Houston won an absolutely massive recruiting battle on Thursday, when the Cougars landed the commitment of five-star shooting guard Isiah Harwell, who chose The Cougars over finalists Cal, Gonzaga and Texas. Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy explores what head coach Kelvin Sampson and his program are getting in the 6-foot-5 Harwell as well as what it means for the big picture.
*****
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2026 Rankings: Rivals150
Transfer Portal: Full coverage | Player ranking | Transfer tracker | Player search
*****
WHAT HOUSTON IS GETTING
Harwell missed a chunk of the spring with injury, but his talent was obvious well before the injury bug bit. His well-rounded scoring ability is punctuated by one of the smoothest and most-reliable long-range jumpers in the 2025 class. Harwell is a pure scorer first and foremost, but his length and composure allow him to impact games in other ways as well. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is a plus ball handler that could probably play the point in pinch, but he thrives at the two spot because of his ability to get downhill in a hurry and his nearly unlimited range. Harwell has a college-ready build and is a solid positional rebounder. His long arms and quickness lend him some versatility in the defensive end, even if he lacks truly elite athleticism. Staying healthy and getting a bit more assertive with the ball in his hands will be among the challenges he faces at the next level, but there’s plenty of reason to think he’ll reach his lofty ceiling. Harwell is equipped with an extremely high basketball IQ and comes from a basketball family, as his father, Ron Harwell, starred at Idaho from 1993-1997. The Cougars will benefit from Harwell’s three-level scoring ability and his knack for limiting bad shots from the moment he steps foot on campus next year.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE COUGARS
Kelvin Sampson’s Houston program has progressed well beyond being viewed as a plucky new high-major or some kind of still-emerging underdog. The Cougars are a certified Big 12 bully and have been recruiting like one for multiple cycles now. Still, the importance of landing Harwell is much larger than the five-star guard’s on-court talent. Holding off in-state powerhouse Texas, its NIL war chest and massive national brand should still be celebrated as an accomplishment. So is the fact that Houston was able to make up ground to edge Gonzaga, which once looked like Harwell’s leader, down the stretch. Point is, Houston is here to stay near the top of America’s strongest conference and landing the country’s No. 8 player speaks to that fact.
