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Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) high fives guard Emanuel Sharp (21) after a play against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Houston Cougars Star Trio Keep Earning Top Recognitions

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Ylver Deleon-Rios | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 3:51 PM ET

The Houston Cougars are perfect to start the 2025-26 season, which is a surprise to nobody with the track record the Cougars have had in recent memory and the immense amount of talent the Houston roster fosters.

The Coogs cruised through the first three games of the season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 22 points through a three-game stretch. However, game four was the Cougars' first real test of the season, taking on the No. 22 Auburn Tigers, and Kelvin Sampson's squad answered the bell with a hard-fought one-point win over Auburn.

Houston now sits at an unblemished 4-0 record and is ranked the No. 2 team in the country by the most recent AP Poll. With the Coogs having a large amount of talent, it's no surprise to see their players recognized on top award watch lists, with their coveted trio names to another one.

Uzan, Sharp, and Tugler Named to Another Prestigious Award Watchlist

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, the Cougars' upper-class trio of guards, Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, along with forward Joseph Tugler, were recognized with spots on the Wooden Award Top 50 Watch List. Houston is one of four programs with three or more players named on the list. The award recognizes the most outstanding basketball player based on performance, character, and academics.

The trio is in good company with a mix of other names on the watch list featuring some of the best experience and young players in college basketball this season, like juniors, Texas Tech's JT Toppin, or Arizona's Koa Peat, and high-profile freshmen like BYU's AJ Dybansta, Duke's Cameron Boozer, and Kansas's Darryn Peterson, among others make the awards watch list.

The 2026 Wooden Award will be presented on April 10, 2026, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

How Has the Trio Started the Season?

David Leong-Imagn Images

Of the three, Sharp is currently the highest scorer and is the Cougars' second leading scorer behind true freshman Kingston Flemings. Throughout the Coogs' four games of the season, Sharp totals 16.3 points, shooting 44 percent from the field to go along with 4.3 rebounds and about two rebounds a game.

Sharp's best game of the season so far came in game one, scoring 24 points, making well over 50 percent of his field goal attempts with seven rebounds, three steals, and an assist in 35 minutes of game time.

With a bit slower start to the season in terms of scoring the basketball, Uzan is currently averaging 9.3 points a game, struggling from the field, making under 30 percent of his field goal attempts, and shooting a cold 23 percent from three-point range.

Tugler's start to the season has been as expected, not necessarily needed to be one of the Cougars' leading scorers; the forward is impacting the game where he is best on the defensive side of the court. Still, Tugler is averaging 8.5 points per game along with five rebounds, a team high 2.5 blocks, and 2.3 steals.

As the season moves along, the Cougars will need big contributions from this core three and from their incoming freshmen, with Houston keeping its sights on another run to the championship game and its first national title in program history.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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