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Men’s Basketball Tabbed at #3 Nationally & as Big 12 Preseason Favorite in Blue Ribbon College Yearbook
9/15/2025 4:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Junior forward Joseph Tugler and senior guard Emanuel Sharp recognized as Preseason All-Americans
HOUSTON – University of Houston Men's Basketball stars Joseph Tugler and Emanuel Sharp recently were named to Chris Dortch's Blue Ribbon College Yearbook Preseason All-American teams.
Tugler, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, earned a place on the Third Team while Sharp, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, was named to the publication's Fourth Team. Houston was one of only two schools with multiple student-athletes named to the magazine's Preseason All-America Teams, joining Purdue.
Both award-winning student-athletes were named to Blue Ribbon's Preseason All-Big 12 Conference Team, joining Texas Tech junior forward JT Toppin, Iowa State senior forward Joshua Jefferson, BYU freshman guard AJ Dybantsa and Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson.
As a team, Houston was tabbed as the No. 3 team in Blue Ribbon's Preseason Top 25 and was picked as the Big 12 favorite in the publications' Preseason Forecast.
ABOUT JOSEPH TUGLER
Tugler burst into the national spotlight and established himself as one of the nation's premier defensive players during the 2024-25 season.
He was one of only five Cougars to compete in all 40 games to set a school single-season record and was recognized as the Lefty Driesell Award recipient. That honor is presented annually to the nation's top defensive players.
The Monroe, La., native ranked among the national and Big 12 leaders with 1.9 blocked shots per game and stood second among the Cougars with 5.9 rebounds per contest.
Tugler grabbed 7+ rebounds in 18 games, including a season-high 11 boards in the Cougars' NCAA Tournament Second-Round win over #24/23 (8) Gonzaga.
He also blocked 3+ shots in 11 games, including a stunning eight swats against #9/9 Alabama during the first day of the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, to become only the sixth Cougar in school history to block 8+ shots in a game.
For his impressive performances throughout the year, Tugler was a Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE finalist.
ABOUT EMANUEL SHARP
Like Tugler, Sharp was a key leader for the Cougars during their run to the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game.
He ranked second among the Cougars with 12.6 points and 2.4 3-point field goals per game on the way to being named 2024-25 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
The Tampa, Fla., native elevated his play in the postseason. After averaging 20.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 treys per game while leading Houston to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship crown, Sharp was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, a first for the Cougars in school history.
Scoring 17 points against #22/22 (4) Purdue and 16 points with four 3-pointers against #6/6 (2) Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, Sharp was named the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player.
He buried multiple 3-pointers in 25 games and made at least one trey in 34 of the 37 games in which he played, including each of the last 15 contests to end the season.
BLUE RIBBON BIG 12 CONFERENCE FORECAST
BLUE RIBBON PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
First Team
Second Team
Third Team
Fourth Team
ABOUT the COUGARS
Houston returns three starters and seven lettermen in 2025-26, including All-Big 12 Conference honoree and Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team member Milos Uzan, Sharp and Tugler.
The Cougars will be boosted with the addition one of the nation's top recruiting classes with freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr., freshman guard Isiah Harwell, freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, freshman guard Bryce Jackson and senior forward Kalifa Sakho.
In 2024-25, the Cougars set a school single-season record with 35 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game.
Houston, which finished #2 in both national polls, won 31 of its final 33 games to end the season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the seventh time in program history – and the second time under Sampson – with a resounding 69-50 win over #6/6 (2) Tennessee during the NCAA Elite Eight in Indianapolis on March 30.
The Cougars swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships in their second year in the league and set school and league records with a 19-1 mark in conference games. Houston became the first school to join a major conference and win the regular-season title in each of its first two years in the league in more than 100 years.
Houston posted a perfect 10-0 record in road games in Big 12 play, becoming the first program in NCAA Division I history to accomplish that feat in a season, and enters the 2025-26 season with the nation's longest active road winning streak at 14 straight games.
BUY SEASON TICKETS
Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by providing NIL opportunities and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
Tugler, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, earned a place on the Third Team while Sharp, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, was named to the publication's Fourth Team. Houston was one of only two schools with multiple student-athletes named to the magazine's Preseason All-America Teams, joining Purdue.
Both award-winning student-athletes were named to Blue Ribbon's Preseason All-Big 12 Conference Team, joining Texas Tech junior forward JT Toppin, Iowa State senior forward Joshua Jefferson, BYU freshman guard AJ Dybantsa and Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson.
As a team, Houston was tabbed as the No. 3 team in Blue Ribbon's Preseason Top 25 and was picked as the Big 12 favorite in the publications' Preseason Forecast.
ABOUT JOSEPH TUGLERTugler burst into the national spotlight and established himself as one of the nation's premier defensive players during the 2024-25 season.
He was one of only five Cougars to compete in all 40 games to set a school single-season record and was recognized as the Lefty Driesell Award recipient. That honor is presented annually to the nation's top defensive players.
The Monroe, La., native ranked among the national and Big 12 leaders with 1.9 blocked shots per game and stood second among the Cougars with 5.9 rebounds per contest.
Tugler grabbed 7+ rebounds in 18 games, including a season-high 11 boards in the Cougars' NCAA Tournament Second-Round win over #24/23 (8) Gonzaga.
He also blocked 3+ shots in 11 games, including a stunning eight swats against #9/9 Alabama during the first day of the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, to become only the sixth Cougar in school history to block 8+ shots in a game.
For his impressive performances throughout the year, Tugler was a Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE finalist.
ABOUT EMANUEL SHARPLike Tugler, Sharp was a key leader for the Cougars during their run to the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game.
He ranked second among the Cougars with 12.6 points and 2.4 3-point field goals per game on the way to being named 2024-25 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
The Tampa, Fla., native elevated his play in the postseason. After averaging 20.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 treys per game while leading Houston to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship crown, Sharp was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, a first for the Cougars in school history.
Scoring 17 points against #22/22 (4) Purdue and 16 points with four 3-pointers against #6/6 (2) Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, Sharp was named the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player.
He buried multiple 3-pointers in 25 games and made at least one trey in 34 of the 37 games in which he played, including each of the last 15 contests to end the season.
BLUE RIBBON BIG 12 CONFERENCE FORECAST
| Rank | School |
| 1. | Houston |
| 2. | Texas Tech |
| 3. | BYU |
| 4. | Iowa State |
| 5. | Kansas |
| 6. | Arizona |
| 7. | Baylor |
| 8. | Cincinnati |
| 9. | Wes Virginia |
| 10. | Kansas State |
| 11. | TCU |
| 12. | Oklahoma State |
| 13. | Colorado |
| 14. | Arizona State |
| 15. | Utah |
| 16. | UCF |
BLUE RIBBON PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
First Team
| Student-Athlete | Height | Class | School |
| JT Toppin | 6-0 | Junior | Texas Tech |
| Yaxel Lendeborg | 6-9 | Graduate | Michigan |
| Alex Condon | 6-11 | Junior | Florida |
| Tahaad Pettiford | 6-1 | Sophomore | Auburn |
| Braden Smith | 6-0 | Senior | Purdue |
Second Team
| Student-Athlete | Height | Class | School |
| Trey Kaufmann-Renn | 6-9 | Senior | Purdue |
| Darryn Peterson | 6-5 | Freshman | Kansas |
| AJ Dybantsa | 6-9 | Freshman | BYU |
| Otega Oweh | 6-4 | Senior | Kentucky |
| Cameron Boozer | 6-9 | Freshman | Duke |
Third Team
| Student-Athlete | Height | Class | School |
| Joseph Tugler | 6-8 | Forward | Houston |
| Graham Ike | 6-9 | Graduate | Gonzaga |
| Zuby Ejiofor | 6-0 | Senior | St. John's |
| Nate Ament | 6-10 | Freshman | Tennessee |
| Donovan Dent | 6-2 | Senior | UCLA |
Fourth Team
| Student-Athlete | Height | Class | School |
| Emanuel Sharp | 6-3 | Senior | Houston |
| Alex Karaban | 6-8 | Senior | UConn |
| Nate Bittle | 7-0 | Senior | Oregon |
| Bennett Stirtz | 6-4 | Senior | Iowa |
| PJ Haggerty | 6-4 | Senior | Kansas State |
ABOUT the COUGARS
Houston returns three starters and seven lettermen in 2025-26, including All-Big 12 Conference honoree and Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team member Milos Uzan, Sharp and Tugler.
The Cougars will be boosted with the addition one of the nation's top recruiting classes with freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr., freshman guard Isiah Harwell, freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, freshman guard Bryce Jackson and senior forward Kalifa Sakho.
In 2024-25, the Cougars set a school single-season record with 35 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game.
Houston, which finished #2 in both national polls, won 31 of its final 33 games to end the season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the seventh time in program history – and the second time under Sampson – with a resounding 69-50 win over #6/6 (2) Tennessee during the NCAA Elite Eight in Indianapolis on March 30.
The Cougars swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships in their second year in the league and set school and league records with a 19-1 mark in conference games. Houston became the first school to join a major conference and win the regular-season title in each of its first two years in the league in more than 100 years.
Houston posted a perfect 10-0 record in road games in Big 12 play, becoming the first program in NCAA Division I history to accomplish that feat in a season, and enters the 2025-26 season with the nation's longest active road winning streak at 14 straight games.
BUY SEASON TICKETS
Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by providing NIL opportunities and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –
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