CBB Review’s Ethan Carbone goes in-depth on the top 30 college basketball recruiting classes. Next up are the Houston Cougars.
Houston brings in the 29th ranked recruiting class according to 247 composite rankings. This includes power forward Jarace Walker (10th) and small forward Terrance Arceneaux (37th).
What Does Each Player Bring?
Jarace Walker – 6’8″ power forward:
Walker embodies the mascot of Houston quite perfectly, with the strength and athleticism of a cougar. He comes into Houston with the ability to start from day one – which is impressive on a team that brings back some extraordinary talent.
Walker is an all-around forward who will stuff the stat sheet and make a strong impact by crashing the glass, scoring, and playmaking. Pairing him with Kelvin Sampson as a coach will do nothing but wonderful things, especially for his energy. If Walker has a high endurance level for 30+ minutes a game we will be seeing a Houston team that has a dominant force in the paint and on the wing.
As a freshman, we will see Walker as a strong role player who will need to take on challenges as a freshman to help them reach the Final Four.
If he does everything he needs to do we will see Houston with two potential lottery picks with both Marcus Sasser and Walker. If Jarace stays past one year, it likely means year one didn’t go as planned.
Terrance Arceneaux – 6’7″ small forward:
Arceneaux has the potential to be the deadliest weapon on any team in the AAC. He can jump out of his shoes whether that be to throw down stadium shaking dunks or send opposing shots into the bleachers. It’s borderline shocking how at 6’7″, Arceneaux could legitimately lead the Cougars in shot-blocking depending on how many minutes he earns.
On the offensive end, he’s a three-level scorer and has proven time and time again exactly why nobody should leave him open from three or mid-range. Coming in as a freshman, Arceneaux will get valuable minutes and could even crack the starting lineup. He won’t light up the stat sheet right away but will captivate the Fertitta Center with some eye-popping dunks.
Looking long-term, Arceneaux may have the highest ceiling of anyone on this Houston team and has a veteran squad to learn from. Once he gets to work with Kelvin Sampson anything possible.