The nation’s highest-ranking high school shooting guard is ready to call Houston home and he will in 2025-26. Isiah Harwell, a five-star recruit from Utah, announced via YouTube that he has decided to play for U of H after his senior year over Texas, Gonzaga, and California.
“Really just because of the culture and I fit in there,” Harwell said during his announcement on a live YouTube stream with On3’s Joe Tipton. “Coach (Kelvin) Sampson and the staff believe in me and it’s a great place.”
Harwell, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Wasatch Academy, is highly regarded in the basketball world. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 1 shooting guard prospect in America and is set to become UH’s second five-star prospect to pick the Cougars since 2012. Harwell is also recognized as the top shooting guard in the class of 2025 and is a consensus top-15 national recruit, currently holding the No. 14 spot in the rankings.
Some platforms have Harwell as UH’s highest-rated recruit in the history of the 247Sports rankings, but back in 2022, Jarace Walker was also a five-star recruit and the No.1 power forward in his class. Walker played one season for the Cougars and left for the NBA. The Washington Wizards selected Walker with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft but traded him to the Indiana Pacers along with two future second-round picks for the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly, the seventh overall pick.
Harwell ultimately chose to join the Cougars over Gonzaga and attributed his decision to the consistent support he received from the Houston team during his rehabilitation process. Harwell injured his midway through his junior year at Wasatch Academy (Utah) which forced him to miss the summer grassroots season. That didn’t stop Houston from recruiting him. According to ESPN, the Cougar’s staff considered having Harwell reclassify up a year and enroll at UH to rehab his knee and redshirt the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, Harwell didn’t have enough credits and plans to play during his senior year in high school. He’s working out and is expected back on the court sometime this fall.
“Houston was very consistent recruiting me during my injury and rehab,” Harwell said. “On my visit it was a family atmosphere. I got to spend a lot of time with the players, and we ended up sitting around and they were talking [about] how they all arrived at Houston. Their culture is real.”
According to NBADraftRoom.com, Harwell is highly regarded as an elite shooting guard prospect. The website praised his NBA-ready physique and maturity on the court despite his young age. His jump shot was specifically highlighted, being described as “a thing of beauty” due to his impressive elevation and release. Harwell was lauded for his effectiveness from mid-range and beyond the arc. The site even drew comparisons between Harwell and a young Jamal Murray, suggesting that Harwell may possess an even more favorable physique. However, it was noted that his athleticism may not be at an elite level, although he compensates with size, strength, burst, and speed. Overall, Harwell’s game is viewed as primarily skill-based, but he is still capable of playing above the rim.
Before Harwell’s injury, he averaged 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in six games on the EYBL Scholastic circuit and also won a gold medal with the USA Basketball U16 team at the FIBA Americas in 2023. Despite how great of a player he is, he already understands that if he doesn’t play defense, he will not see the floor playing for coach Kevin Sampson.
“Coach Sampson is a cool dude,” Harwell told ESPN. “He knows what it takes for players to reach the next level, we talked about that. I need to shoot 38-40% from 3, average six or seven rebounds and play defense on the opponent’s best perimeter player. He said if you don’t play defense you won’t play at Houston.”
Houston already landed a four-star shooting guard in Mercy Miller, the No. 8 ranked shooting guard according to 247Sports rankings, and is the son of famous rapper and businessman Master P, who also played an NBA preseason game for the Toronto Raptors.
Sampson has really turned the Cougars into a household name. Since his arrival, he has landed 10 of the 12 highest-rated players in program history, according to 247Sports. On this year’s roster, UH will have six of them, Terrance Arceneaux, Joseph Tugler, Chase McCarty, Miller, Jacob McFarland and Emanuel Sharp.
Harwell will sign with the Cougars early during the signing period, which is between Nov. 13-20, then he’ll complete his senior year before arriving to the University of Houston. Meanwhile, coach Sampson is still recruiting. The Cougars are favorites in landing Koa Peat and Chris Cenac Jr. and are squarely in the mix for Kingston Flemings and John Clark.
Flemings is a 6-foot-3 point guard from San Antonio and the top-rated prospect in Texas and No. 21 on the ESPN100. Flemings, who is also considering Texas Tech, is scheduled to take an official visit to UH on Sept. 28.
Cenac Jr is 6-foot-10 from New Orleans and the No. 1 center in the nation and the No. 7 ranked prospect in the country according to ESPN100. Cenac Jr. visited UH on Aug. 31.
Peat is a 6-foot-8 power forward from Gilbert, Arizona and is the No. 3 ranked player in his position No. 6 ranked player on ESPN100.
Clark is a 6-foot-9 center from Houston but plays for Link Academy in Branson, Missouri. He is the No. 6 ranked center and No. 40 on the ESPN100.
During Sampson’s tenure, the University of Houston basketball team reached the Sweet 16 five consecutive times and made it to the 2021 Final Four. They also secured five conference titles within that period. Sampson has been instrumental in elevating the U of H basketball program, and it appears that they will be strong contenders for a national championship in the coming years.
