There’s no secret that Isaiah Santos has a lot of talent when a basketball is in his hands. As a junior at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, he averaged a double-double with 22.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game that helped the Spartans to a program best 35-1 record.

However, the 6-foot-6, 210-pound guard/forward hasn’t seen offers roll in like other top basketball recruits in the nation. That’s not a problem for Santos.

“In all honesty, it’s all motivation for me," Santos said on his recruitment. "I'd rather be the underrated player than have more hype than I deserve. I guess just not being where I can be rankings-wise has just put a chip on my shoulder to improve. Every day I take every workout, game, and practice seriously. I know I can still get better, and that's what I focus on every day.”

Santos is ranked as a four-star small forward recruit and the No. 79 overall recruit in the nation and the No. 6 recruit in the state of Texas, according to 247Sports. On3/Rivals has Santos ranked as the No. 97 overall prospect in the country and the No. 7 recruit in the state of Texas.

Santos entered this week with offers from Houston, UTSA, Sam Houston, UTEP, and Stephen F. Austin. On Monday, he received offers from UC San Diego, Utah University, and Minnesota after playing for ABB Elite, an AAU basketball team that is sponsored by current Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black. It’s the first time Santos has played for Black’s AAU team, and it’s already paying off after a 22-point, nine-rebound, and two-assist performance on May 17th.

Santos has been in communication with Houston, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Oral Roberts and the rest of the Texas colleges that have offered him.

More schools might be on the way for Santos as he continues to play AAU ball throughout the summer. Santos plans on committing sometime in the summer but will take the recruiting process one day at a time. He will plan visits and enjoy the recruiting process like any teenager.

“I have known since middle school that this summer was going to be the most important.summer,” Santos said. “All I have to do is what I know what to do. I believe I’m a player that impacts winning, and I believe I can help any team win. I’m running my own race. Sooner or later, that will be seen by everybody or at least the right people.”

Kelvin Sampson and his Houston staff have been in constant communication with Santos was the second school to offer him on May 8, 2025.

“Houston offered me early, and they saw something in me that they liked a lot.

and my game,” Santos said. “They offered me when not a lot of people knew about me, and that means a lot to me. It was an amazing feeling when I got that offer early on from a school like Houston.”

Santos is no stranger to Houston, as he has visited the campus and been to several games that have been packed at Fertitta Center. He’s a fan of the culture that Sampson and his staff have built in Houston.

“One of my favorite things about Houston is the way they play, and it’s amazing to

watch,” Santos said. “I love their defensive mentality, and I like everything about the way they play. It’s what I see in myself as a player.”

Sampson’s culture at Houston has always been straightforward, and there are no favorites or special treatment for any players. For Santos, that’s just one of the things that he admires about Sampson and the Cougars’ program.

“I will listen to any coach,” Santos said. “I see myself as a very coachable person. I pick up things quickly, but yeah, I feel like I take hard coaching very well. I embrace it, and I know that kind of tough love coaching is going to improve me as a player.”

Santos has dreams of playing in the NBA one day and knows that only a certain number of college players make it to the NBA.

“Wherever I go, I want to go somewhere where I can be challenged because that’s how I know that I’m going to get to the next level,” Santos said. “Basically, every day I want to be pushed and nothing less. I know at a place like Houston, I know that’s what is going to be expected of me, and I will put in that kind of work daily.”

Houston currently has four players in the 2026 NBA Draft, with freshmen Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac are expected to go in the lottery along with Milos Uzan and Emmanuel Sharp. Santos has kept his eyes on Flemings and what he did at Houston, and the Cougars will yet again have more alumni in the NBA next season.

“It just shows proof that Houston sends people to the league,” Santos said. “That’s

where I want to go one day, and I know it’s going to take a lot of work to get there. I

I've played against Kingston before, and he’s a really great player. He will be one of the first people that I played against that’s going to play in the NBA, so I think that’s kind of cool.”

Santos’s game has developed a lot over the past couple of years. As a freshman and

sophomore, he was more of a post player, but now his game is developing and is

starting to play more like a guard. He’s able to guard any position on the floor and has been working on his jump shot.

Santos only knows how to play fast and with a lot of passion. Of course, diving for loose balls on the floor.

“It has been a fun process,” Santos said about his game evolving. “At the next level I’mgoing to have a more diverse package. That has been my focus, and it has been fun.Having that challenge has motivated me to become a better guard, and I work hard.every day.”