A dominant 6-foot-11 freshman with floor-spacing potential, this Cougars standout pairs elite rebounding with a smooth jumper to fit the NBA's vision for a modern, versatile big man.
This Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets will learn their lottery positioning, either cashing in on their NBA-best 14-percent odds at the top overall pick or looking for the best fit among the remaining prospects in this year's extremely deep and talented class.
Prospects like Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Darryn Peterson of Kansas, Darius Acuff of Arkansas and Cameron Boozer of Duke are all projected to be high-end lottery picks, leaving a lot of talent peering in on the outside of top-14 projections.
In this profile, I will be highlighting Houston's Chris Cenac Jr., who alongside Kingston Flemings, formed one of the top freshman duos in Houston program history.
Prototypical Modern-Day Big Man
Cenac's youth, rebounding and smooth jump shot are exactly what NBA teams are looking for in big men today.
At Houston, Cenac became the first freshman to lead the program in rebounding since forward TaShawn Thomas in the 2011-12 season, according to Houston Athletics.
The 6-foot-11 forward averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds, shooting 48.5-percent from the field.
Cenac led the Cougars with six double-doubles and 13 double-digit rebounding outings, providing consistent energy and activity on the glass.
Prioritizing Development
Like his freshman counterpart Flemings, Cenac was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school.
Cenac was the No. 1 ranked center in his class and chose the Cougars and head coach Kelvin Sampson over premier programs like Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan State, Tennessee, and UConn.
The freshman big man was a huge part of Houston's regular season success and helped the Cougars make a fifth-straight Sweet 16 appearance.
Stretching the Floor
Part of what makes Cenac such an intriguing prospect is his projection as a 3-point shooter in the NBA.
Cenac made 33-percent of his 3-point attempts at Houston, shooting 2.4 per game.
While these numbers don't jump off the charts, 33-percent is a solid mark for a 19-year old big man to build on.
Draft Projection
In ESPN's latest mock draft, Cenac was tagged as the No. 17 overall pick, landing with the reigning NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Cenac certainly has some work to do before being an everyday starter at the next level, a team like the Thunder could help develop Cenac into a real difference maker.
Are Nets a Fit?
Cenac's size and shooting ability makes him a versatile piece at the next level that can likely thrive next to another big man or take over as an everyday starting center.
His shooting ability and youth makes him an instant fit in a Nets front court looking for more spacing and athleticism.
While the Nets will likely find an offensive difference maker with their first selection, Cenac could be a developmental piece for Brooklyn to circle back to later in the opening round.
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