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Should Warriors take swing on Chris Cenac Jr. in loaded 2026 NBA Draft? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The plan always was for Chris Cenac Jr. to compete for a championship in his one season at Houston and be a one-and-done player taken at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft.
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Recruiting services had the same kind of thinking as Cenac. The Big Four of this year’s draft – AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson – along with Nate Ament, were the only five players ranked ahead of him by ESPN in the Class of 2025. Cenac was seen as more of a sure-fire freshman prospect than his Houston teammate Kingston Flemings, along with Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr., all of which are expected to go higher than Cenac in next week’s draft.
“There was a lot of things I needed to improve at in my game,” Cenac said Monday after his pre-draft workout for the Warriors at Chase Center, “like motor, physicality, defense. I feel like I improved a lot in those areas at Houston and I feel like I’m ready for the next step, for sure.”
Former Houston Cougar LJ Cryer was at Chase Center getting work in on Monday as well. The two said hi to each other, but the young big man didn’t want to get in Cryer’s way too much. He knew better after even one season coached by Kelvin Sampson.
When Cryer, undrafted a year ago, impressed the Warriors and earned a two-way contract last season, Sampson was a constant talking point. Warriors coach Steve Kerr knew Cryer was well prepared to be a pro under the leadership of someone like Sampson.
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Though the two couldn’t be more different players, and they’re more than five years apart in age, Sampson is the kind of coach that can build a foundation for a project like Cenac to shine when he’s ready.
“In every aspect,” Cenac said Monday when asked how Sampson has prepared him for the NBA. “The physicality, just how hard you plan, bringing that intensity every single time you’re on the court. He prepared me very well. I feel like I made the right decision going to Houston.”
Cenac put up a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in his…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/warriors-swing-chris-cenac-jr-184928490.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-15 18:49:00
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