Chris Cenac Jr.
| No. 12 – Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | February 1, 2007 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school |
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| College | Houston (2025–2026) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2026: 1st round, 27th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2026–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2026–present | Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Christopher Robert Cenac Jr.[1] (born February 1, 2007)[2] is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A power forward, he played college basketball for the Houston Cougars and was selected by Boston with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
Early life and high school career
[edit]Cenac grew up in New Orleans. He attended Riverside Academy as a freshman before transferring to Isidore Newman School, where he sat out his sophomore season under transfer rules. As a junior, he helped Newman win its third consecutive state championship and averaged 13.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.[3][1] After his junior year, he transferred to Link Academy in Branson, Missouri.[3]
During the summer of 2024, Cenac was named the most valuable player of the NBPA Top 100 Camp.[2] In March 2025, he helped Link Academy win the inaugural Nike EYBL Scholastic conference tournament and was named tournament MVP.[4]
Cenac was a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked among the top ten players in the 2025 class by major recruiting services.[1][5] On November 26, 2024, he committed to Houston, choosing the Cougars over a final group that also included LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, and Tennessee.[5] He was selected for the 2025 McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit.[2]
College career
[edit]Cenac played one season for Houston in 2025–26. He started 36 of 37 games and averaged 9.5 points, a team-leading 7.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.[6] He was named to the NABC All-Gulf District second team as Houston finished 30–7 and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[7][6][2]
On April 9, 2026, Cenac declared for the 2026 NBA draft. The following day, he said that he had hired an agent and was fully committed to remaining in the draft.[8]
Professional career
[edit]On June 23, 2026, Cenac was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.[9] He signed his rookie contract with Boston on July 6.[10] Cenac was also named to the Celtics' roster for the 2026 NBA Summer League.[11]
National team career
[edit]Cenac represented the United States under-17 team at the 2024 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He averaged 8.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in seven games as the United States won the gold medal.[12][13]
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Houston[6] | 37 | 36 | 24.8 | .485 | .333 | .621 | 7.9 | .7 | .8 | .5 | 9.5 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Chris Cenac Jr". University of Houston Athletics. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "2026 NBA Draft Profile: Chris Cenac Jr". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 Ebanks, Jared (December 27, 2024). "Chris Cenac Jr Has a New Home at Link Academy and His Sights Set on a National Championship". Slam. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ Jordan, Jason (March 8, 2025). "Link Academy Takes Inaugural Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament Crown". Nike EYBL Scholastic. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (November 26, 2024). "Houston lands C Chris Cenac Jr., its highest-ranked recruit in modern era". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "2025–26 Men's Basketball Cumulative Statistics". University of Houston Athletics. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "NABC Announces Division I All-District Teams, Coaches of the Year". National Association of Basketball Coaches. March 17, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ Duarte, Joseph (April 10, 2026). "UH's Chris Cenac Jr. explains decision to enter NBA draft. 'One-and-done was always the goal'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ Snow, Taylor (June 23, 2026). "No. 27 Pick Chris Cenac Jr. Brings Size, Athleticism and Motor to Boston". Boston Celtics. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Khari A. (July 6, 2026). "Celtics sign first-round pick Chris Cenac Jr". Boston.com. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Celtics Announce 2026 NBA Summer League Roster and Schedule". Boston Celtics. July 8, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Chris Cenac – FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024". FIBA. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Chris Cenac Jr". USA Basketball. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
