The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Final 4 is taking place this weekend in San Antonio and we could not be more excited to see all those #1 seeds trying to win a title! HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with Mike Uzan about his son Milos making a game-winner in the Sweet 16 and his predictions for this weekend.
You are a Physical Education Teacher/coach at Desert Pines High School: how did you like coaching your son Milos, and when you could you 1st tell that he was good enough to play in D-1? I loved coaching all my kids. I guess we knew early on: he was a very small kid so we were just hoping that the size part would catch up because he always had the skill part. He was always around my practices and is a gym rat.
He started his college career at Oklahoma, where he was named to the 2023 Big 12 All-Freshman team: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? The kid has a high basketball IQ, was a winner everywhere he has been, and knows how to play. He played for a high school state title as a freshman/sophomore and has been in those positions for a long time: he knows how to compete.
He was named captain as a sophomore: what makes him such a good leader? He is a high-character kid who does all the right things, and a good person who always treats his teammates well.
Why did he decide to transfer last year, and what made him choose Houston? The opportunity to play for a championship was important to him. It is something that you always dream about doing and that was the best fit for him.
Last month in the 2025 Big 12 tourney title game he scored a career-high 25 PTS in an 8-PT win over Arizona: how was he able to play his best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to him to win a title? He was very happy about it…but it was not the end-all goal. It was a heck of an accomplishment, but he has stepped up all year for these guys: he just lives for the moment.
In the Sweet 16 last week he scored 22 PTS including the game-winning layup with 0.8 seconds left in a 2-PT win over Purdue: where does that rank among the Uzan family career highlights? He is still the runt in the family: nothing changes! We have had a lot of basketball success, so it is just another great accomplishment for our family.
He only shot 29.6 3P% last season but is shooting 44.5 3P% this season: what is his secret to making shots from behind the arc? Consistency. He puts the time in and always has. He has always been able to shoot and the shots that he does take are efficient. He is having a lot more fun and if the situation is fun then fun things will happen. He is in a very positive space.
In the past 4 months the Cougars have lost exactly 1 game by 1 PT in OT: has it reached a point where you just expect them to win every time that they step onto the court? I do not expect anything because each game is a battle. I want him to win but I know how hard it is to win. I always expect him to do his best…but you cannot take wins for granted because they are hard to come by.
His brother Julian played basketball at USC and his brother Capri played basketball at Providence: who is the best athlete in the family? That is still up for debate: we always argue about it at the kitchen table! Milos is very athletic and can do all the fancy dunks. Julian was more of a 1-foot jumper due to his explosiveness, and while Capri was shorter in size he could still get up there.
Any predictions for this weekend? My only prediction is that we win it all!
