Houston Cougars star freshman Chris Cenac Jr. is headed to the NBA Draft.
Cenac, making the news official via social media, announced he’ll be leaving Houston for the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, scheduled for June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound New Orleans native is a projected first-round pick after serving as a key forward for Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars this season.
Cenac averaged 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.5 blocks per game as a freshman. In the NCAA Tournament, No. 3 Illinois notably upended Houston 65-55 in what ended up becoming Cenac’s final game and only tournament run as a Cougar.
As of Thursday, Cenac and fellow freshman star Kingston Flemings have each declared their intentions to pursue a professional career; Sampson confirmed that Joseph Tugler would return next season.
Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today projects Cenac, a McDonald’s All-American, as the No. 22 overall pick by the New York Knicks.
Deciding he’s ready for the pros, Cenac’s career is now whatever he makes of it as a 19-year-old heading to the game’s biggest stage. He served Sampson and Houston well, and put the Cougars on the map again this season as one of the country’s toughest tests.
Already, Houston has lost three players – Isiah Harwell, Cedric Lath and Jacob McFarland – to the transfer portal. The team also waives goodbye to veterans Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan; With Cenac and Flemings headed to the draft, it’ll be a new-look Houston.
Cenac was that of a sponge come tournament time, with the freshman grabbing nine or more rebounds in all three of Houston’s postseason matchups. Against No. 15 Idaho, Cenac fetched a career-high 18 rebounds. Cenac grabbed 17 points and 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double as part of defeating No. 14 Kansas 69-47 in the Big 12 semifinal game.
Without Cenac and much his core lineup, Sampson is in for some big offseason changes. The coaching veteran voiced his thoughts on the overhaul on Thursday.
