Uzan withdrawing from draft to return to Houston

Houston guard Milos Uzan will withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA draft, agent Aman Dhesi of PNW Sports Group told ESPN on Tuesday.

Uzan was named to the All-Big 12 second team after averaging 11.4 points and 4.2 assists, shooting 43% from 3 this season. He helped Houston go 35-5, winning the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Cougars lost to Florida in the national championship game.

Uzan’s return is a major boon for Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team has a strong claim for the preseason No. 1 ranking after also returning starters Emanuel Sharp (the Cougars’ second-leading scorer) and Joseph Tugler (the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year).

Houston also brings in three top-25 high school recruits in Chris Cenac (No. 6 in the ESPN 100), Isiah Harwell (No. 6) and Kingston Flemings (No. 22).

The 22-year-old Uzan will have a fourth and final season of eligibility to make his mark at the college level, after showing significant progress as a junior, catapulting him firmly onto the radar of NBA scouts. Uzan has excellent size (6-foot-4) to go along with much-improved perimeter shooting (43% on 3s), defense and decision-making, and he will likely be asked to shoulder a more significant role after finishing fourth on Houston in usage last season.

The NCAA deadline for players to withdraw from the NBA draft and maintain college eligibility is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.