5-Star Guard Isiah Harwell Signs with Men’s Hoops

HOUSTON – Wasatch Academy star guard Isiah Harwell has joined the University of Houston Men's Basketball program after signing a financial aid agreement, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced Thursday.

Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 200 pounds, Harwell is a consensus 5-star recruit by Rivals, 247Sports, on3 and ESPN and is the No. 14 prospect nationally in the ESPN100. He was ranked among the nation's Top Three shooting guards by all four scouting organizations and stood as the #9 overall prospect by Rivals.

He joined current NBA forward Jarace Walker as Houston's second 5-star recruit during the last three years.

Harwell will compete as a freshman beginning in the 2025-26 season and have four years of eligibility. He chose Houston over California, Gonzaga and Texas.

"From the first time we saw Isiah play, we liked the maturity level at which he played. I saw him for the first time when he was 15 and about to play at the tournament in Rock Hill, S.C... At that time, he was pretty good at everything. When we saw him the next summer, it was like 'woah, he has taken an amazing leap into one of the best wing guards in the country," Sampson said. "Isiah is a high-level player and a high-level person. He fits our culture and comes from a tremendous family and great program at Wasatch Academy. Isiah is a very mature young man. He knew what he wanted to do and has no ego. He is a winner and wants to achieve at a high level. He fits us, and we fit him."

"Isiah is a chameleon. Whatever you need him to do, he will do. He is one of the two best defenders in the class in the entire country and is phenomenal on the ball. If you need him to score, he will score. If you need him to be a role player, he will do that. He cares about one thing at the end of the day. Isiah Harwell is a winner," Utah Prospects Coach Tim Davis said. "Isiah is just a great kid. He cares about people and knows it's not always about him. He is an unselfish young man. Although he was hurt this past year with us, he still wanted to come to the tournaments and be a part of the program. That's a testament to the kind of young man he is. You guys will love him."

As a junior during the 2023-24 season, Harwell drained a pair of free throws with less than three seconds remaining to lift Wasatch Academy to a 75-73 win over Columbus (Miami) at Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta and finished with 15 points and four rebounds.

That season, he scored 22 points with 14 rebounds and seven assists without a turnover in a win over IMG Academy at the U.S. Steel La Porte Invitational in Indiana.

In July 2023, he led the Utah Prospects to the adidas AAU National Championship in South Carolina. Earlier that summer, he also led Team USA to the Gold Medal at the Under-16 FIBA Americas Championships in Merida, Mexico and played for the championship team at the NBPA Top 100 Camp.

In his first season at Wasatch Academy as a sophomore in 2022-23, Harwell averaged 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game at Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta.

Harwell was an All-State First-Team selection as a freshman at Century High School in his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, during the 2021-22 season. He averaged 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while leading the Diamondbacks to the District Finals.

His father, Ron, was an award-winning basketball player at Idaho State (1993-97) and ranked third in school history in career steals.

Harwell is the latest member of the Cougars' 2025 signing class. Shadow Creek High School star guard Bryce Jackson signed a financial aid agreement on Wednesday.

UP NEXT
• Houston continues its homestand when it meets Hofstra at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22, inside Fertitta Center.
• That game will air on ESPN+.
• From there, Houston then travels to Las Vegas to compete at the Players Era Festival.
• The Cougars open that event at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 26, against #2/2 Alabama inside MGM Grand Garden Arena.
• That game will air on TBS and Max
• Houston continues its tournament stay against Notre Dame (11:30 p.m. CST, Nov. 27) and a to-be-determined opponent on Nov. 30).
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

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