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Good morning! Today’s Daily is written by Mike Miller. Follow him on Twitter/X.com at MikeMillerF68. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

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1. Houston’s fueled, ready for another Final Four run

The last time college basketball fans (and casuals) saw Houston, it was the national championship game. The Cougars couldn’t hold a second-half lead, and couldn’t get a shot off to end the game.

Seems like that ending fueled their summer.

Houston will enter the 2025-26 season as perhaps the best conditioned roster in the sport, is already atop two preseason computer rankings at Torvik and EvanMiya, and will likely vie with Purdue for the top spot in the preseason AP poll. It’ll also be the favorites once again in in the Big 12, a league it’s dominated since joining two seasons ago.

That’s a program focused on another Final Four run.

(Also worth mentioning that Emanuel Sharp dropped 10 pounds over the summer. That title game ending really is motivation.)

And that predicted success comes as the Cougars replace two starters from their 35-5 squad, including leading scorer L.J. Cryer, leading rebounder and emotional leader J’Wan Roberts, seniors Ja’Vier Francis and Mylik Wilson, plus senior wing Terrance Arceneaux, who transferred to N.C. State.

But as John Fanta and Jeff Goodman note, Houston reloaded with freshman talent and is confident in its internal development.

The knowns — guard Milos Uzan and Sharp, plus big man Joseph Tugler — are the building blocks. Those freshmen — notable a pair of 5-star prospects in guard Isiah Harwell and center Chris Cenac — will be the key to reaching those goals.

Assistant Kellen Sampson spoke about Houston’s incoming freshmen earlier this month, taking care to note that they fit into Houston’s culture of selfless, tough play where nothing comes easy for an opponent. The Cougars have ranked 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th and 8th in adjusted defensive efficiency the last five seasons and have ranked 6th or better in defensive eFG% in the last eight seasons. That comes from getting long, athletic players to buy into a team-first, aggressive defensive concept.

Not that it’ll be easy.

Tugler, a national DPOY candidate, has yet to participate in team drills in his recovery from offseason foot surgery. Big man depth could be tested with redshirt sophomore Jacob McFarland out at least a few months after leg surgery.

But that’s what the offseason conditioning and team building is for. Houston’s not a program built on just one player.

2. One head coach resigns, another suspended

The coaching carousel isn’t supposed to be spinning like this in September.

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