Houston Cougars Get Fantastic News on Joseph Tugler, Multiple Other Key Players
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It's already time to look ahead to the 2026-27 season for Houston Cougars basketball. College basketball head coaches these days have no time to waste and must reconstruct their roster and figure out which players are returning for next season immediately.
It's a little different for Houston, given the number of returning players it typically gets. The culture that Houston has under coach Kelvin Sampson has retained players at an exceptional rate compared to many programs across the country.
However, the 2026-27 team is going to look very different compared to years past. The Cougars are losing most of their starting lineup and had three players transfer in Isiah Harwell, Jacob McFarland and Cedric Lath. The change is significant as both senior guards in Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan have no more years left while Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. will both go in the NBA Draft.
Houston will still be returning some key players for next year. Sampson confirmed four returning players in his press conference over Zoom on Thursday.
Returning to Houston
Sampson announced that experienced forward Joseph Tugler will return in 2026-27. Tugler will be the only starting senior who was at Houston the year prior, and he is a highly important player more than ever for the Cougars.
"We're gonna work really hard on Jojo this summer," Sampson said.
Tugler was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, and the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Tugler shot 58% from the field. He grew his game in the post during the year and the Cougars will need more of that.
Chase McCarty and Mercy Miller will both return. Those two came off the bench this past season, but Sampson mentioned that they are both good enough to start. McCarty was confirmed to start at the three (small forward), which is his natural position. McCarty will be entering his redshirt sophomore year and is one of the best 3-point shooters at Houston. The 6-foot-5 forward shot 36% from beyond the arc and 41% overall in his first season of play.
Miller will be entering his junior season and will be one of the starting guards. This will be a key offseason for his development. Miller just played his first season of significant minutes and shot 48% from the field while averaging five points per game. He was known as an elite scorer coming out of high school as a four-star recruit.
The last player Sampson confirmed was guard Kordel Jefferson, who will be entering his redshirt junior season. Jefferson has a lot of experience in the program, but has not played much due to a redshirt his first year, and left knee surgery that kept him out basically the entire year. Jefferson was a top 100 recruit in 2023 and will likely play a role off the bench in the upcoming season.
Bryce Jackson is also expected to return as a redshirt freshman as well.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.