NBA Draft Notebook: Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr.

On Saturday, the seventh-ranked Houston Cougars faced off against Oklahoma State on the road, hoping to nab one final regular-season win.

It wasn’t pretty, but they would eventually do just that, leaning on defense and shot-making late to come away with a 82-75 win.

NBA Draft on SI was in attendance to cover the higher profile of Houston’s 2026 NBA Draft prospects:

Kingston Flemings, Guard

The Rundown:

Flemings is a spindly, 6-foot-4 guard with unique athletic tools such as good size and elite speed, burst and acceleration. He is a lead guard, able to handle and play-make at an elite rate.

Flemings came into the year as a five-star seemingly not on major radars, but quickly gained buzz starting and succeeding in Kelvin Sampson’s Houston system.

He’s seen a tougher stretch of games, but is still one of the more productive freshman in the country, averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game on 49% shooting and 38% 3-point shooting.

He finished Saturday’s game with 13 points on 6-for-15 shooting, nine assist to one turnover and on steal.

Notes:

-Flemings was getting shots up pregame: his mechanics need real work. He catapults the ball, with a drastic left-to-right motion that doesn’t generate much spin

-true to Sampson’s Houston system, Flemings was engaged defensively both on and off-the-ball from the jump

-Flemings passed up numerous decent looks from three in favor of drives or resets. He airmailed his second attempt from the corner

-Flemings’ mid-range touch is markedly better

-He makes the right play time and again, carving through defensive with quickness and making easy kickouts to keep the ball moving around. He’s capable of two-way passes but makes them more seldomly.

-midway through the game, Flemings was unable to use his tools to break down the Cowboys’ first line of defense, leading to some individual and team stagnation.

-Flemings shot-selection tapered off as he couldn't access his spots as easily

-Flemings tweaked his ankle late, but would power through and immediately hit a 3-pointer

-He made a phenomenal read in a late pick-and-roll that was blitzed, finding Joseph Tugler on the roll to extend the Cougars’ lead

-his play of the game would come on defense, where he used active hands to disrupt Kanye Clary and force a steal, up 77-73

Chris Cenac Jr., Forward

The Rundown:

Cenac is a well-built, 6-foot-11 forward with elite measurements and coordination. He has prototypical modern size and stretch ability, though he’ll need to refine his frame and physicality.

He’s underperformed relative to expectations, but has still contributed to one of the top teams in the country with 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on 49% shooting.

He finished Saturday’s contest with six points on 3-for-8 shooting, adding four rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Notes:

-Cenac’s shooting motion is notably smooth for a 6-foot-11 big with good size. He has elite touch and a fluid motion that only stands to get better with time.

-Cenac’s length and fluidity is apparent when roving around the court. He moves his feet well on the perimeter for his size

-the touch was off on his first few rim attempts, needs to go up stronger

-his physicality in general needs an overhaul. He looks tentative at times crashing the glass, shooting, defending and more.

-he showed good strength on one possession, establishing position and chesting up

-Cecac hit a strong-based floater in the second half, but faded away on the very next possession. Needs to maintain strength throughout