Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson offered a sobering update on center Jacob McFarland, while providing a clearer, more optimistic outlook for forward Joseph Tugler’s recovery. McFarland, a 6-foot-11 redshirt freshman, has been sidelined since suffering a broken leg in practice just a week before the team’s season opener last year.
The setback cost Houston a key frontcourt reserve, and while his status remains uncertain, Sampson provided a more concrete timeline for Tugler as the Cougars prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
How Will Houston Balance Recoveries for Jacob McFarland and Joseph Tugler?
Joining Jon Rothstein on “Inside College Basketball Now,” Sampson provided an honest update on the injury statuses of redshirt freshman center Jacob McFarland and junior forward Joseph “Jojo” Tugler. The Cougars’ leader acknowledged progress but stressed a cautious approach with McFarland, who continues to recover from a devastating leg injury.
“Jacob McFarland has shown flashes. Um but he’s not completely healed from his leg and uh we don’t push him on that,” Sampson said. “We let him decide what he can and can’t do.”
McFarland, a former ESPN100 recruit from Moreno Valley, California, suffered the injury during practice last October. He remembers the exact moment, recalling how he “heard a snap.” A scar above his right knee and down his shin now serves as a daily reminder of his first major surgery.
“I was sad. I was looking forward to the season,” McFarland said. “Just have to wait again. My coaches and teammates visiting me in the hospital, always being there for me, made me feel good and looking forward to coming back.”
The injury cost McFarland the entire 2023-24 campaign, for which he used a redshirt year. Since then, he has begun taking gradual steps toward recovery, dropping 12 pounds since the surgery to weigh close to 200. While McFarland’s return timeline remains uncertain, Sampson provided more clarity on Tugler’s recovery from offseason foot surgery.
“I think this month he’ll get cleared. Um today is what is it? August 5th. So I’d say in a couple weeks he’ll probably get cleared,” Sampson said. He noted that once players return for the fall semester on Aug. 25, Tugler can begin participating in drills. “Once we get past Labor Day and we get into September, uh we’ll see we’ll ramp him up, see what he can uh do, what he can’t do.”
Sampson praised Tugler’s unique basketball mind, recalling a decisive play against Purdue where he created an opportunity for Milos Uzan. “He’s one of the most instinctive players that I’ve coached,” Sampson said. “He sees things and he reacts to them.”
The Cougars will begin official practices in late September, with scrimmages scheduled for Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 before opening the season on Nov. 3. For Sampson, balancing player health and team preparation will define the early weeks of the season.
