Houston basketball stayed undefeated after finding a way to beat Auburn 73-72 on Sunday in one of the best games of the early college hoops season. Here are two takeaways.
The Cougars were the No. 1 team in the country at the time and passed their first test of the year. Here are two takeaways from this tight win in Birmingham, Alabama, in the Battleground 2k25.
Takeaway #1: Houston’s freshman officially arrived
The main aspect of the Cougars’ team in 2025-26 is the best freshman class in program history. Many are excited to see what this group will bring to Houston this season, and they got to see that in full display against the Tigers.
Point guard Kingston Flemings has truly stood out so far through the first four games and is playing exceptionally. Flemings has already established himself as a premier freshman in the country with his high level of offense and creation as well as his tough defense. The former five-star product went off for a game-high 22 points along with seven assists and five rebounds on 8/13 shooting. 18 of them were in the first half, and he demonstrated elite quickness to the rim and an ability to get his own shot.
Flemings scored at least 20 points in two games already and put up 19 points and nine assists against Oakland. The San Antonio native is currently averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 69% overall from the field. He has already made a strong impact on both sides of the ball and is someone Houston basketball can trust. There is a reason why head coach Kelvin Sampson inserted him into the starting lineup.
Stretch big Chris Cenac Jr. was ranked the best center in the 2025 class, and he has shown why that was the case. Cenac Jr. scored a season high 18 points on 8/10 shooting with nine rebounds. While the talented 6-foot-11 forward is already an elite rebounder, as shown by his double-digit boards in each of the first two games, Cenac Jr.’s potential is sky-high.
The former five-star product out of New Orleans, Louisiana, can shoot from almost anywhere on the court with his smooth jump shot and can rack the rim with authority. Cenac Jr. hit a couple of 3-pointers against Auburn as well.
Both Flemings and Cenac Jr. combined for 40 points in this game and actually led the Cougars from the front. Senior guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan were in double digits with 13 and 11 points, respectively, but the freshmen took charge.
Additionally, freshman guard Isiah Harwell also made his presence felt. Harwell added five points and three rebounds in 21 minutes of play. While the fourth-ranked shooting guard in the 2025 class is still recovering from a leg injury, his minutes and impact have only increased. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard continues to adjust to the system, and he will play a bigger role as the year goes on. He scored nine points in 17 minutes against Oakland.
Takeaway #2: Elite defense wins for Houston
Houston basketball’s calling card has always been defense, and it was the reason why they held on at the end in this one. Houston went on an almost three-minute scoring drought till the end of the game, and Auburn made 21 free throws out of 33 attempts, but the Cougars still won.
Auburn had scored well over 90 points in all three games they had played up till this point, but were limited to just 72 and 39% shooting overall. The Tigers had more bench and second-chance points, but the Cougars shot slightly better at 43%.
The last four possessions and plays by Auburn, all with a chance to win it, were denied by Houston. Auburn had four chances to get the game-winning shot, but the Cougars blocked all of them. Houston ended up with five blocks in this game from five different players, compared to just two for the Tigers. Flemings knocked the ball out twice, while senior forward Kalifa Sakho was quite effective. Even Harwell helped chip in with Sakho for a key block on Tahaad Pettiford. Uzan officially wrapped it up with another block from behind.
Up Next for Houston basketball: vs. Rider (1-2) – Thur. at 8 p.m. CST in Fertitta Center on TNT
Up Next for Auburn basketball: vs. Jackson State (0-3) – Wed. at 8:00 p.m.
[…] as one of the premier scoring options for Houston, and once again led the Cougars in scoring for the third straight game. Flemings put up 18 points on an efficient 8/10 from the field and two 3-pointers as well as five […]