A former Sooner could be staying back in the Big 12 as Oklahoma moves on to the SEC next basketball season. The Sooners have seen plenty of production from last season hit the transfer portal, with key players like Milos Uzan, Javian McCollum, Otega Oweh and John Hugley entering the portal.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, Uzan is expected to be at Houston this upcoming weekend. The former four-star recruit could remain in the Big 12 with one of the conference’s top programs.
Uzan’s potential impact in Houston
The Cougars — fresh off a 32-5 season and Big 12 title in their first season — are losing the production of guard Jamal Shead. The former Big 12 All-Freshman averaged nine points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game this season with the Sooners. With the emergence of Javian McCollum, the guard’s role wasn’t as big as he might have expected entering the season.
Uzan playing for Kelvin Sampson, a former Oklahoma coach, could help tap into his pro potential he’s displayed during his time in Norman. He was a team captain for the Sooners during his sophomore season, helping the program reach 20 wins and narrowly miss the NCAA Tournament.
Uzan’s two-year stretch with Oklahoma
Again, Uzan showed every bit of his potential for Norman, but it was clear he was never going to be able to fully tap into that potential at Oklahoma. Playing for a program like Houston, Uzan will not only be able to reach that potential, but show it on the biggest stage.
“He came in and earned a spot after seven or eight games,” Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said this past fall. “And then I thought in conference plays, he averaged almost 9.0, 9.5 and I thought he grew and grew and grew this offseason. As good as I’ve been around in development. He’s up over 190. He came in at 170. He looks stronger. He’s playing with great pace. His shot looks better. His leadership was better. On every facet, I’m excited for his development.”
Uzan started 56 of his 64 games played for the Sooners, showing plenty of development over that time. He averaged 8.3 points per game over his two seasons, adding 3.1 rebounds per game and 3.7 assists per game.
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