5-star guard Isiah Harwell picks Houston, ‘cool dude’ Kelvin Sampson

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

Harwell chose Calvin Sampson’s program over a final list that also included Gonzaga, Texas and California. Earlier in the summer he visited Gonzaga — considered the favorite at one point — and California, then Houston and Texas in the last week of August.

“Coach Sampson is a great friend,” Harwell told ESPN. “He knows what it takes for players to get to the next level, we talked about that. I have 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 Don’t play defense, you won’t play in Houston.”

Harwell, an Idaho native, suffered a knee injury midway through his junior campaign at Wasatch Academy (Utah) that forced him to miss the summer grassroots season. But Houston maintained steady contact with the 6-foot-6 guard and was patient with his process.

The Cougars’ staff even mentioned the possibility of Harwell reclassifying a year and enrolling in Houston to rehabilitate his knee and redshirt for the 2024-25 season. But Harwell didn’t have enough credits — and wanted to play during his senior year in high school. He is serving time and is expected back in court this fall.

“Houston recruited me very consistently during my injury and rehab,” Harwell said. “It was a family atmosphere on my visit. I got to spend a lot of time with the players, and we ended up sitting around and talking about how they all got to Houston. Their culture is real.”

Harwell is ranked No. 14 in the 2025 class, slotted as the No. 3 shooting guard in the nation. Before the injury last season, he averaged 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in six games on the EYBL scholastic circuit and won a gold medal with the USA Basketball U16 team at the 2023 FIBA ​​Americas.

From a young age, Harwell played with poise and speed, displaying a smooth shooting stroke that featured height, deep range and midrange touch on his jumper. He’s a complete guard, but it’s his skills as a scoring guard with playmaking ability that stand out. His size, lower-body strength and length — he has a 6-foot-10 wingspan — give him the ideal frame.

Harwell is Houston’s first commitment in the 2025 class, but he’s only the second five-star prospect to commit to Houston since 2012. Jarres Walker, the No. 1 power forward in the 2022 class, became the first five-star Houston signee since Daniel Hawes in the 2012 class when the Cougars selected him. Harwell also marks the fourth straight class where Houston landed an ESPN 100 prospect; The Cougars have signed a total of just one ESPN 100 recruit in nine classes from 2013 to 2021.

Sampson has been working to build arguably his best class since arriving in Houston. The Cougars are among the schools followed by Qua Pitt (No. 6) and Chris Cenac Jr. (No. 7) and are in the mix with Kingston Flemings (No. 21) and John Clark (No. 40).