Welcome to Upside and Motor, a weekly NBA Draft column dedicated to analyzing the next wave of basketball stars, from blue blood sensations to those flying under the radar.
Kingston Flemings arrived at Houston as a four-star recruit, ranked 20th nationally at 247 Sports. Expectations weren't low, but in a crowded Cougars backcourt, on the then-No. 2 team in the country, folks generally expected Flemings to need time — time for opportunities to arise and for his production to catch the attention of NBA Draft scouts. Perhaps he was a 2027 or 2028 prospect.
Lo and behold, Flemings has started all four games for Houston so far and he's putting up some of the best freshman numbers in college basketball. He made a particularly loud statement on Sunday night, dropping 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists on 8-of-13 shooting (1-of-3 from deep) in 35 minutes against No. 22 Auburn.
Flemings is averaging 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists on .692/.500/.846 shooting through four games. You can point to a lack of competition on the front end of the schedule or a small sample and inevitable regression, but Flemings has captured NBA attention. He's on the radar.
Kingston Flemings shoots up NBA Draft boards with fiery start
This is shaping up to be a deep point guard class, but Flemings stands out in a special light for his youth and composure — not to mention incredible ball-handling twitch and pull-up shooting. He was the engine behind Houston's 73-72 win over Auburn. There are tons of productive freshmen across college hoops at the moment, but Flemings is rising above the crowd.
It's difficult to poke holes in Flemings' start to the campaign. Is there inevitable regression on the horizon? Of course. Flemings was an inconsistent 3-point shooter in high school and his 40 percent clip to begin the season might not be sustainable. But the whole of Flemings' skill set is putting him in the conversation right alongside the best point guards in the 2026 draft.
Flemings, listed at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, is a bonkers athlete. Spring-loaded, jittery, and able to penetrate a defense at will. He weaponizes incredible burst to create advantages as a ball-handler, with the gear shifts and off-rhythm finishing package to extend those advantages.
A wide array of runners, floaters and full-speed finesse layups will keep rim protectors at bay. He looks in complete control coming around screens or peeling off of dribble-handoffs, able to get low, hit pause, and then turn on the jets to get to his spot. Flemings' footwork on side-steps and pull-ups is in a great place.
It's not the sexiest shot release, but Flemings is burying the mid-range jumpers at will and flashing NBA range on 3s, while shooting a healthy volume. Yes, his percentages overall will fall back to earth eventually, but Flemings' touch is evident and he looks confident. That is half the battle — hell, more than half the battle — when it comes to commanding defensive respect beyond the arc.
Flemings has no trouble creating space with his handle. If he's hitting shots at every level, stretching out the defense and capitalizing on breakdowns with his speed, he won't have trouble maintaining lofty production and convincing NBA scouts of his future in the league.
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Kingston Flemings: Future lottery pick?
It's too early to know Flemings' draft stock in its totality, but he's certainly charging in the direction of the lottery. So much can change in the months ahead, especially if Flemings early 3-point success turns out fluky. But his burst, vertical pop as a finisher, and potential to draw fouls with violent changes in speed and direction, gives Flemings a sound offensive foundation.
It helps that he is a true point guard. Houston is trusting him to run the offense, which is notable when he's sharing the backcourt with one of the best senior guards in the country, Milos Uzan. Flemings has logged a meaningfully higher usage percentage (23.4) than Uzan (19.6) to begin the season, per KenPom.
Flemings boasts an impressive 2.65 assist-to-turnover ratio and Houston is putting the ball in his hands, early and often, every game. His ability to rifle on-target passes at full speed, or even when he's hanging midair at the rim, is a real wow factor. Flemings can settle into bouts of score-first mentality, but his head is always up and he's constantly making creative, split-second decisions to set up teammates.
Defensive concerns will follow Flemings through college and into the NBA, but he's a voracious off-ball playmaker, jumping into passing lanes, flying in weak-side shot contests, and generally committing to the creation of chaos. The stock numbers aren't anything special yet (0.5 blocks, 0,8 steals), but expect them to tick up. Flemings will be overmatched in a lot of one-on-one situations at the next level and he's not immune to the occasional youthful lapse, but his athleticism will hopefully offset a lot of the issues endemic to small guards.
Buy your Kingston Flemings stock now
Flemings is finishing 79.3 percent of his two-point attempts right now. That number is inflated by his current heater, as some of these tougher mid-range pull-ups will eventually clank off the rim. But Flemings is also generating paint touches, self-creating dunks, and finding ways to finish through the trees with acrobatic flourishes of pure touch. That is an extremely positive indicator for his scoring profile. He's not entirely reliant on his jumper, and he can still get into the teeth of a defense and create for others (or himself at the rim) when perimeter looks aren't falling.
So much can and will change in the months ahead, but Flemings feels decidedly like the real deal. Houston is an excellent program, offering Flemings out of the most complete and competent supporting casts in college basketball. It's a tremendous setup. He has Uzan to relieve pressure and share the playmaking burden. He has Joseph Tugler to run DHOs and set screens. Big man Chris Cenac can catch lobs and space to the 3-point line. Emanuel Sharp is an attack-first scorer who can take advantage of Flemings' setups.
You couldn't ask for a better start, and you couldn't ask for a better team to optimize Flemings' talent. He is going to be a central figure in the NBA Draft conversation, methinks.
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NBA Draft Stock Up, Stock Down
UP — Aday Mara, C, Michigan
The 7-foot-3 junior has finally found a stable home in Michigan and it's all coming together. Mara is a dominant rim protector and rebounder who doubles as a slick frontcourt playmaking hub, with a blend of IQ and size we seldom see.
DOWN — Brayden Burries, G, Arizona
It's been a frigid start for freshman combo guard Brayden Burries, who just looks out of whack for Arizona. He's probably better than a 29.4 percent 3-point shooter, but more concerning are his struggles inside the arc (33.3 percent). If he's this inefficient and he can't step up as a playmaker, he's probably not a 2026 prospect.
UP — Darrion Williams, F, NC State
Darrion Williams left Texas Tech to star under Will Wade at NC State. The senior swingman is flaming nets and stuffing the stat sheet, averaging 23.3 points on .611/.619/.875 splits, with 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals. ACC competition awaits, but Williams looks like the best player in college hoops right now.
DOWN — Jaland Lowe, G, Kentucky
Jaland Lowe can really pass it, but he's so inefficient inside the arc that it's hard to envision the path forward, especially if he's not front and center in the Kentucky backcourt. Now: he's out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.
UP — Cameron Carr, F, Baylor
Cameron Carr transferred to Baylor after receiving sporadic playing time through two seasons at Tennessee. The breakout is happeing. Carr is a clear NBA athlete, flying around on defense, finishing off a variety of actions at the rim, and bombing 3s at an impressively high clip. Baylor has a new star.
DOWN — Xaivian Lee, G, Florida
It's too early to sell your stock, but the ex-Princeton star has been wildly inefficient through his first four games in a Florida uniform. He went 1-of-6 from the field (0-of-5 from deep) against Miami and is now shooting 25.5 percent on the season.