Houston huddles together before the Final Four, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Another season is in the books for coach Kelvin Sampson and company. Although it didn’t end as they had hoped, it was still a very successful season for the Cougars.
Houston finished the season ranked No. 2 in the nation with a 35-5 record.
They nearly went unbeaten in Big 12 play, finishing with a record of 19-1 and achieved a perfect 10-0 record on the road.
Houston also secured its second consecutive Big 12 regular season title and its first Big 12 conference tournament championship, as well as making the Final Four for the seventh time in school history and the championship game for the third time.
Regarding individual success:
Sampson: Big 12 and Sporting News Coach of the Year.
Graduate guard L.J. Cryer: Consensus Third Team All-American, All-Big 12 First Team.
Graduate forward J’Wan Roberts: All-Big 12 First Team and Defensive Team.
Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler: All-Big 12 Third Team and Defensive Team, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Award.
Junior guard Milos Uzan: All-Big 12 Second Team.
Junior redshirt guard Emanuel Sharp: All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
So, to honor this team, sportswriter Sean Paul is giving out awards for the annual Houston men’s basketball awards ceremony, honoring the best moments and players of the season.
Best game: Final Four vs Duke
There were many contenders for this award, including beating then-No. 12 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in January and their NCAA Tournament matches against Gonzaga and Purdue.
But taking this award is Houston’s comeback victory against the Blue Devils in the Final Four.
Duke, led by the national player of the year in freshman forward Cooper Flagg, was up 58-45 in the second half with less than ten minutes remaining, and it seemed the Cougars were on the brink of elimination.
But UH did not back down. They locked in.
The top-rated defense in the nation held Duke, the top-rated offense in the country, to only one made field goal in the final 10:30 minutes of the second half while slowly cutting down Duke’s lead.
Clutch plays, including Sharp’s 3-pointer to make it a three-point game, Tugler’s tip-in to make it a one-point game, and free throws from Cryer and Roberts, helped the Cougars rise from the pitfalls of defeat to win 70-67 in one of the biggest wins in the program’s history.
Best moment: The Uzan-Tugler special
Houston coach Quannaz White embraces guard Milos Uzan (7) after claiming victory in the Sweet Sixteen, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
In the Sweet Sixteen, Houston and Purdue were tied 60-60 with 2.8 seconds left. The Cougars had an inbound pass.
In a rehearsed play, Uzan tried to pass the ball to Cryer, but the Boilermakers’ junior guard Braden Smith, who was guarding Uzan, moved to close out on Cryer.
Uzan played a pass to Tugler, who then returned it to an unguarded Uzan, who scored his layup through the net for the game-winning shot. UH won the game 62-60 and advanced to the Elite Eight.
“JoJo just made a great read, set a great screen,” Uzan said. “He was able to draw two, he slipped (to the rim) and he just made a great play to hit me back.”
Best in-game performance: Tie between Cryer vs Gonzaga, Uzan vs Purdue and Cryer vs Duke
The offense was one of the significant improvements of the season, with many players taking over games when needed. But this award was so tough to give out that it was difficult to settle on one winner.
That’s why this award is a three-way tie between Cryer’s 30-point game against Gonzaga, Uzan’s clutch performance against Purdue and Cryer’s masterful performance against Duke.
These performances from these players were crucial for the Cougars to make it as far as they did on their run to the national championship game.
Funniest moment: Sampson breaks it down
Sampson is one who never seems to break character.
But when he does, it makes for some hilarious moments, such as the dance he pulled after Houston beat Duke to advance to the national championship.
There are no words to describe this moment. Check it out for yourself.
Best reserve: Mylik Wilson
Graduate guard Mylik Wilson is someone I like to call a “hustle man”.
He may not score many points, grab many rebounds or provide many assists. But what he will give you is 100 percent effort on both ends of the court.
He never stopped running and contesting shots, playing lockdown defense and fighting for rebounds.
Most improved player: Milos Uzan
After transferring from Oklahoma, Uzan came in as a replacement for point guard Jamal Shead.
Despite initial struggles, including breaking his nose in the preseason, Uzan showed how much he matured in his game as the season progressed.
He improved his scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game.
But most importantly, although he was not a volume shooter, he was shooting more efficiently, shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 42.8 percent from downtown, compared to 39.2 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from 3-point range in his last season with the Sooners.
He was also making better decisions with the ball, lowering his turnovers from two per game to just 1.4 per game.
Uzan also showed that he could take over games when necessary, with his performances against Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen and Arizona in the Big 12 tournament final showing that he could own the moment.
“I think this season for him, based on my experience, he’s been exactly the way I thought he would be,” Sampson said of Uzan. “I think he struggled early, got confidence as he went, and played his best basketball later.”
For his efforts, he made the All-Big 12 Second Team.
Best defensive player: Joseph “JoJo” Tugler
This is an easy choice here. After his freshman season was cut short due to a broken foot, Tugler was a key defensive player for the Cougars, averaging career highs in rebounds and blocks with 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
His 1.9 blocks per game were second in the Big 12 and 28th in the nation, while his 5.9 rebounds per game were 17th in the Big 12.
He had a block in all but six games during the season and 11 games with three or more blocks.
For his efforts, he made the All-Big 12 Third and Defensive Teams, won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Award for most outstanding defender.
MVP and offensive player of the year: L.J. Cryer
Houston guard L.J. Cryer looks up at the net after winning the Big 12 Conference, Saturday, March 1, 2025 in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernadnez/The Cougar
And rounding off the awards ceremony, Cryer takes home both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Cryer averaged 15.7 points per game on 42.4 percent 3-point shooting.
He also demonstrated his worth in the clutch, with his performances against Gonzaga and Duke being a significant factor in Houston’s advancement throughout the tournament.
For his efforts, Cryer was named a Consensus All-American on the third team and made the All-Big 12 First Team.
