NBA Draft: Houston's Kingston Flemings Delivers Historic Performance vs. Texas Tech

Saturday, the Houston Cougars traveled roughly 500 miles north to Lubbock, Texas, to face their Big 12 rivals, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, in what quickly turned into one of the most electric games of the season. The hostile environment inside United Supermarkets Arena only added to the intensity, as a loud, packed crowd made its presence felt from the opening tip.

The matchup featured multiple NBA hopefuls on both sides, including Christian Anderson, JT Toppin, and Chris Cenac, each of whom entered the night with professional aspirations and something to prove. Yet among all the talent on the floor, it was freshman point guard Kingston Flemings—ESPN’s sixth-ranked prospect in his class—who stood out the most.

A performance to go down in Houston History

In a sea of jeering fans and constant pressure, Flemings rose to the occasion, pouring in 42 points and dishing out six assists on 69.1 true shooting percentage in Houston’s 90–86 loss. Despite the narrow defeat, his performance was historic. With that scoring outburst, Fleming set a new program record for points in a game by a Houston freshman, eclipsing Daniel House’s previous mark of 28 points set back in 2013.

Flemings not only scored the most points in a single game of his collegiate career, but he did so in a way that showcased meaningful growth in his offensive profile. As per usual, he leaned on his lightning-quick first step, functional handle, and impressive body control to blow past defenders and finish at the rim. He repeatedly got downhill, collapsing the defense and creating quality opportunities for his teammates, even as Texas Tech keyed in on stopping him.

Throughout the night, Fleming displayed remarkable scoring resiliency, responding to lack of defensive adjustments by finding new ways to put the ball in the basket and keep Houston’s offense afloat. What stood out most, however, was his three-point shooting and foul-drawing ability—two areas that have been frequent points of critique in his scouting profile.

One of the biggest knocks on Flemings as a prospect has been the relatively low intersection between his three-point attempt rate and free-throw rate, a combination that can signal inefficiency or a flawed scoring process.

On Saturday evening, he quieted those concerns, at least for one night.

Flemings knocked down 4 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc—the most threes he has made and attempted this season—largely on unassisted looks. He also drew 10 free-throw attempts and converted eight of them, both season highs.

All year, scouts have been enamored with his self-creation, playmaking vision, and point-of-attack defense. If he can sustain this increased three-point volume and foul-drawing, Fleming will firmly cement himself as a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, with a legitimate case to rise even higher.