While most of the chatter surrounding the 2026 NBA Draft is largely focused on the potential franchise-changers at the top — like Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer — the rest of the lottery happens to also be loaded. These NBA front offices are going to have chances to add crucial pieces, and that’s especially true at the guard position. This class is packed with brilliant backcourt players, but one of them has separated himself since the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season. That’s Houston’s Kingston Flemings.
A lot of the guards in this draft have impressive skill sets, and a few of the on-ball options — and even the combo guards — look like they could end up being special. However, when looking for the most advanced backcourt prospect — and the one with the fewest holes — Flemings is the guy.
Despite being a 19-year-old freshman, the 6-foot-4 Flemings is starting for a Cougars team that could very well win the national title. Bart Torvik has Houston as a top-10 team when it comes to both Adjusted Offensive and Defensive Efficiency, and Flemings isn’t a small part of that. He plays 30 minutes pretty much every night, and he’s always a threat to give Kelvin Sampson 20 points and five assists — and do it on efficient shooting, while also limiting his turnovers.
Flemings has an old-school game, as he is a master pick-and-roll initiator, capable of making any pass you can possibly imagine, but he doesn’t carelessly toss the ball around. Fleming has been able to stand out as a playmaker for the Cougars, despite the fact that Houston is near the bottom of the nation in tempo and plays a slow, methodical style. In the NBA, with a little more speed, freedom, and spacing, Flemings could look the part of one of the league’s better table-setters.
Flemings is also a deadeye midrange shooter, capable of getting to his spots — mostly around the elbows — and pulling up in the face of heavy pressure. Honestly, between the playmaking and the pull-up jumpers, Flemings can occasionally look a little like Chris Paul.
Flemings’ driving is also a strength. His athleticism doesn’t smack you in the face in the form of above-the-rim plays, as his height keeps him pretty far below it. (He looks a little smaller than his listed size). However, he has an explosive first step and he’s aggressive in attacking the basket. He can really blow by defenders in a hurry, and he has a strong handle that allows him to maneuver his way through traffic. He also plays with a ton of poise, which is big when opponents send help. He’s never in a rush to get rid of the rock, as he’s confident in his ability to keep things under control. Flemings also uses the baseline well on drives, and he understands the value of probing, going under the rim, and utilizing all the tricks you can think of.
If there’s anything to really nitpick when breaking down Flemings’ film and statistical profile, it’s that he’s not taking enough threes. Flemings has a nice-looking jumper, he makes his middies and his free throws at a high clip, and he’s nearly shooting 40% on his triples. They just need to become a bigger part of his shot diet, as the three-ball is such an important shot for a lead guard in the modern NBA — and will be just as important if he ever slides to the two, which he has done extremely well next to Milos Uzan with Houston.
There’s also a world in which Flemings turns into a high-level foul baiter, but he’s not living in that world right now. Flemings has a low free throw rate, which is odd for a good driver with a high basketball IQ and a good amount of craft. Perhaps adding some strength will help there, as he’ll be a little more willing to lean into contact. Also, the way the NBA game is officiated could change the way he approaches drives.
Either way, Flemings looks like a guy that should quickly be trustworthy in a big on-ball role — possibly even in a winning situation, much like the guys that are currently thriving with the Spurs: Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. And just like those two, Flemings is similarly competitive and disruptive defensively.
Flemings gets right up on his man, has strong, active hands, and generally doesn’t get overaggressive. He’s a high steal-rate player, plus somebody that won’t often get torched by his primary assignment. Flemings is also pretty dangerous off the ball, and he’s comfortable guarding both backcourt spots.
Naturally, a player of Flemings' size could be a target in the postseason, but we’ll see how effective it is going after him. Right now, he’s holding his own for one of the best defensive teams in college basketball, and it just isn’t hard to imagine him being a rock-solid defensive piece no matter what his measurements look like.
There’s just so much to love about Flemings’ game, which should look even better given the way the professional game is played. It’s rare that you get a high-character, high-IQ player with his well-rounded game. There’s simply a very low chance he ends up being a flat-out bust, and he has All-Star upside. That should make his next team pretty excited, even after the initial disappointment of missing out on the top-three players.