Five-star guard Isiah Harwell picks Houston and “cool guy” Kelvin Sampson

Top-15 senior Isiah Harwell announced his commitment to Houston on Thursday, becoming the second five-star prospect to choose the Cougars since 2012.

Harwell chose Kelvin Sampson's program over a final list that also included Gonzaga, Texas and California. He visited Gonzaga (at one point considered the favorite) and California before the summer, then went to Houston and Texas in the final weeks of August.

“Coach Sampson is a great guy,” Harwell told ESPN. “He knows what it takes to get players to the next level, we talk about that. I need to shoot 38-40% from three-point range, average six or seven rebounds and play defense against the opponent's best perimeter player. He said if you don't play defense, you're not going to play in Houston.”

Harwell, a native of Idaho, suffered a knee injury midway through his junior campaign at Wasatch Academy in Utah that forced him to miss the summer point guard season. But Houston kept in constant contact with the 6-foot-5 guard and was patient with his process.

The Cougars staff even mentioned the possibility of Harwell reclassifying for another year and enrolling at Houston to rehab his knee and sit out the 2024-25 season. But Harwell didn’t have enough credits and wants to play during his senior year in high school. He’s working out and is expected to return to the court sometime this fall.

“Houston was very consistent in recruiting me through my injury and rehab,” Harwell said. “During my visit, there was a family atmosphere. I was able to spend a lot of time with the players and we ended up sitting down and them talking.” [about] How everyone got to Houston. Their culture is real.”

Harwell is ranked No. 14 in the class of 2025, ranking as the No. 3 guard in the country. Before getting injured last season, 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 U.S. Basketball U-16 team at the FIBA ​​Americas in 2023.

From a young age, Harwell has played with poise and pace, displaying a fluid shot that features elevation on his jumper, deep reach and mid-range touch. He is a well-rounded point guard, but what stands out most is his ability as a scoring point guard with playmaking ability. His size, lower-body strength and length (he has a 6-foot-2 wingspan) give him the ideal build.

Harwell is Houston’s first commitment in the 2025 class, but he’s just the second five-star prospect to commit to Houston since 2012. When Jarace Walker, the No. 1 power forward in the 2022 class, chose the Cougars, he became Houston’s first five-star recruit since Danuel House in the 2012 class. Harwell also marks the fourth consecutive class in which Houston has landed an ESPN 100 prospect; the Cougars signed just one ESPN 100 recruit total in the nine classes from 2013 through 2021.

Sampson, though, is working to build what is arguably his best class since arriving in Houston. The Cougars are among the schools pursuing Koa Peat (No. 6) and Chris Cenac Jr. (No. 7) and are in the mix for Kingston Flemings (No. 21) and John Clark (No. 40).