From the Ivory Coast to Houston: Cedric Lath’s quiet influence, constant sunshine

After many games, redshirt junior center Cedric Lath steps onto the team bus and makes the same call, a 6,000-mile connection back home to Africa’s Ivory Coast.

“I asked him once who he calls after the game,” coach Kelvin Sampson said.

“He told me, ‘My mother in the Ivory Coast sometimes gets to watch the games.’ I’ve always respected him for that.”

Lath grew up in the Ivory Coast for the first 17 years of his life. For many of those, he did not know what basketball was.

He lived on the soccer pitch, as many kids in the Ivory Coast did, and only started playing the sport of basketball at 15 years old. He uses his extensive soccer background even today.

“I think my great footwork is because of soccer,” Lath said.

Lath grew to a staggering 6-foot-10 and 265 pounds, realizing his size would be a better fit for the court than the pitch.

“I was kicked out of my (soccer) club because of my size,” Lath said. 

Many people started to notice the potential that a young Lath held, and saw that ultimately it would be best for his career if he went abroad to find his niche. 

Lath moved to Canada, and then the U.S., to attend Liberty High School in Henderson, Nev. However, he faced struggles such as language and cultural barriers.

“It was crazy, I was 17, I knew nobody, and I didn’t know how to speak English too,” Lath said. “I kept to myself. I was a really shy guy.”

But he found success and soon found a home at the University of Houston. Lath has said that his teammates and coaches have become a family away from home for him. 

In fact, he has now become a big part of the family culture that Sampson has implemented in Houston. 

“Everybody on this team loves Ced; he’s a ray of sunshine for our program,” Sampson said. 

That energy has allowed the four year veteran to establish himself as one of the connecting points for the program.

Even with seeing limited time on the court, Lath continues to be up to the challenge and prepared to play whenever he is needed.

During the Cougars’ game against Jackson State on Dec. 10, graduate forward Kalifa Sakho suffered a knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

Lath was forced to fill in the role, getting his first bucket of the season against Jackson State, and playing 17 minutes against New Orleans on Dec. 13, while collecting key rebounds. 

Against No. 14 Arkansas on Dec. 20, Lath was pushed into critical minutes with Sakho’s absence and junior forward JoJo Tugler’s limited availability, as Tugler played just two minutes in the second half due to foul trouble. 

Lath faced a similar challenge, committing four fouls in only nine minutes, but it was the biggest minutes of his career. 

Lath’s readiness and willingness to step up when called upon exemplified the next-man-up mentality at the heart of Houston’s culture.

“He’s a great bridge,” Sampson said. “He bridges the returners with the new guys because everybody loves him.”

Lath not only makes his impact off the court, but also arrives accepting of his role and ready to work. 

 “He shows up every day with the right attitude, and in many ways, that is leadership. You’re influencing someone with your work ethic, your attitude, and how you come in every day and encourage,” Sampson said.

Now, that impact is starting to be appreciated by fans. In Houston’s Nov. 12 game against Oakland, the Cougars held a large lead, and with a few minutes remaining in the game, chants of “We want Ced” could be heard breaking out from the student section at Fertitta Center. 

As Lath rose from the bench and walked to the scorer’s table, loud cheers erupted from the stands.

A moment the boy from 6,000 miles away could have never imagined.