Houston Cougars Veteran Guard Cracks Program’s All-Time Top 20 Scorers

One veteran made program history in Houston's 77-55 win over the Baylor Bears.

Jan 10, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) scores a basket against the Baylor Bears during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Over the weekend, the Houston Cougars secured a massive road victory over the Baylor Bears by a score of 77-55. Not only was it one of Houston's most dominant wins this season, but the matchup also included veteran guard Emanuel Sharp making history as well.

Across 122 games with the Cougars, Sharp entered the matchup in Waco with 1,370 career points, ranking 20th in the program's all-time scoring. With 17 points against the Bears, the forward surpassed two Houston basketball legends, Charles Thompson and Clyde Drexler, in all-time scoring.

Sharp's consistency under head coach Kelvin Sampson has been a defining trait of his career in Houston. The guard has averaged over 11 points per game throughout his collegiate career, but has taken his game to a new level as a senior. In his final year of eligibility, the Sharp has been a focal point of the Cougars' offense by averaging over 16 points per game.

Sampson's Belief in Sharp Was Clear from the Start

Dec 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson smiles during the first half against the New Orleans Privateers at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Despite Sharp being a four-star recruit and one of the most coveted shooting guards in the 2022 class, he didn't see game action as a true freshman. Even though the guard was still recovering from an injury, Sampson had Sharp practice and travel with the team.

It was as a redshirt freshman that Sampson called Sharp's number. The guard made 33 appearances while averaging 5.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. The Tampa, Florida native showed flashes of greatness, but the lack of experience at the collegiate level was evident. Sharp recorded 13 or more points for the Cougars on four separate occasions, but mostly hung around the 3-9 point range.

Aside from starting four more games in 2024, Sharp's sophomore and junior seasons were extremely similar. In both seasons, the guard averaged 12.6 points per game along with around 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 1.4 steals.

Despite the same level of production offensively in both the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, Sharp's shooting saw a noticeable jump. After shooting 37.3 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from three, and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line, as a sophomore, Sharp elevated his game as a junior by shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from three, and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Now, in his final year with the program, Sharp unmatched consistency has been the driving force behind his climb up Houston's all-time scoring list. With potentially over 20 games left this season, assuming Houston has the ability to make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, it's likely that Sharp will surpass other all-time scorers from the program in the very near future.