UH Basketball Leans on Young Talent in March Madness Run

Cougars rely on freshman stars Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. after losing veteran core from last year's national title game appearance.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:34pm

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The University of Houston men's basketball team is back in the NCAA Tournament, but with a much younger roster than last year's squad that reached the national title game. Led by freshman standouts Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr., the Cougars have navigated some growing pains this season while remaining a top contender for the national championship. Head coach Kelvin Sampson has had to show more patience with this year's team as the young players have adapted to the college game, but the talent is evident as both Flemings and Cenac are projected to be one-and-done NBA draft picks.

Why it matters

After losing several key players from last year's team, the Cougars have reloaded with a highly-touted recruiting class that has been thrust into major roles. The development of Flemings and Cenac will be crucial if Houston hopes to make another deep NCAA Tournament run and contend for a national title.

The details

Freshman guard Kingston Flemings and center Chris Cenac Jr. have been starters for the Cougars from the beginning of the season, a baptism by fire for the young players. Flemings has emerged as an All-American and is leading the team in scoring, while the 6-foot-11 Cenac has had to adapt to playing more on the perimeter after being primarily a post player in high school. The Cougars weathered a three-game losing streak in February but have regained their form heading into the NCAA Tournament.

  • The Cougars open the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 16 in Oklahoma City as a No. 2 seed in the South Region.
  • Houston was the Big 12 champion the previous two seasons, but finished second in the conference this year.

The players

Kingston Flemings

A freshman guard who was named to the All-America team and the All-Big 12 first team. He is leading the Cougars in scoring at 16.4 points per game.

Chris Cenac Jr.

A 6-foot-11 freshman center who has had to adapt to playing more on the perimeter this season. He is averaging nearly 10 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game.

Kelvin Sampson

The veteran head coach of the Houston Cougars, who has had to show more patience this season as he has relied heavily on his talented freshman class.

Kellen Sampson

The assistant coach and head coach-in-waiting for the Cougars, who has helped guide the team's young players through the growing pains of the season.

Milos Uzan

The Cougars' veteran point guard who has shared ball-handling duties with freshman Kingston Flemings throughout the season.

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What they’re saying

“This is the first time where we've jumped off the deep end and just depended on freshmen — and we paid the price in a lot of games. But I understood it. You just have to accept it. Once you make the decision, you don't get to second guess it.”

— Kelvin Sampson, Head Coach, University of Houston (Houston Chronicle)

“In so many ways, we were so spoiled with the group last year because they had already bumped their head. These guys are making the same mistakes that those guys made. We had just gone through that journey with them. It's not their fault that they didn't know. They shouldn't know.”

— Kellen Sampson, Assistant Coach, University of Houston (Houston Chronicle)

“Once the season started you could see their confidence grow and they continued to get better.”

— Milos Uzan, Point Guard, University of Houston (Houston Chronicle)

What’s next

The Cougars will face the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 7 seed Baylor and No. 10 seed UC Santa Barbara in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 18 in Oklahoma City.

The takeaway

Despite relying on a young roster led by two talented freshmen, the Houston Cougars have remained a national title contender this season. Their ability to overcome growing pains and continue developing their young core has them poised for another deep March Madness run, proving that Kelvin Sampson's program can sustain success even with significant roster turnover.