Chris Cenac Jr.
| No. 12 – Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Power forward / center | ||||||||||||||
| 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. (born February 1, 2007) is an American basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Houston Cougars.
Early life and high school
[edit]Cenac grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and initially attended Isidore Newman School.[1] He averaged 13.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.9 steals per game as a junior.[2][3] Cenac transferred to Link Academy in Branson, Missouri after his junior year after Newman's Coach was suspended and the school received a post-season ban for recruiting violations.[4] During the summer he took part in the NBPA Top 100 camp and was named the camp's MVP.[5] Cenac took home tournament MVP after leading the Link Academy Lions to win the inaugural Nike EYBL Scholastic Tournament in March 2025. [1]
Cenac was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 class, according to major recruiting services.[6][7] He committed to play college basketball at Houston over offers from LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, and Tennessee.[8]
College career
[edit]Cenac enrolled at the University of Houston in June 2025 to take part in the Cougars' summer practices.[9] He averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a freshman. On April 9, 2026, Cenac declared for the 2026 NBA draft.[10]
Professional career
[edit]Cenac was selected 27th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2026 NBA draft.[11]
National team career
[edit]Cenac played for the United States under-17 basketball team at the 2024 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup.[12] He averaged 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as the United States won the gold medal.[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 | 37 | 36 | 24.8 | .485 | .333 | .621 | 7.9 | .7 | .8 | .5 | 9.5 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Jordan, Jason (June 23, 2024). "Four-star Chris Cenac is having a dominant run". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ↑ "Hogs catch eye of 5-star big man". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. August 20, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ↑ Shaw, Jamie (June 3, 2024). "Why On3 is higher than the industry with five-star PF Chris Cenac". On3.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ↑ "A New Orleans prep basketball standout plans to transfer to an out-of-state program". The Times-Picayune. June 14, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ↑ Peek, Krysten (October 14, 2024). "Chris Cenac, Kiyan Anthony lead top performers from USA Basketball junior minicamp". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ↑ Bossi, Eric (June 21, 2024). "Offers are pouring in for stock-rising 2025 five-star big man Chris Cenac". 247Sports.com. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ↑ Drummond, Cameron (October 16, 2024). "After taking a visit to Kentucky, elite 2025 center Chris Cenac recaps Mark Pope's pitch". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ↑ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (November 26, 2024). "Houston lands C Chris Cenac Jr., its highest-ranked recruit in modern era". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ↑ Duarte, Joseph (June 7, 2025). "Welcome to Summer Camp Sampson. How UH's top recruiting class is adjusting". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ↑ Shapiro, Michael (April 9, 2026). "Houston freshman Chris Cenac Jr. declares for NBA Draft, joins Kingston Flemings". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Staff, Yahoo Sports (June 23, 2026). "2026 NBA Draft live updates, draft order: Wizards select AJ Dybantsa with No. 1 pick, Darryn Peterson to Jazz, Cameron Boozer to Grizzlies". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ McGavic, Matthew (August 9, 2024). "Top-Ranked '25 Center Chris Cenac Lists Louisville Among Top Schools". SI.com. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ↑ James, Donovan (August 9, 2024). "Center Chris Cenac Jr includes Kentucky basketball in his final twelve". UK Wildcats Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
