What Houston's Star Backcourt Is Saying About Illinois Ahead of Sweet 16

The Illini were previewed by the Cougars' standout trio of guards in Kingston Flemings, Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan. Here's what the three said.

Mar 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) shakes hands with guard Milos Uzan (7) against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

As a team, Illinois has a variety of commendable traits. The Illini aren’t a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament by chance – they’ve earned it. And the key ingredient in the recipe for their success, one that stands head-and-shoulders above the rest, is offensive efficiency.

After holding the top spot as the nation’s most efficient offense for the majority of 2025-26, Illinois slid just behind Purdue at the tail end of the season, but it’s still a given that the Illini are a force to be reckoned with on that end. Just ask their next opponent, No. 2 seed Houston:

What Houston's perimeter trio said about Illinois ahead of Sweet 16 clash

Mar 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) and Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) answer questions during a press conference prior to the practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

“They’re a consensus top-two offense this year,” said Cougars standout freshman guard Kingston Flemings on Wednesday ahead of the Sweet 16 matchup. “They play super-hard. They hunt matchups a lot. Keaton Wagler is one of the best freshmen out. So, he’s the engine to their team, but they also have [David] Mirkovic, who they post. Great passer.

“But I think the best thing they do is really offensive rebound. When the ball goes up, that’s really when the game starts. They go and they crash the rebounds – No. 3 in the country. So when you’re getting rebounds off your misses, you have more chances to score. So, just knowing how hard it is to get offensive rebounds and knowing how good they are, it’s for sure just great watching them play like that. It’s going to be a tall task for us.”

Fellow Houston guard Emanuel Sharp also cited Illinois’ offensive ability, noting how it only elevates the importance of his squad’s renowned defense meeting the moment on Thursday night.

“They’re a really big team,” Sharp said. “They play smart. They have some freshmen, but they play like a veteran team. There’s a reason they’re one of the top offensive teams in the country. But it just makes it even more important for us to be locked in on the defensive end and know what we’re doing, being connected, knowing the scouting report and just being clean in our areas.”

Milos Uzan, the final member of the Cougars’ elite perimeter trio, seems to be most focused on one aspect of Illinois’ offense: the glass.

“They hit it, spot on,” Uzan said. “I think our biggest challenge will be making sure we box out when the shot goes up.”

In terms of first-shot offense, the Illini aren’t the pinnacle of efficiency, despite what the metrics may imply. But with their ability to offensive rebound, their points per possession skyrocket. Meanwhile, Houston is spectacular from a first-shot defense standpoint, but it is just mediocre at finishing off possessions (the Cougars rank No. 169 in defensive rebounding percentage).

In the end, it may all come down to Illinois’ ability to get second-chance opportunities. And, evidently, that point has been drilled home by Kelvin Sampson and his coaching staff.