4 UH Cougars starters, including J'Wan Roberts and LJ Cryer, to return in 2024-2025
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston Cougars men's basketball stars - forward J'Wan Roberts and guard L.J. Cryer - are returning for next season.
The Cougars are poised to have at least four returning starters for the 2024-2025 season, and they'll open as one of the favorites to win next year's national championship.
On Tuesday, ABC13 Sports asked both players what winning a national title for UH would mean to them.
"It would be special," Roberts said. "Winning a national championship is something you can talk about 10 or 15 years from now."
Las Vegas oddsmakers posted UH third on the list of championship favorites, behind only the two-time titleholders UConn and the Duke Blue Devils.
Cryer said he decided over the last couple of days after talking with his family and UH coaches.
SEE ALSO: 'It's bigger than me': Morton Ranch HS alum LJ Cryer talks to ABC13 about move from Baylor to UH
"I feel like we can do something special here. I feel like last season ended in a way I didn't really want it to," Cryer, a senior transfer from Baylor this past season, said.
Injuries left the Cougars shorthanded during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament before outgoing senior Jamal Shead's ankle sprain defined the season-ending loss to Duke in the Sweet 16.
SEE MORE: Houston Cougars end successful Big 12 debut season on bittersweet note in the Sweet 16
Both players paid a physical price during the Cougars' drive to a 32-win Big 12 championship season.
Roberts walked in on crutches to talk with the media Tuesday after a surgical procedure on his knee four days prior.
Roberts, a redshirt senior with an eligibility year remaining, told ABC13 that his recovery timetable is four to six weeks.
Cryer indicated that wear and tear on his body will lead him to skip the NBA Draft evaluation process.
Both players will have plenty of time to recover before what shapes up as another special season for the Cougars.
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