The rumor is Pop was brought in to appease Uzan.
His offense says he is a starter.
Hope he can eventually improve his defense.
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I dunno about this Pop guy. Injury prone and with baggage. Id rather see the new bloods game. Sure we’ll take some lumps but long term worth it.
Glad coach is in charge though. 
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This isn’t the same situation and you know it
appease Uzan why?
Pop was not brought in to appease Uzan. lol
Uzan pushed for Pop and Samp did his own due diligence.
Y’all should know by now that Sampson isn’t caving to demands or trying to appease anyone. Lol
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but he needed to appease Uzan so Uzan could go pro
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In case he comes back
exactly, doesnt make any sense
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lol. No.
Pop pushed for Uzan. Samp did his own due diligence.
Samp would have told Uzan we are going a different direction if he didn’t like what he saw.
But it was interesting that Uzan pushed for Pop if he is definitely going to the NBA. And this is when it was starting to get out that he was leaning towards coming back.
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And now there’s no room on the roster for Uzan, so he has to leave, right? 
Ramon walker spot.
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Was joke - there are no roster limits (yet). 
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Great problem to have. Which set of uber talented players will start?
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I already answered this question above. Thanks
Houston 2025–26 Early Strength and Weakness
(Assuming Milos is gone. All evaluations are relative to Houston’s historical standard, not national average.)
Strengths
1. Floor Spacing & 3PT Shooting
This might be our best floor-spacing roster ever. Virtually every rotation player—except the backup bigs—can shoot. We’ve had all good shooting guards (last season) and good shooting forwards (pre-Jwan), but never both in the same lineup. Add in the development of Jojo and Mercy, and we could see shooting threats at all five positions. If Tugler starts knocking down shots consistently, it’ll be a first for Houston to have a legitimate stretch five.
2. Rebounding
We’ve alternated between dominant big rebounders (last two seasons) and aggressive rebounding guards (pre-2022 teams). This roster has the potential for both. While some of the newcomers aren’t natural rebounders, Sampson’s culture should bring them up to standard, they have the bodies to dominate. If they buy in, this could be one of the most complete rebounding teams we’ve had.
3. Shot Blocking
The top three bigs—Tugler, McFarland, and Cenac—are all legitimate rim protectors. Add in guards like Harwell, Mercy and Fleming who can get chase-downs or contest on help, and we’re looking at one of the better shot-blocking rosters in recent memory.
4. Positional Size
If Milos returns, we’d be dominant in size across the board. Even without him, we still have plus length at every position outside of Pop. With smart lineup tweaks—like playing Cenac at the 4—we can overwhelm teams physically. It’s the tallest cumulative lineup we’ve had here (ie tall at guard in 2021 but undersized bigs).
Weaknesses & Potential Fixes
1. Early-Season Perimeter Defense (without Milos)
In the NIL-era tournament early in the year, we’ll face top-tier teams. Pop, Fleming, and Mercy will be key perimeter players, but early growing pains are likely—especially as Mercy and Fleming adjust to the system/PT. By midseason, they may be great, but expect some defensive lapses in November.
2. Foul Trouble
Jojo, Cenac, and Harwell have shown they can get into foul trouble. Pop may also struggle to adjust defensively and rack up fouls. Fortunately, our depth should mitigate this—assuming everyone stays healthy and adapts.
3. Lack of Reliable Post Scoring (The “Easy 2”)
We don’t have a go-to post scorer. Cenac prefers finesse fadeaways over physical finishes, and Tugler’s touch isn’t polished. However, improved spacing could open up driving lanes for guards. Growth in Jojo’s touch and Cenac’s physicality would help.
4. Turnover Risk (without Milos)
Our two main ball handlers are either turnover-prone (Pop) or new to D1 (Fleming). There’s also no steady, low-mistake option like LJ Cryer. This could be a concern, especially in tight games early on.
Undecided Areas
Scoring Off the Bounce
Without Milos, no one has shown they can consistently create off the dribble at a high level—yet. Several players have potential, but we haven’t seen it proven.
Power Forward Fit
We’re playing centers or big wings at the 4. It’s unclear if this will be an asset (size mismatch) or a liability (defensive foot speed, spacing issues). It’ll depend on how we scheme and how well Cenac or others adapt to the role.
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So what youre saying is if Milos returns were pretty much preseason #1.
LFG 
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Y’all correct me if I’m wrong but Pop Issac should have 2 years left. He only played 8 out of 36 games which is not more than 30%. That would be awesome to have him for 2 years, similar to LJ
if milos returns … there’s likely a big gap between us and the next team… (that is probably purdue)
we’d pretty much be a lock to be a dominant defense, dominant rebounding, low turnover team…
offense would have some question marks, of what roles and who does what… but we have like 8 options and only need 3 or 4 to hit
we’d have few question marks… teams ranked 2 to 6 have unavoidable suspect D from roster… (but great offense) more question marks than us
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