No. 27 pick Chris Cenac Jr. brings size, athleticism and motor to Boston

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics added size, athleticism, and upside to their frontcourt Tuesday night by selecting Chris Cenac Jr. with the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward/center arrives in Boston after one season at the University of Houston, where he averaged 9.5 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.

While Cenac possesses the physical tools that made him one of the top frontcourt prospects in this year’s draft class, his mentality and his motor may have been just as appealing to the Celtics, who also own the 40th overall pick Wednesday night.

Cenac quickly laid the foundation for what Celtics fans should expect from him.

“They’re going to get a great character guy who’s going to come in and work hard every day and do whatever it takes to help the team win,” he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters moments after being selected.

That mentality is a big reason why the Celtics were excited to add the 19-year-old to their roster.

“He’s just a good young player,” Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens said following the draft. “Energetic, plays hard, excellent athlete, long. Fits a position of need, some things that we were a little short on this year from an athletic perspective, I think with his size and his length.

“And when you play in the program he’s played for, he’s been taught well and been held to a high standard. I like that, and he will undoubtedly come here and be eager to jump into it. He’s a good worker, he’s a good person, and he’s got a lot to learn, but we’re excited about starting that process with him.”

Cenac’s combination of size, length, rebounding ability, and athleticism helped him carve out an important role for one of the nation’s premier college programs.

The New Orleans native recorded six double-doubles during his lone collegiate season and consistently impacted games on the glass. One of his most impressive performances came during Houston’s run through the Big 12 Tournament, when he posted 17 points and 14 rebounds – including six offensive boards – while shooting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in a 69-47 victory over Kansas.

A week later, he pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in just 25 minutes during Houston’s first-round NCAA Tournament win.

Those performances offered a glimpse of the upside that intrigued Boston. Cenac already rebounds at a high level, runs the floor well, and has shown flashes of perimeter shooting ability that could continue to develop as he grows into his game.

Stevens believes there is plenty of growth still ahead.

“I think he’s got a lot to learn. He’s got a long way to go,” Stevens said. “He’s got a lot of room to grow, but when you’re that age and you were that ballyhooed coming out of high school, and then you go and play for Coach (Kelvin) Sampson, and he does not let you off the hook for one mistake over the course of a full year. In everything that we’ve learned about Chris and everything that Coach has told me is that he was pretty hard on him and he was on him, and all he did was come to work. And I think that that’s a really impressive quality for a young guy.

“When I watched him play live several times this year, he didn’t always play well, but I never walked out of the gym thinking he didn’t play hard, and he didn’t really, really, really go after it. I think that’s a good place to start.”

That assessment aligns with the reputation Cenac built at Houston under Coach Sampson.

“He’s never had one bad ounce of body language,” Sampson said of Cenac before the Draft. “He’s always one of the first ones in the gym and one of the last ones to leave. And wherever he’s playing in the NBA, that team is going to be lucky to get him.”

Cenac says his drive comes from a simple place.

“Honestly, just seeing myself get better,” he told Salters. “Seeing myself get better in the gym and going on the court and perfecting it. I think it’s just my work ethic. I love the game and I love getting better.”

That mindset should serve him well as he begins his NBA journey in Boston.