-
Jeff Borzello
Close
Jeff Borzello
ESPN Staff Writer
- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
-
Paul Biancardi
Close
Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Top-10 prospect Chris Cenac Jr., the No. 1 center in the 2025 class, has committed to Houston – becoming the program’s highest-ranked recruit in the modern era and giving the Cougars the No. 2 recruiting class in the country.
Cenac chose the Cougars over a final list that also included LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky and Tennessee. Homestate LSU was strongly in the mix for much of Cenac’s recruitment, while Kentucky made a push in the summer and Tennessee tried to close the gap in recent weeks.
But Houston has been in a strong position for Cenac for much of the fall, and the big man’s relationship with head coach Kelvin Sampson and assistant coach Quannas White was a key factor.
“I built a great relationship with Coach Sampson, Coach White and the rest of the staff. They have a plan to develop me, and I trust them,” Cenac told ESPN. “I know coach Sampson is going to coach me hard. I want that and I need that. I am a coachable player. People see coach Sampson only on the court – he has a good sense of humor, and he is really a funny guy.”
Cenac is shaping up to be a projected lottery pick in the 2026 mock draft.
“I want to go to a winning program and produce to help them win even more,” Cenac said. “At the same time, they can help me develop my game for the next level after Houston.”
A 6-foot-10 center, Cenac had a breakout spring on the Puma Pro16 circuit and then backed it up by dominating at the USA Basketball U17 minicamp and NBPA Top 100 camp. He made the U17 National Team and helped lead them to a gold medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup, averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in seven games off the bench.
Cenac owns a 7-foot-4 wingspan that allows him to contest shots, block shots and gain deflections. Offensively, he produces inside and out with back-to-the-basket moves, footwork and an effective jump hook. He also has an impressive face-up game, comfortable out to the 3-point line. He already shows the rim-running, mobility, shot-blocking and touch of today’s modern big man.
Ranked No. 7 in the ESPN 100, Cenac becomes the program’s highest-ranked recruit since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007. With him in the fold, Houston now has the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, behind only Duke. Cenac joins a group that already includes top-25 guards Isiah Harwell (No. 14) and Kingston Flemings (No. 21) and four-star guard Bryce Jackson.