Houston’s hopes for another deep NCAA tournament run received a major boost Thursday with the announcement that guard Emanuel Sharp will return for the 2025-26 season. A pivotal contributor to the Cougars’ national title game appearance, Sharp played a central role throughout the tournament.
Despite the heartbreaking 65-63 loss to Florida, where Sharp committed turnovers on Houston’s final two possessions, his overall impact was undeniable. His return brings vital experience and leadership to a team aiming to finish the job next season and capture a long-awaited national championship.
Emanuel Sharp’s Return Fuels Houston’s 2025-26 Title Hopes
Sharp, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound guard, is set to return to Houston for the 2025-26 season, giving the Cougars a significant lift as they pursue another Final Four run. Sharp, a redshirt senior, is a rare example of a player staying with one program throughout college.
Sharp was the Cougars’ second-leading scorer this past season, averaging 12.6 points for the second consecutive year. He started all 37 games, hit 41.8 percent from the field, and knocked down 40.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. His defensive presence was also key, leading Houston with 1.4 steals per game. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and is the team’s top returning scorer heading into 2025-26.
Houston, ranked No. 3 in Mike DeCourcy’s way-too-early Top 25, went 35-4 and claimed its second straight Big 12 regular-season title. Sharp earned Most Outstanding Player honors in the Big 12 Tournament and the Midwest Regional.
He averaged 20.7 points during the conference tournament and posted standout performances in the NCAA Tournament, including 17 points against Purdue and 16 versus Tennessee.
Sharp scored 16 points in the Final Four to help Houston defeat Duke. In the title game loss to Florida, he finished with 8 points and had the ball in the final seconds before a costly turnover ended the Cougars’ hopes.
Despite the setback, Sharp remains resilient.
“You’ve just got to keep coming back and keep fighting,” his father, Derrick Sharp, told PaperCity. “It’s part of his journey now. And he’s handling it like a man.”
Sharp is expected to enter the NBA Draft process for evaluation while preserving his eligibility.
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“That’s the plan,” Derrick said. “But it’s all going to depend on how his plantar fasciitis is feeling.”
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