Isiah Harwell, the No. 14 prospect on the 2025 ESPN 100, has committed to coach Kelvin Sampson and Houston, he announced Thursday.
He's the second five-star prospect to choose the Cougars since 2012, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.
NEWS: Top-15 guard Isiah Harwell has committed to Houston, becoming just the second five-star prospect to pick the Cougars since 2012.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) September 12, 2024
“Coach Sampson is a cool dude. He said if you don’t play defense, you won’t play at Houston … Their culture is real,” he told @PaulBiancardi. pic.twitter.com/8Rohne8bdb
Harwell, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Idaho, chose Houston over a list of schools, including Gonzaga, Texas, and California.
"I chose Houston because the culture fit," Harwell said, according to On3's Joe Tipton. "I feel like I can thrive and succeed there, and I believe in coach Sampson and the whole staff. Coach Sampson has a way with speaking that just makes me motivated and ready to play. He also has a lot of experience and knows what he's looking for."
Houston has made the NCAA Tournament in six of the last seven years under Sampson. The Cougars finished 32-5 in their first season in the Big 12, falling to Duke in the Sweet 16.
