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How is Milos Uzan fueling OU basketball in Big 12 race? He's 'an absolute team player'
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- How is Milos Uzan fueling OU basketball in Big 12 race? He's 'an absolute team player'
NORMAN — Kyle Weaver refers to Milos Uzan as by far the best point guard he's ever coached .
Weaver, the head coach at Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Arizona, where Uzan played his senior year of high school, has coached five NBA first-round draft picks and multiple current Big 12 players. Uzan's talent is on display just by standing next to him, but Weaver said the X-factor that will get him drafted is his personality.
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"He was absolutely our captain and our leader," Weaver told The Oklahoman. "I tell everybody the kid never had one bad day while at Dream City. He never missed a practice, he was always the first one in the gym and always the last one to leave. He always had a smile on his face. I don't ever remember him having a bad day and as your leader, your point guard has to be the rock of the team every day. So exactly what (OU) is seeing is what I saw every day."
Entering the season, Uzan was anointed one of OU's leaders by Porter Moser .
Just a sophomore guard, Uzan returned the most production from 2022-23 and was forced to not only step up his game on the hardwood, but from the bench and in the locker room as well. In the thick of a Big 12 conference race and seemingly a month out from the Sooners' first NCAA Tournament bid in three years, Uzan has found his voice and remembers the moment he did.
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OU guard Milos Uzan (12) tries to get past OSU guard Javon Small (12) during the Sooners' 66-62 win in Bedlam on Saturday night at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.
"Shoot, (it was during the Kansas State) game," Uzan said. "Being more vocal really showed me how much it helped the team. So I think that's just something I've been trying to do more often, continuing to lead these guys using my voice more and the coaches are encouraging it."
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Even when he's not leading OU in scoring, Uzan is engaged.
During the Sooners' 66-62 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday , Uzan scored just eight points but hyped his teammates throughout and audibly led the group out of every huddle. OU coach Porter Moser said postgame he watched players respond to Uzan's leadership, which spread confidence to the entire roster, helping it close the game.
Weaver also said he's not surprised Uzan has taken on a larger leadership role as such a young college player and that he even expected it. Weaver says Uzan's parents, Mike and Frances, have been a great support system and raised him to lead.
His energy increase has also translated to the court.
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Uzan, a projected second-round pick entering the season, is averaging 8.8 points and 4.5 assists in 31 minutes per game this season, up from 7.6 points and three assists in 28.6 minutes last season. Uzan is always looking to improve dating back to his high school days when he brought his 3-point percentage up from 20% his junior year to 45% his senior year.
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OU guards Otega Oweh, left, and Milos Uzan, right, run onto the court before a win at Cincinnati on Jan. 20.
"I think he's definitely looking this year more to score than he was last year," Weaver said. "Obviously, the win-loss record is showing just how instrumental he is to the team. Because everybody wants to score, but there's not many guys that want to contribute and win games and I think that's where he's really checked the biggest box for Oklahoma."
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Moser concurs.
In OU's win over BYU, the Cougars played more of a drop-coverage defense — providing Uzan the opportunity to be more aggressive — and he finished with 16 points. Against the Cowboys, Uzan's abilities to facilitate and act as a vocal leader were needed more, so that's what he did.
"He's such a good facilitator," Moser said Monday. "He's not a selfish kid. But there's times where I want him to be more aggressive scoring."
Uzan will face another Dream City alum in junior guard Jayden Nunn during the No. 25 Sooners' (18-6, 6-5 Big 12) matchup with No. 12 Baylor (17-6, 6-4) at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Waco, Texas, on ESPN2. Uzan is prepared to do whatever it takes for his team to win — whether that's scoring or being the ultimate teammate. One of five returners from last season, he believes in Moser's vision for him and OU, and he's prepared to try to lead his team to March Madness and beyond.
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"He doesn't need 15 shots," Weaver said. " … But he's doing whatever the team needs to win games and that's why I've told several NBA teams that's who he is. I think any given night he can go off. … He's doing whatever he's got to do to win games. That's the biggest sign of a leader and sacrifice. He's truly the definition of what sacrifice means to play high-level basketball.
" … Who he is on the court is exactly who he is off the court. … He's just an absolute team player and there's not many guys in today's game that are team players the way he is."
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No. 25 OU at No. 12 Baylor
TIPOFF:8 p.m. Tuesday at Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas (ESPN2)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma basketball: Milos Uzan is fueling Sooners with leadership
