Another Houston starter decides to return for 2025-26 season
For the second straight day, a returning Houston starter is coming back to the Cougars.
Emanuel Sharp, a 6-foot-3 guard who just completed his junior season for the Cougars, announced earlier on Thursday he is planning to return to Houston for his senior year. This came just one day after incoming junior forward Joseph Tugler announced his intentions to do the same.
.@emanuelsharp_ will RETURN in 2025-26!
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) April 17, 2025
• 2025 NCAA Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player
• 2025 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player
• 2024-25 All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention
DON’T SLEEP ON HOUSTON #WideAwake #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/CGmqatdq36
That means Houston will have at least two returning starters from its national runner-up team coming back to the fold. A third returning starter remains up in the air with the recent decision by point guard Milos Uzan to declare for the NBA Draft, but he still has the option to return to the Cougars for his senior season.
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Sharp was the Cougars’ second-leading scorer this just-completed season, averaging 12.6 points while making 37 starts. He also made 41.8% of his field goal attempts and was 40.7% from 3-point range as Sharp was eventually named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection.
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In addition, Sharp had some huge games in the postseason. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 Conference Tournament as he averaged 20.7 points in the Cougars’ three wins to their championship.
Sharp also was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional, scoring 17 points in the regional semifinal win against Purdue and 16 in Houston’s regional championship win against Tennessee.
In the Final Four win against Duke, Sharp scored 16. He scored 8 points in the championship game loss against Florida and had a chance to possibly win it at the end as Sharp had the ball with time running out before he was forced into a turnover.
