Playing big: How Chase McCarty found his role in Houston’s frontcourt

Houston men’s basketball summer workouts took an unexpected turn. While freshman center Chris Cenac Jr. trained with Team USA, Jacob McFarland, Kalifa Sakho and JoJo Tugler were sidelined with injuries, leaving limited depth at center.

Enter redshirt freshman Chase McCarty, a 6-foot-7, 215-pounder undersized by traditional standards but driven to compete. His matchup? Redshirt junior center Cedric Lath, a 6-foot-10, 265-pound force built for the paint.

Still, McCarty’s squad came out on top in the 4-on-4 battle, led by their makeshift center who has yet to play a regular season game for the Cougars, and has spent a year preparing for his big moment. 

“It’s been very encouraging that coach sees the hard work I am putting in. He sees me getting better,” McCarty said. “I am happy to go into the season and I am just ready to play somebody other than these guys.”

The redshirt season

McCarty’s freshman season while filled exclusively with in team scrimmages wasn’t wasteful; it was vital. It gave him time to sharpen his already strong shot-making abilities and adjust to Houston’s demanding defensive system. 

Though he had to get used to watching the game from the bench, McCarty chose to treat the wait as a learning opportunity. A mindset that mirrors coach Kelvin Sampson’s philosophy, one McCarty says helped him change his perspective on the redshirt season.

“If a coach thinks enough of you to redshirt, that’s a positive,” Sampson said. “That just means you need to continue to develop.”

McCarty embraced watching film before and after every game, knowing he wouldn’t suit up but refusing to waste the opportunity. Instead, he channeled his competitive energy into becoming a better player and in turn, a stronger teammate.

“Its only made me better,” McCarty said. “They saw something I didn’t, and it’s definitely helped me down the line. My shot-making has improved, my defense has gotten way better, and I’ve had a whole year to really understand the system. You say it’s redshirting, I don’t get to play, but I still get to learn a whole lot from the sidelines.”

McCarty got to witness it all from the sidelines: a miracle comeback over Kansas, a game-changing inbound pass to topple Purdue in the Sweet 16, and a rally for the ages against Duke to punch Houston’s ticket to the National Championship, a stage McCarty thought he would never reach. 

A dream come true

Growing up in Huntsville, Ala., with a father who played professional basketball, McCarty saw playing Division I basketball, let alone in a national championship as a distant dream.

“I was fat and slow,” McCarty said. “For me, it was impossible because I thought I’d never get there. But now that I’m here, even just in my first year of college, it showed me I was right there.”

The self-doubt didn’t last. McCarty’s body underwent a remarkable transformation, shedding the physical limitations that once held him back. 

“Heck, I think I was the same weight now I was when I was like 15,” he said.

But the change wasn’t just physical; it was strategic. After committing to trying to play basketball at the collegiate level, McCarty chased every opportunity to refine his craft. He led Westminster Christian to a state championship before joining IMG Academy for his senior year, during which he committed to Houston. 

Coming into college, he was accustomed to playing as a guard, which is where he began playing upon arriving in Houston. 

The position switch 

McCarty began his journey working under former guards coach Quannas White, but has now embraced playing a bigger role as one of the team’s big men, where he has improved his rebounding and ability to get tips. 

“I think it’s been great for me, honestly,” McCarty said. “I have been able to be with the guards last year and bigs this year, so I am really getting the best of both worlds.” 

While, smaller than his position group McCarty’s shooting ability makes him “a matchup nightmare at the four,” a Swiss army knife of sorts.

He also believes the position switch will help him reach the next level.

“Ever since I was young I pride myself on trying to get as many rebounds as possible because at the next level they already have scorers,” McCarty said. “If I am able to get to the next level, they aren’t going to need another scorer they are going to need somebody that can do something else.”

Luckily for him, rebounding is a staple of any Sampson team.

Ready to lead in a big way

McCarty is one of five Cougars seeking to play their first collegiate game this November, but he’s the only one with a year of collegiate experience a key factor in Sampson’s earned, not given culture.

“My leadership has taken a huge jump from last year,” McCarty said. “I have a pretty distinct voice, so I’m able to use it out on the court, and coach enables me to lead. I have taken a big role that way.”

He’s stepped into a role shaped by waiting, watching and working. Now, McCarty is ready to make a big impact this fall.

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