Before the season, Kingston Flemings asked Houston assistant Hollis Price what it would take to be on the walls of the Cougars’ practice gym. Price said he needed to be an All-American.
Fast forward a few months later and Flemings secured that goal of one day seeing his face up on the walls at Houston, after finishing off the best season by a true freshman in Houston history. The second-team All-American is now taking the next step in his career, declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft on Sunday, April 19.
Flemings, a projected top-five pick in USA TODAY’s latest NBA mock draft, said it was a tough decision to go one-and-done in college, especially after Houston’s loss to Illinois in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. After taking some time off following the Cougars’ 65-55 loss, he made the unsurprising decision to take the next step.
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“Obviously it was a hard decision whether to come back and play with my boys, take it one more year and try to go get the (national championship),” he said. “But this opportunity doesn’t come all the time. … Had to make the right decision, for sure.”
The former five-star recruit per 247Sports’ Composite rankings could be the highest-selected player under coach Kelvin Sampson during his Houston tenure, with the feat currently held by Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who was selected No. 8 overall in 2023 after his true freshman season.
Despite the Cougars’ recent success with seven Sweet 16 appearances and two Final Fours since 2019, Houston has only produced four NBA draft picks under Sampson, with Flemings easily possessing the highest ceiling of any Cougar under one of college basketball’s best coaches.
There was no better choice for Flemings, though, and he credits his development with choosing Houston.
“I think it was the perfect place for me,” he said. “Coach Sampson’s the perfect coach for me. Just coming into the year, I just tried to prove everyone right that recruited me, and just did whatever I could to win. I’m grateful for my decision.
“… If you want to win, if you want to become a better man, better player, everything like that, choose Houston. It’s not going to be easy, but every single day you come in here, you try to get better and you’ll get better in every single way.”
Flemings averaged 16.1 points with 4.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game this season, starting all 37 of Houston’s games. He also shot 38.7% from 3-point range and was a pesky defender, averaging 1.5 steals per contest.
He made national headlines after exploding for 42 points and six assists in a 90-86 loss to Texas Tech in January, cementing himself as one of the best true freshmen in a loaded NBA draft class that includes numerous one-and-done prospects. USA TODAY projects nine of the first 10 picks to be true freshmen.
“Coming into this year, I wanted to be one of the best freshmen and I think I proved that,” Flemings said.
In the coming weeks, Flemings plans on training his 3-point shot, his floater and improving his handle, aiming to dribble lower and tighter to prepare for NBA defenders.
He’s also bringing the hard-nosed Houston mindset to the next level.
“I think (I’m) just a winner and someone that teammates like to play with,” Flemings said. “Not going to be a bad guy for the team or a cancer. Someone the team’s going to love and a winner.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kingston Flemings details NBA draft decision in exclusive interview
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