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University of Houston Athletics
Cedric Lath Joins Men’s Basketball after Signing NLI
11/17/2022 9:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Balboa School star center erupted on summer scene with powerful play
HOUSTON – Balboa School center Cedric Lath became a member of the University of Houston Men's Basketball program after recently signing a National Letter of Intent.
Lath – who last name is pronounced Lot – is expected to join the Cougars at the semester break in January 2023. After sitting out the remainder of the 2022-23 season as a redshirt, he will have four years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2023-24.
He joined Arlington Martin High School guard Kordelius Jefferson, Cypress Falls High School forward Joseph Tugler and Rancho Verde High School center Jacob McFarland in the Cougars' signing Class of 2023. Together, the group gives Houston the No. 16 signing class in the nation from 247Sports, the No. 19 class from Rivals and the No. 20 class by ESPN.
ABOUT CEDRIC LATH
Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 260 pounds, Lath has only played basketball for the last three years after growing up in Abidjan, Ivory Coast but emerged as the No. 15 center nationally, according to On3 Consensus.
He chose Houston over Texas, BYU, UCLA, TCU, Kansas State, Arizona, UConn and Illinois.
He spent a year in Canada before coming to the United States and competing for Liberty High School in Henderson, Nev. Playing for Dream Visions on the AAU circuit, Lath burst onto the scene over the summer, impressing with his physical play and athleticism.
"First of all, Cedric is a great kid. He is very young to the game, but he has very long arms and has really good hands. Just because you are big doesn't mean you are going to be physical. Some guys ran away from contact; some guys run to contact. Cedric is a contact player," said Sampson, who is in his ninth year with the Cougars. "The thing I like about Cedric is that he wants to be good. Cedric will get in the gym and will work on his game. He is a very good student and fits our culture well. I am looking forward to working with Big Ced.
"Cedric is a big-body big who runs the floor extremely well. He can get out and guard on the perimeter, but he can a also get down in the paint with the bigs," Balboa School Head Coach Dominique Jones said. "Cedric is a great, young man off the floor. He came to America about two years ago and is just a great student and a pleasure to be around."
UP NEXT
• The Cougars travel to the Pacific Northwest to meet Oregon at 8:30 p.m. (CST) Sunday inside Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. That game will air on ESPN.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
Lath – who last name is pronounced Lot – is expected to join the Cougars at the semester break in January 2023. After sitting out the remainder of the 2022-23 season as a redshirt, he will have four years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2023-24.
He joined Arlington Martin High School guard Kordelius Jefferson, Cypress Falls High School forward Joseph Tugler and Rancho Verde High School center Jacob McFarland in the Cougars' signing Class of 2023. Together, the group gives Houston the No. 16 signing class in the nation from 247Sports, the No. 19 class from Rivals and the No. 20 class by ESPN.
ABOUT CEDRIC LATHStanding 6-foot-10 and weighing 260 pounds, Lath has only played basketball for the last three years after growing up in Abidjan, Ivory Coast but emerged as the No. 15 center nationally, according to On3 Consensus.
He chose Houston over Texas, BYU, UCLA, TCU, Kansas State, Arizona, UConn and Illinois.
He spent a year in Canada before coming to the United States and competing for Liberty High School in Henderson, Nev. Playing for Dream Visions on the AAU circuit, Lath burst onto the scene over the summer, impressing with his physical play and athleticism.
"First of all, Cedric is a great kid. He is very young to the game, but he has very long arms and has really good hands. Just because you are big doesn't mean you are going to be physical. Some guys ran away from contact; some guys run to contact. Cedric is a contact player," said Sampson, who is in his ninth year with the Cougars. "The thing I like about Cedric is that he wants to be good. Cedric will get in the gym and will work on his game. He is a very good student and fits our culture well. I am looking forward to working with Big Ced.
"Cedric is a big-body big who runs the floor extremely well. He can get out and guard on the perimeter, but he can a also get down in the paint with the bigs," Balboa School Head Coach Dominique Jones said. "Cedric is a great, young man off the floor. He came to America about two years ago and is just a great student and a pleasure to be around."
UP NEXT
• The Cougars travel to the Pacific Northwest to meet Oregon at 8:30 p.m. (CST) Sunday inside Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. That game will air on ESPN.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com
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