Houston Forward J’wan Roberts (13) holds the ball as Texas A&M Forward-center Pharrel Payne (21) guards during the second half of an NCAA college men’s basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Every year, Houston men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson unifies a new cast of players.
This season, however, four starters are returning, united by one goal: to transform their shared journey into a national championship banner, something they have come heartbreakingly close to achieving.
“We made it to the Final Four, Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. We just feel like we need one more banner,” said graduate forward J’wan Roberts. “We might as well use our additional eligibility to do something special that no one has ever done before.”
The decision to return to Houston wasn’t difficult for the sixth-year forward, who announced his return just days after the season ended.
Graduate guard L.J. Cryer joined the returning group alongside redshirt junior guard Emmanuel Sharp and senior forward J’avier Francis.
Despite the presence of these four leaders, the Cougars understand that there are no shortcuts in the early stages of the season.
“If it was a four-on-four league, we could start playing January basketball in September, but it’s not. We have to start from scratch,” Sampson said. “We are always adding, subtracting, piddling and tinkering.”
Every year brings a new narrative for the team. This year, the question is who will fill the role of Houston’s former point guard, Jamal Shead, who entered the NBA draft.
The Cougars plan to answer this question differently; it’s not about taking his place but evolving in his absence.
“We’ve got to pick up where Jamal left off. We all have to be louder,” Sharp said. “We have a standard here, and Sampson pushes us every year, and we continue to meet his standards.”
Appreciating every step of the journey, the squad recognizes that it wasn’t flashy plays or impressive shots that propelled them to a 32-5 record last season.
Instead, it was a resilient mentality that never faded, even during the final moments of the Sweet 16 contest against Duke, when an injury to Shead dashed their championship hopes once again.
“The journey has always been more important than the destination,” Sampson said. “But if you aren’t inside the arena, you only care about the destination. For the coaches and players dedicating their lives to helping each other through this thing we call a basketball season, to be judged on just one game is pretty shallow, but it doesn’t bother us.”
The depth is there for the Cougars, who are ranked No. 4 in the AP preseason poll.
They welcome back starters Roberts and Cryer, who were named to the Big 12 preseason first team. They will start alongside Sharp and Francis, with junior point guard Milos Uzan, a transfer from Oklahoma, rounding out the starting unit.
Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler and redshirt sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux are returning from injuries and ready to return to the floor.
Other returners poised for impact include graduate guard Mylik Wilson, redshirt sophomore center Cedric Lath, and senior guard Ramon Walker Jr.
Redshirt freshman guard Kordelius Jefferson, redshirt freshman center Jacob McFarland, freshman guard Mercy Miller and freshman forward Chase McCarty are still awaiting their Cougar debuts.
Although the 2024-25 Cougars are composed of players at various stages in their college careers, no player will be left behind, even if they don’t see the court this year. Of the four returning starters, only Franics and Cryer logged any playing time during their freshman seasons.
“We encourage the new guys every day in practice, and they naturally get acclimated,” Sharp said. “That’s what October is for—long and hard practices that help everyone.”
At the end of the day, they all share a mission that transcends individual goals, whether they aim to take the next step after college or patiently wait from the sidelines.
Sampson summed it up best: “The goal of the game is not to impress anyone or have people talking about how great you are. The goal of the game is to win.”
For the Cougars, winning is a mindset they’re ready to bring to the court once again when they tip off against Jackson State on Nov. 4.
They have high hopes that it will culminate in a long-awaited banner. Until then, they will keep their eyes glued to the ones already hanging in their practice facility.
“Those banners are a good reminder of why everything we do now is important,” Sampson said.
sports@thedailycougar.com
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“Unfinished business: Cougars set sights on championship banner” was originally posted on The Cougar