Houston Cougars Veteran Guard Finally Shines in Win vs. Syracuse
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The Houston Cougars have been perfect to start the season, to the surprise of nobody. The Coogs blew through their first five games of the season, four of which were simple wins against lower-tier non-conference opponents, with the only real test being a close win against the Auburn Tigers.
And on Monday afternoon, the Cougars took their quick start to the season to the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the Coogs overcoming a thrilling game against the Syracuse Orange, winning 78-74 to stay perfect on the season and improve to a 6-0 record.
While the Coogs received big performances from the usual names on the roster, one of those names that had not started the 2025-26 campaign on the right foot finally came alive on Monday's game against Syracuse, helping the Cougars move past the Orange.
Milos Uzan Finally Makes Presence Known
It's been a slow start for senior guard Milos Uzan this season, as he's been struggling to find a rhythm shooting the ball through the first five games of the year, having a season high of just 12 points as he averaged just 7.4 points while shooting under 30 percent from the field and shooting an even worse 22 percent from three point range having made only seven three point shots in 34 attempts.
And in a tight game where the Coogs needed him most, Uzan was able to deliver his best performance of the season, cashing in a career high 26 points, tying with Emanuel Sharp as the Coogs' leading scorer, as Uzan shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. The guard also had seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals, all in 26 minutes.
In the postgame press conference, Uzan was more focused on being content with getting the win rather than himself having his best game of the season.
"It feels good, feels even better with the win, just happy we got that win," Uzan said.
Down the stretch in overtime, Uzan came up even bigger, scoring six of the 11 overtime points scored by the Coogs to close out Syracuse. Houston went to an interesting lineup in overtime, with four guards on the floor at the same time, which Uzan said benefited the Cougars in the extra period of the game.
"I think it helped space the floor out a little bit, you got four shooters out there," Uzan said. "I think down the stretch, we did a good job defensively as well. I think we played well."
The Coogs don't get much of a chance to rest, having to return to the court on Tuesday for their second game of the Players' Era Tournament, taking on the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers, whom the Cougars have recent history with after beating them 69-50 in last season's Sweet 16 en route to the championship game.
