Houston Cougars socials send a clear message as center Cedric Lath announces return to Kelvin Sampson's squad

Cedric Lath, a redshirt sophomore for the Houston Cougars, will return to Kelvin Sampson's team for the next season, according to an announcement made by Houston's social media.

On Monday, @uhcougarmbk posted a graphic on Instagram featuring a photo of Lath in a dark backdrop illuminated by fiery red and orange sparks.

The text overlay sends a powerful message, "DON'T SLEEP ON HOUSTON," in bold lettering at the top, with "#WIDEAWAKE" below it in striking red.

"See you soon, #2 @ced_lath will be BACK in 2025-26," the caption read.

Cedric Lath joined the Cougars in 2023, appearing in 25 games while averaging 5.6 minutes per contest as a freshman. This past season, the 6-foot-9 center had five fewer appearances and averaged 1.3 rebounds per game.

Kelvin Sampson and his staff will welcome Lath back, along with transfer additions Pop Isaacs of Creighton and former Sam Houston forward Kalifa Sakho.

Sampson has been fortunate not to have a large number of players enter the transfer portal, unlike many other teams.

According to 247Sports, the Cougars only have one player in the portal — sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux. Meanwhile, three players, J'Wan Roberts, LJ Cryer and Mylik Wilson, exhausted eligibility.

Sampson led Houston to its best season in forty years, reaching the championship game, where they lost to Florida. The team finished with a 35–5 overall record.

"We were sad and we are upset that we lost," the coach reflected on the loss, via Houston Athletics (22:07). But I don’t want people to lose sight of the fact the journey that this team took.

"This was an unbelievable journey, an amazing journey with an amazing group of coaches and support staff and more importantly, unbelievable kids."

Cedric Lath made history by reaching the NCAA final

Cedric Lath's journey from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to the NCAA national championship game was a historic one, as he became the first player from his country to reach that stage.

After the Final Four win against Cooper Flagg's Duke, Lath acknowledged the magnitude of his achievement.

"I think I'm the first guy from Ivory Coast to went to the Final, he said. "It's just like wow. God put me in this position. I've put the work in to help my teammates to be ready for the game. I'm just grateful."

Cedric Lath also reflected on how this milestone could inspire future generations in his homeland, stating that everything is possible.