Kelvin Sampson Reflects on Emanuel Sharp's Special Journey From Houston to the NBA
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There have been many Houston Cougars basketball players over the years who were completely committed and ingrained in the culture of the program. Unlike many other college basketball programs, the players at Houston typically stay for multiple years and continue to develop.
Some spent all of their eligible seasons with the Cougars and became program role models. That is exactly what guard Emanuel Sharp is for Houston. He spent all five of his seasons at UH and became the all-time leading 3-point scorer in Houston history. Sharp has now turned into an NBA player as he got drafted 45th overall to the Sacramento Kings.
The 6-foot-3 guard is expected to play a strong role for the Kings with an immediate impact as a 3-and-D player. Sharp shot 38 percent from three during his entire career on high volume and averaged almost 16 points per game in his senior season. He was a big reason why Houston reached the national championship in 2025.
Sharp is another culture warrior at Houston and became one of coach Kelvin Sampson's all-time favorites for his dedication, hard work, and leadership. He became an incredible defender, besides being an elite outside shooter. Sampson was asked about Sharp's special journey from high school in his latest Zoom press conference.
Sharp's Path to the NBA
"Emanuel specifically was a great story and I'm glad Sacramento drafted him because they were really interested in him. They called multiple times. I think one of the things Sacramento wanted was to get tougher. Have a guy come off the bench that could go in and be dependable, but also can make shots," Sampson said.
Kings general manager Scott Perry is a good friend of Sampson and he specifically called about Sharp, who looks to be a great fit for the NBA level.
"Emanuel's the epitome of a two-way player...Kudos to Emanuel for working on his game. He wasn't a very good defender when he got here, but now he's got NBA teams recognizing him as a good defender and that makes me feel good," Sampson said.
It wasn't an easy road for Sharp, who had to overcome and recover from a severe knee injury at the end of high school. He also officially joined Houston in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic and graduated early. Sharp redshirted his first year and made an impact off the bench his second year. From his redshirt sophomore year on, Sharp was a crucial part of Houston's starting lineup.
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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.