It has been touch and go for the Houston Cougars in the National Championship throughout history. Right from the near misses in the 80s to heartbreak against Florida in 2025. Houston was just seconds from their national title, but things fell apart as Florida came back to win the title.
Milos Uzan was an important part of that finals run, as he played all 40 games and was the third-best scorer and the best assister on the team with 11.4 points and 4.3 assists per game. Uzan was initially slated to go pro and participated in the NBA combine. In a surprising turn of events, he has withdrawn from the draft and will return to Houston for another season.
The Houston coaching staff operated this spring under the premise that Uzan would stay in the draft, but with his return, it gives the Cougars three returning starters — Uzan, Emanuel Sharp, and Joseph Tugler. Along with that, they have the second-best recruiting class this year, according to ESPN, which puts them among the favorites for the title. But they have been in this position, haven’t they?
Everything is set up for them to win, but they haven’t. That’s what the community is echoing after this Uzan news.
Cougars Fans Celebrate Uzan’s Return; Rivals Remind Them of Title Drought
$110 million to $115 million. That’s approximately how much the average Big 12 institution invested in its athletics department in 2024-25. How much did Houston invest? Just over $80 million. That heavily hampers their ability to bring in the best players and win titles. Despite that, the Cougars’ basketball division has been largely successful, being the best team in the conference for all four seasons in the Big 12.
All this to be the second best team in the nation?
— rebrand loading…… (@PunisherPUR) May 27, 2025
Despite that, the NCAA title has eluded them, but the return of Milos Uzan has given them some hope. The rivals have kept the no-title jokes alive as the Cougar fans celebrate one of their best players returning. “All this to compete with Florida.” One fan wrote. That final loss to Florida will certainly sting the Cougars for a long time. They were on the cusp of making history and were especially on a high after beating Cooper Flagg’s Duke in the final four.
And not just the win, they came back from a considerable deficit, which gave them some momentum, but they were the victims of a comeback in the final. Looking to the next season, Florida has lost three of their key scorers, Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, and Alijah Martin, but has made some important offseason moves like bringing in Boogie Fland and Xavien Lee. But Uzan’s return gives the Cougars an upper hand.
“And somehow we’ll still find an even crazier way not to win a Natty. Houston has a problem,” wrote another fan. Their history does support that. Their famed 1983 finals, in which they led by 52-45 in the second half but lost in the final seconds because of Lorenzo Charles’ two-handed tip-in dunk. From then on, they have appeared in two more finals, including 2025, losing them both by close margins.
That tendency to choke in the big moments remains. “When Condon comes back, your 2025 National Champion Florida Gators will easily hold the preseason #1,” Wrote another fan. The 6-foot-11-inch sophomore Alex Condon was a cornerstone of Florida’s 2025 national championship run, averaging 10.4 points, a team-best 7.5 rebounds, and 49 blocks.
He is projected to go late in the first round and is one of the players in CBS’s prospects who should return to school. If he comes back, then this Florida team looks more like a champion once again, ready to defend their title. “What does this mean for Pop? Obviously great for Houston,” inquired another fan. Pop Isaacs was supposed to be the replacement for Uzan in the Houston lineup and had committed to them, but just hours before this news, the reports emerged that he will be going to Texas A&M.
Uzan would have previously informed Houston of his intentions to come back, so Pop got pushed out as a domino effect. The discussion about who is the favorite preseason number 1 will continue, but in the end, both Florida and Houston have to fulfill their expectations on the court. Both sides have solid cores, and the season will be even more exciting. Can the Cougars move past their choker tag and finally get that elusive title?
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