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Houston basketball finds Jamal Shead replacement in former Big 12 rival’s weapon

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Scotty White | Last updated 4/13/24

The Houston basketball team is losing one of their best players this offseason as they will be without star point guard Jamal Shead next season. Shead was a big reason why the Cougars had so much success this past season. However, this is when the transfer portal comes into play. Teams can find veteran players to fill the holes they need, and Houston did just that as they have landed a commitment from Oklahoma basketball transfer Milos Uzan.

“Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan has committed to Houston, per his IG page,” Jon Rothstein said in a tweet. “The Cougars have their replacement for Jamal Shead at PG.”

This is a huge get for Houston basketball after losing Jamal Shead, and it’s tough to see him go out after getting injured in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars had a fantastic season this past year as they won the Big 12 and earned a one seed in the big dance. They ended up losing in the Sweet 16 against Duke, and Shead got injured early in that game. It’s easy for Cougars fans to wonder about what could’ve been if he hadn’t gotten hurt.

Duke ended up beating Houston by just three points, 54-51. Things certainly could have gone differently had Shead been in the game, so it’s unfortunate that their season had to end like that and that is how his career with the Cougars ended. He was only able to play in the game for 13 minutes, and Houston got off to a solid start.

Now, Houston has found their new PG in the transfer portal. This is a massive get, and Milos Uzan should be a big factor for the Cougars next season.

Milos Uzan is coming to Houston

Oklahoma Sooners guard Milos Uzan (12) drives to the basket while defended by Texas Longhorns guard Max Abmas (3) during the second half at Moody Center. © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Uzan played two seasons with the Oklahoma basketball team before hitting the transfer portal. He hasn’t put up crazy numbers or anything, but he has been a contributor since he was a freshman and he got better into his sophomore year as well. As a freshman, Uzan averaged 7.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 3.0 APG. His numbers got a little bit better this past season as he averaged 9.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 4.4 APG. He will bring a lot of experience to this Houston basketball team and he should be a big piece to the puzzle next year.

It was very impressive to see how Houston performed this season in their first year in the Big 12. It was one of the best conferences in college basketball, and the Cougars won the regular season championship. They have built a lot of momentum and now that they are playing in a power five conference, they don’t want to let that momentum slip away.

Next year will be another crucial season for the Cougars. They clearly showed that they belong with their big conference championship this season, but next year, they want to show that are here to stay, and they also want to make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament. It should be another exciting season for Houston.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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