Since taking over as the head coach of the Houston Cougars back in 2014, longtime coaching veteran Kelvin Sampson has transformed Houston into one of the preeminent basketball programs in the country. In that ten year span, Houston has won 77 percent of their games, gone dancing in the NCAA Tournament six consecutive times, and made their first Final Four since 1984.
Perhaps Sampson's most impressive victory has been turning Houston into a desirable home for some of the nation's top recruits. Back in November 2021, Sampson signed Houston's first five-star recruit this century, landing eventual 1st Round NBA Draft pick Jarace Walker. Nearly three years to the exact day later, Sampson and the Cougars have signed their second 5-star recruit.
6-foot-6 shooting guard Isiah Harwell is the no. 12 player in the 2025 class and the highest-rated recruit for the Houston basketball program since 2000, per 247 Sports. The Idaho native is playing his high school ball at Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, and chose Houston over the likes of Gonzaga, Texas and California.
After the announcement of Harwell's decision, Kelvin Sampson would take the opportunity to gush about the 17-year-old that he calls a “high-level player and a high-level person.”
“Isiah is a chameleon,” Sampson said, per Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle. “Whatever you need him to do, he will do. He is one of the two best defenders in the class in the entire country and is phenomenal on the ball. If you need him to score, he will score. If you need him to be a role player, he will do that. He cares about one thing at the end of the day. Isiah Harwell is a winner.”
Harwell is the second player the Cougars have signed for 2025. Bryce Jackson, the 24th-ranked player in the state of Texas, signed his letter of intent on Wednesday.
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