Introduction to Chris Cenac Jr.
Chase McCarty can see the confusion in the eyes of regular Big 12 big men when Chris Cenac Jr. hits a three, and then a second one. “It’s huge versatility,” McCarty tells PaperCity. “It brings a lot of floor spacing for us. It allows Kingston to get downhill. It allows EMan to get up more good shots.” Don’t look now, but Kelvin Sampson’s University of Houston team is 17-1 and Chris Cenac is just getting started in many ways.
Cenac’s Rise to Prominence
Cenac, the 6-foot-11 freshman with inside and outside skills, just put up his most complete game of the season in that romp over Arizona State. Cenac’s line? Eighteen points, eight rebounds, a career-high five assists, a block, three steals, and two 3-pointers made. He’s gone 6 for 12 from distance in Houston’s last three games. But it’s how comfortable the 18-year-old looks doing it, how confidently he flies in to turn a missed shot into a rebound slam, that resonates most.
Development and Improvement
Cenac’s ascent has been a steady, sometimes silent rise, one marked by continued improvement and following the careful plan Kelvin Sampson and Kellen Sampson mapped out for him. “He’s just got the right attitude about everything,” Kellen Sampson, the assistant coach who works with Cenac and UH’s other power forwards every day, says. “And when somebody does that with his talent, they’re going to get better in a hurry.” Cenac is usually one of the first players there before practice and often one of the last to leave the gym after practice.
Cenac’s Work Ethic
Cenac came to Houston as a big man used to shooting threes, but not close to a consistent 3-point shooter. He is showing signs of starting to become one. “I try to work to get better every day,” Cenac says. Cenac and his dad Chris Cenac Sr. wanted him to play the four in college rather than the five because that is where Cenac’s future lies in the more wide-open NBA. The Sampsons made the plan work by getting him to focus on rebounding early and adding on more and more as the season’s gone on.
Comparison to Quentin Grimes
Cenac reminds Kellen Sampson of Quentin Grimes, the former Cougar star who’s turned himself into an NBA regular due for a big payday this summer, in some ways. Like Grimes, Cenac is an uber-talented player who’s also a gym rat. “Quentin was the same way,” Kellen Sampson says. “In that he loved basketball so much that he was just never going to fail. Chris is the same way. He loves basketball. He loves to work at it. He’s so desperate to be a good player that he lets you coach him hard.”
Upcoming Games and Challenges
A rematch with the Big 12’s best big man — the college dominant JT Toppin — looms in a frigid Lubbock on Saturday evening. Toppin put up 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks in UH’s 69-65 home win over the Red Raiders earlier this month. But Cenac and UH’s unicorn center JoJo Tugler combined for 22 points and 21 rebounds of their own in that game. Cenac’s 3-pointers can further shift the math in his team’s favor in a game.
Conclusion
Chris Cenac got his hair cut short right before the new year. He is geared up for this closing run, maybe his last semester in college. “Kingston and Chris probably won’t be here long enough,” Kelvin Sampson says when talking about jersey numbers that could — and should be — retired by UH in the future. “But they’ll always be part of this program.” Cenac is not done yet though. In some ways, he’s still just getting started. Right on time. Not rushed. Worked. And now ready.
