of freshman season he had and the attention he got from NBA scouts. Flemings is ranked the No. 7 prospect in the 2026 draft according to ESPN and is almost guaranteed to be a top-10 pick.
Flemings will go down as arguably the greatest Houston basketball freshman ever with his record-breaking year. The San Antonio native averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the field. Flemings also shot 39 percent from three and 85 percent from the free-throw line.
"When I got here in the summer, I was just ready to work and prove Coach Samp right for coming after me and recruiting me. This year was everything I hoped for and I wouldn't trade this for anything else. I'll be a Cougar for life," Flemings said.
The moment Kingston Flemings officially declares for the NBA draft
— Cougar Sports (@cougarsportsone) April 19, 2026
“I’ll be a Cougar for life.” pic.twitter.com/nzhClnKC0C
Flemings was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and made it onto the All-Big 12 First Team and Freshman Team, besides being a consensus All-American. He also set the all-time freshman scoring and assist mark at Houston while putting up a career-high 42 points, the school's freshman single-game scoring record.
More on Flemings, The NBA Talent
Flemings was a five-star recruit out of Brennan High School according to 247 Composite, but wasn't as highly touted or talked about coming into the season. The 19-year-old's incredible play made him rocket up the draft boards all the way into the top-five for the majority of the season.
While his scoring cooled down a little down the stretch, he still showed his amazing offensive skillset and scoring ability while improving his defense in Sampson's system. Flemings was explosive out of the gate with lightning speed and a special ability to score at the rim. His mid-range shot was effective, and he also improved his 3-point shot.
Flemings as a freshman truly led Houston on the offensive side of the ball as the team's leading scorer. He joins fellow Houston freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. in declaring for the draft. The two freshmen were a huge part of Houston's season and made the class of 2025 UH's highest recruiting class ever. Cenac Jr. is also expected to be a lottery pick.
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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.