Houston was the 'perfect place' for Kingston Flemings. Now he's off to the NBA | Exclusive
Kingston Flemings declared for the NBA draft on Sunday, April 19, and explained his decision in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY:
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.
REQUIRED READING: NBA mock draft 10. 0: First-round projections before 2026 playoffs begin "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.