(#1) Kingston Flemings
2025-26 stats: 16.6 PPG (49.7 FG%, 38.8 3P%), 3.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Early in the 2025-26 season, people wondered whether Houston Cougars freshman Kingston Flemings was actually the best point guard in the draft. This was around November, when it was first revealed that Peterson was nursing a hamstring injury. While the projected No. 1 pick was in street clothes, Flemings had averaged 18.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in a six-game stretch that saw Houston go 5-1. His percentages sparkled like red candy paint, the Texas native shooting 63.4 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from 3.
All But Flawless
Even more impressive than Flemings’s numbers was the play itself. His first step is the best of the projected lottery point guards. The sharp movements and stop-and-start speed of his crossovers would make Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving proud. When it comes to being able to envision a college prospect having success as a scorer at the next level, those are traits that scouts often look for. Just consider that fans were seeing Flemings not only had those skills, but uncanny shooting touch and nice length at 6-foot-4.
Of course, shooting above 60 percent from the field and 55 percent from 3 for an entire season is unsustainable for a high-usage guard. Nonetheless, there was a lot to like about him then and there still is now.
On top of being a potent scorer, Flemings is a shrewd playmaker. He keeps his eyes up, allowing him to spray the ball around the court. He can pass with either hand, so there are fewer obstacles to him making a play for his teammates. He’s a quick decision-maker who doesn’t need to dribble the air out of the ball to get an assist.
Because of his physical tools and physicality, he even has the potential to be a lockdown defender. It only helps that he has fast hands and sticky fingers.
