5-star Isiah Harwell transfers to Houston; SG is program’s highest-ranked prospect ever | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

Isiah Harwell, a 5-star shooting guard from Utah, committed to Houston on Thursday.

“I chose Houston because the culture fits. I feel like I can thrive and succeed there, and I believe in Coach [Kelvin] Sampson and the whole team,” Harwell told On3’s Joe Tipton. “Coach Sampson has a way of talking that just gets me motivated and ready to play. He also has a lot of experience and knows what he’s looking for.”

He chose Houston over Gonzaga, Texas and California.

Harwell is considered the No. 1 shooting guard in the class of 2025, the No. 10 player overall and the No. 2 player from the state of Utah according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, making him the highest-ranked recruit in Houston history, according to Tipton, and the first 5-star recruit to join Houston since Danuel House in 2012.

In early September, Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports described Harwell as a “true two-way player who impacts the game on both ends of the court” and who possesses “good size, strength and physicality in the backcourt.”

He also noted that he is “undoubtedly advanced” defensively, where he is “tough and competitive” despite not having elite length. Overall, “he plays hard, is competitive and versatile enough to play as a tall second-back or as a conventional winger.”

“I would describe my game as that of a two-way player who can score at all three levels and make the right plays,” Harwell told Tipton while analyzing his own skills.

Sampson’s presence was obviously an important factor in his decision.

“Coach Sampson is a cool guy,” he told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi. “He knows what players need to get to the next level, we talked about that. I have to shoot 38 to 40 percent threes, average six or seven rebounds and defend against the opponent’s best perimeter player. He said if you don’t defend, you don’t play in Houston.”

“Their culture is real,” he added.

Harwell had to take time off over the summer after suffering a knee injury during his junior season, but he is expected to be back on the court in the fall before joining the Cougars ahead of the 2025-26 season. He is Houston’s first recruit in the class of 2025.