Kingston Flemings’ Las Vegas Show Blows Up Nationally, But Kelvin Sampson Knows Isiah Harwell & Kalifa Sakho Key Houston’s Next Leap

LAS VEGAS — Kingston Flemings is a blur, a streak in the arena, the paint monster that his teammates see in practice. He also leaves Sin City as one of the stories of the Players Era Festival in a lot of ways. Houston and Flemings do not come close to winning the tournament, do not even place in the top four in the convoluted — need a scientific calculator to determine — system this NIL monster of an event relies on. But in college basketball in November nothing matters more than the impressions you leave. And the ceilings you can reach.

Flemings and Kelvin Sampson’s now 7-1, and not playing that well, Houston team leave plenty of impressions while not coming anywhere near their ceiling. Flemings, the true freshman point guard, puts up one of the single-most impressive games of the tournament, that 25-point paint show against one of the better determined defenders in college basketball in Tennessee’s Bishop Boswell. Rick Barnes’ team just couldn’t keep Flemings out of the lane no matter what it tried and the freshman just kept coming, no matter how many fouls the refs ignored and hard slaps he took. There are locomotives less willing to stop.

Houston’s No. 4 leaves a bigger tornado impression than even Dorothy flying around at James Dolan’s Sphere down the Las Vegas Strip. Many of the NBA scouts, TV analysts and national basketball voices left this Vegas run talking about Kingston Flemings. And who can blame them? His teammates have been talking about him for months, more than aware of what’s been brewing.

“He’s really dynamic,” University of Houston senior forward Ramon Walker Jr. tells PaperCity. “When he has it on, he has it on. He does things that have me all taking notice, even in a game. There’s some things you guys don’t see in practice that he does that are just like ‘Wow. He’s gotten really good.’

“I think he’s one of the best point guards in the country. I think, if he improves his defense, he’s a lottery pick.”

Where Flemings would be slotted in the NBA Draft — if he even comes out — will be debated incessantly for the months to come, It’s irresistible hoops banter, content catnip for all the draftniks who spent more time arranging and rearranging lists than actually watching college basketball or the NBA. It’s also anything but straightforward considering that Flemings found himself completely left off all the McDonald’s All-American team just a few months ago.

Life changes on a dime. Especially when you can stop, start and slither through the lane like Kingston Flemings can, seemingly rearranging his limbs on the fly.

“I don’t think he’s just one of the top freshmen,” former NBA all-star turned TNT commentator Jamal Mashburn says of Flemings. “I think he’s one of the top players in the country.”

His teammates are getting places too. True freshman center Chris Cenac Jr. continues to rebound at a major level, collecting 23 in UH’s first two games of this Players Era Festival before the impact of three games in three days seems to set in. Cenac just needs some more offensive confidence. The smooth 6-foot-11 big man is getting the type of shots he wants with ease, whether it’s the turnaround 10-footers on the baseline or open threes on the wing. More will go in as the games calm down for him a little.

Then there is Isiah Harwell, the third freshman who takes no talent backseat to Flemings and Cenac. When Harwell flashes, he flashes. Harwell’s rebound in traffic, push ahead on his own and find of Flemings on the break in UH’s Vegas opener against Syracuse is as good of a play as any Cougar makes all tournament.

Those are the plays that keep Houston’s 70-year-old basketball lifer of a coach pumped up, the possibilities still there. It’s Harwell triggering a break on his own. It’s 6-foot-11 transfer center Kalifa Sakho throwing down a dunk, getting himself fouled on another strong move at the rim.

“I am excited about seeing how good this team can be,” Sampson says in a back hallway of the MGM Grand Garden Arena, two wins and a close loss to Top 12 worthy Tennessee when the refs only saw UH fouls, in his Vegas pocket. “I think we can be pretty good. We’ve got these freshmen. Like Harwell and Kalifa. You don’t need nine. You need seven and then you need depth guys. Mercy (Miller’s) a good depth guy. Harwell and Kalifa, if we get those two guys going.

“I’m going to really invest heavily in Harwell and Kalifa’s confidence.”

“He’s really dynamic. When he has it on, he has it on. He does things that have me all taking notice even in a game. There’s some things you guys don’t see in practice that he does that are just like ‘Wow.’ ” — Ramon Walker on freshman Kingston Flemings

Houston’s Next Step Push

Michigan is the dominant team in Vegas, blowing out three straight good teams by a combined 110 points. There is no doubt Dusty May’s Wolverines are the champions of November. Kelvin Sampson’s more concerned about how good his team can be in March.

Sampson does not play Sakho at all in the first half in Houston’s Vegas finale against Notre Dame, upset with the tall man’s effort against Tennessee the day before. The coach gives those minutes to Cedric Lath instead, wanting to see how Sakho will respond. This recruiting elite UH coaching staff targeted Sakho in the transfer portal, saw plenty to like in what he did at Sam Houston State and Utah State. This is no deep bench project. Kelvin Sampson envisions a key contributor.

“Moving too,” Sampson tells PaperCity of Sakho. “He can do stuff. He’s better than he’s playing. There’s more there. He leaves a lot of meat on that bone.”

“I’m going to really invest heavily in Harwell and Kalifa’s confidence.” — UH coach Kelvin Sampson

Sakho delivers when Sampson finally inserts him into the game in the second half against Notre Dame. A few strong flashes, just enough to build for more.

Yet there may be no room for growth greater than JoJo Tugler on this Houston team. UH ran a lot of its offense through Tugler in the 16 minutes he played in that heartbreaking national championship game loss to Florida last April. Sampson wants to run more even more offense through Tugler this season, that’s been the plan all along. But the Cougars’ ultimate unicorn has been missing open shots inside, good shots, the kind of shots Sampson dialed up plays for him to get.

Early on, a few flashes against Notre Dame provide hope. A decisive hook, a strong follow-up dunk.

“Consistency,” Sampson tells PaperCity of Tugler. “JoJo’s got a bunch of stuff on his mind. We just got to get him focused on the things he can control.”

Tugler will leave Vegas after visiting with Jalen Rose and the rest of the TNT crew on the network’s mammoth set on the arena’s concourse level. Sitting next to his teammate Emanuel Sharp (17 points per game and nine made threes in Vegas), holding the microphone like a pro, Tugler chops it up like a natural.

“That was the newest thing,” Tugler tells PaperCity after walking off the set. “I’ve never did that before. That was fun.”

So is everything about the Kingston Flemings experience.

Ramon Walker’s seen plenty of good players, future NBA guards, come through Houston during his five-season run of swinging games with energy and more than a little skill, including the nine point jolt he hits Notre Dame with.

Marcus Sasser. Jamal Shead. LJ Cryer. Walker’s played with them all. He’s never seen a guard quite like Kingston Flemings.

“He’s a paint touch monster,” Walker says. “Just him being able to get into the paint and spit it out for threes or get our bigs shots is just such a valuable thing to have. Even their best defenders. I thought Boswell was a really good defender and Kingston was just having his way in the paint. That’s just the type of player he is.”

Only foul trouble can slow Flemings down in that third game win over Notre Dame. With Sharp and Milos Uzan (19 points and four assists per game in this 2-1 Vegas run), the freshman does not need to do heavy lifting every single night. Flemings’ impression is already made.

The talk of Las Vegas. No. 4 is a blur, a sure roll of the dice that many somehow did not see coming. Kelvin Sampson picks his point guards better than many people pick their spouses. There are no Little White Wedding Chapel point guard unions in this Houston program. Sampson makes certain he’s absolutely sure. He always has been on Kingston Flemings.

Of course, everyone else was bound to fall in love in a Vegas minute.