Note #037: Chris Cenac Jr. (Limitless Length)
Former Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr. has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft following his 2025-26 freshman season with the Cougars.
In 2025-26, in 37 GP (24.8 MP/G), the 6'11" Cenac Jr. averaged:
- 9.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Since 1947-48, only three other NCAA Division I men's players besides Cenac Jr. have met the above per game thresholds as freshmen (in less than 25 MP/G):
1. Joel Embiid (2013-14) - 11.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.6 BPG (28 GP, 23.1 MP/G)
2. Dale Shackleford (1975-76) - 11.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG (29 GP, 23.4 MP/G)
3. DeMarcus Cousins (2009-10) - 15.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.8 BPG (38 GP, 23.5 MP/G)
Let's remove the MP/G threshold from above, and just look at 2025-26. There were six other freshmen besides Cenac Jr. that season to average 9.5+ PPG, 7.5+ RPG, 0.5+ APG/SPG/BPG:
12-15 PPG
1. Declan Wucherpfennig - 12.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG (34 GP, 31.6 MP/G)
2. Tomislav Buljan - 13.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG (35 GP, 25.9 MP/G)
3. Brandon Benjamin - 14.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.6 BPG (32 GP, 31.3 MP/G)
15-20 PPG
4. Hannes Steinbach - 18.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG (30 GP, 34.6 MP/G)
5. Caleb Wilson - 19.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.4 BPG (24 GP, 31.3 MP/G)
20+ PPG
6. Cameron Boozer - 22.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG (38 GP, 33.4 MP/G)
Benjamin and Wucherpfennig were teammates at Fairfield in 2025-26.
Steinbach, Wilson, and Boozer, like Cenac Jr., are 2026 NBA Draft entrants.
Benjamin broke through in Note #016 on Eric Reibe + Note #027 on Massamba Diop.
Buljan's first mention was in Note #031 on Friar-turned-Tiger Jamier Jones.
Steinbach is also in the Diop Note, and Note #033 on fellow 2026 NBA Draft prospect Michael Ajayi.