Houston Basketball: 5-star commit Chris Cenac gives Cougars historic recruiting class

Few programs have risen the national ladder in the past decade, as much as Houston Basketball under head coach Kelvin Sampson. From their dominance in the AAC to winning the Big 12 in its first year, the Cougars are truly one of the best programs in the nation, and now, recruiting is starting to reflect this.

Before this year, Houston’s only-ever top-20 commitment was Jarace Walker, a five-star forward prospect who was an NBA Draft lottery pick a couple of years ago. This time, the program has a trio in that range.

It started with Isiah Hawell, a 6’5 shooting guard and consensus top-10 overall prospect who is the highest-ranked commit to Houston out of high school. The next was Kingston Flemings, a top-20 point guard from San Antonio and one of the best players in Texas. And now, the Cougars add a third star to the fold.

Chris Cenac is a 6’10 "forward/center from New Orleans and another top-10 overall prospect. Easily one of the top frontcourt players in the class, Cenac’s size and skill on both ends will allow him to be a star, similar to how effective Walker was. Plus, Houston will be losing starting forwards J’Wan Roberts and Ja’Vier Francis after this season, so there’s a need for someone like Cenac to come in and have an immediate impact.

Add three-star guard prospect Bryce Jackson, and this four-man group is now ranked No. 2 overall per 247sportsComposite, just behind annual recruiting juggernaut Duke. This program rarely gets into the top 25 in most years, and now, it is competing with them and others for top players.

It will sometimes be a future adjustment for Coach Sampson to have only veterans in his rotations. But he’s done wonders developing three-star caliber players. So why not assume this group of five-star players will quickly emerge into national stars on their own? The Cougars are still new in the Big 12 but have quickly ascended toward the league's top, both on the court and the recruiting trail.