Rockets Prospect Update: Marcus Sasser Withdraws From Draft, Returns to Houston
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets have benefited from finding NBA talent in the comfort of their city. A handful of their most prominent players in franchise history spent their collegiate careers at the University of Houston — headlined by two-time NBA champion and Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.
Entering the 2022 NBA Draft, the Rockets were not going to find their next franchise cornerstone from UH. But general manager Rafael Stone could have added to their young core with the acquisition of Marcus Sasser.
Sasser declared for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility in April. Sasser took part in the G-League showcase, where he recorded 15 points, six rebounds and five assists during a Day 2 outing. And over the past few weeks, he participated in a few private workouts for several teams around the league.
It was a great experience for the 6-foot-2 point guard, who used the feedback from league scouts to enhance his on-court production. But Sasser put his NBA aspirations on hold Wednesday night by announcing his return to the Houston Cougars for the 2022-23 college season.
Prior to his decision, Sasser spent the morning of June 1 working out for the Orlando Magic. Orlando has two second-round picks in the upcoming draft (No. 32 and No. 35) in addition to the top overall selection (No. 1).
"Going into this process, I wanted to be 100 percent sure and not have any doubts," Sasser said when speaking to the media via Zoom. "I had a little doubt. But it wasn't a hard choice going back to school. I was relieved and excited. Just being able to re-run this with my teammates, I am really excited about it."
ESPN ranked Sasser as the 14th best point guard in the nation and the 70th best player overall. Sasser's ability to shoot the 3-ball made him an intriguing prospect among his peers after drilling 36.1 percent of his triples across 71 games at Houston.
Scouts raved about Sasser's ability to space the floor and his attribute as an on-court facilitator.
Sasser was on the verge of a career year during the 2021-22 campaign. He averaged a career-best 17.7 points on 43.7 percent shooting from behind the arc and 2.2 steals before a toe injury limited him to a dozen games.
Teams had their suspicions about Sasser's injury. But the soon-to-be senior reassured that he's completely healthy. The Cougars went 32-6 (15-3 in conference play) last season before losing to the Villanova Wildcats in the Elite 8.
"I had a lot of questions regarding my foot," Sasser said. "The doctors here took an x-ray of my foot and sent it out to all the teams to prove that I am 100 percent healthy. That is no longer a concern about me.
"I was 50/50 this whole month. Today [Wednesday] was a big decision day. After talking to my parents and agents, there was no rush. Going back to school felt like the best decision. Going back to school isn't going to do anything but help improve my stock. I was in a win-win situation."
The University of Houston has produced 38 NBA players in its program history. The Rockets' most noticeable alumni outside of Olajuwon are Clyde Drexler and Elvin Hayes.
Sharpshooter Armoni Brooks was the last UH alumnus to play for the Rockets. Brooks averaged 7.8 points on 37.2 percent shooting from the field in 61 games for the Rockets.
