Kingston Flemings Shines Despite Houston's Road Loss to Iowa State

Within the opening minutes of Houston's road battle with Iowa State, Kingston Flemings faced a dilemma in the top corner of the court. The freshman guard was about to face a hard double team from Tamin Lipsey and Blake Buchanan, two players on a top-six defense in the country, according to KenPom.

Normally, someone in this situation would quickly pass out of the corner or get forced into a turnover. Flemings isn't normal.

watch Kingston Flemings (top of screen)

not your typical freshmen guard pic.twitter.com/O1cJS16sBV
— Tyler Rucker (@tyler_rucker) February 17, 2026

The San Antonio native recognized Buchanan coming over to initiate the double team, so he countered with a spin move to get out of the corner and force the forward back into his part of the 1-3-1 set. Flemings then went right at Lipsey for a quick pull-up jumper.

It was just one of his many buckets despite Houston's 70-67 loss to the Cyclones. The Cougars need every single one of Flemings' points to stay in the game, as the freshman phenom dropped 22 points, five rebounds and four assists on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from three.

Flemings kept Houston alive and even helped give the team a double-digit lead, despite the visitors shooting 42% from the field, 35% from three and 64% from the free-throw line. He generated 33 of the Cougars' 67 points from his own field goals and those he assisted on. Nearly HALF.

Monday night was just all the more reason that Flemings will be one of the first players off the board in the 2026 NBA Draft. While the generational trio of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer is stealing most of the headlines, the 6-foot-4 point guard is playing his way into the top-five, if he hasn't already.

What was most impressive was that Flemings did so in a hostile road environment against one of the best defenses in the country. He came out firing, scoring seven points in the first seven and a half minutes. He also displayed a clutch factor, knocking down a go-ahead pull-up jumper with less than two minutes to go.

The prospect's biggest strengths are his explosiveness, handle and pure shot-making ability. Flemings is a good facilitator for his position, but he's never daunted by cold streaks or pressure. He has great composure, which allows him to maintain that athleticism and skill throughout games.

Keep an eye on Flemings and Houston despite the loss. The No. 2 team in the country is in serious contention for a Big 12 and national title, led by the freshman.