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Houston Basketball: 2024-25 season preview for the Cougars

By Jason Burgess

Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars center Cedric Lath (2) and guard Ramon Walker Jr. (3) react on the bench during the second half in the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars center Cedric Lath (2) and guard Ramon Walker Jr. (3) react on the bench during the second half in the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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Potential starting lineup

The Cougars have a veteran squad with four returning starters. The one not returning was their best playmaker and arguably the best defender in Shead. To replace Shead, Sampson hit the portal for a playmaker from an Oklahoma school he is very familiar with, Milos Uzan. Uzan has the ability to do a lot of things that Shead did on the offensive end but defensively, it could be a different story. Uzan should be the primary ballhandler but LJ Cryer should also have the ball in his hand a lot.

The perimeter-oriented senior was the team’s top returning scorer at over 15 per game last season, thanks to shooting over 38% from deep. The last guard in the starting lineup will be junior Emanuel Sharp who is a more than competent secondary scorer for the Cougars, netting 12.6 points and could see even more of an offensive load this year.

When you think about Houston, you think about defense and toughness, and nothing exemplifies that more than the Cougar frontcourt of J’Wan Roberts and Ja’Vier Francis. The imposing defensive presences of these two pulled down over 12 rebounds per game last season and are a big reason Houston consistently is one of the best offensive-rebounding teams in the country. The duo grabbed 178 offensive boards, and the rest of the roster grabbed 286. This is a veteran lineup that will continue that Houston identity, with the biggest question being how much the Uzan/Cryer combination can make up for the loss of Shead.

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