Cam Whitmore

Cameron Whitmore (born July 8, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class.

High school career
Whitmore attended Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland. As a senior, he was the Capital Gazette boys basketball player of the year. He was selected to play in the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. He played in the 2022 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship, where he was named MVP.

Recruiting
Whitmore was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class, according to major recruiting services. On October 7, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for Villanova over offers from Illinois and North Carolina.

College career
After missing seven games with a thumb injury, Whitmore made his collegiate debut versus Oklahoma. In his first season with Villanova, Whitmore averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game. At the conclusion of his freshman year, Whitmore was named the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year. He later declared for the 2023 NBA draft becoming Villanova's first true one-and-done since Tim Thomas in 1997.

Houston Rockets (2023–present)
Before the draft, Whitmore was widely regarded to be a lottery pick with some projections placing him as high as fourth overall. The Houston Rockets selected Whitmore with the twentieth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. On October 26, 2023, he made his NBA debut, scoring no points along with one rebound in a 116–86 loss to the Orlando Magic. He made his first NBA start on January 21, 2024, in a home loss to the Boston Celtics. Whitmore recorded 5 points, 4 rebounds, a block, a steal, and no assists on 27% shooting from the field (25% from three) as the Houston Rockets lost 116-107. On January 26, 2024, Whitmore recorded his first career double-double and his then-career high, recording 24 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists on 50% shooting (44% from three) in a 138-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Player profile
Standing at 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, Whitmore plays at the small forward position. At the 2023 NBA Combine, Whitmore finished third in max vertical leap (40.5 inches). Scouts viewed Whitmore as a versatile wing with tremendous upside and athleticism. Offensively, he can effectively use a range of dribble moves to score in transition against similarly-sized defenders. Coming into the league, commentators noted his half-court scoring, vision, and IQ as weaknesses. He has been compared to Jae Crowder and Caron Butler.