"Shouldn't be dribbling" "Tried to play hero ball": Fans react as Emanuel Sharp's turnovers sink Houston's national championship hopes

Emanuel Sharp and the Houston Cougars fell short in their bid to win the program's first NCAA title, losing 65-63 to the Florida Gators in the national championship game on Monday at the Alamodome.

Sharp's costly turnovers down the stretch doomed the Cougars, who squandered a 12-point advantage in the second half. The ball went to his hands in Houston's final two possessions, but he failed to get a shot off in both instances to seal the Cougars' fate.

Emanuel Sharp's first turnover in the final minute of regulation came with 26.5 seconds left and Florida holding a 64-63 lead. The ball went straight out of bounds off his knee as he was attacking the basket. Three defenders collapsed on Sharp, who turned the ball over after Will Richard made a crucial tap.

Sharp had an opportunity to give Houston a 66-65 lead when he was handed the ball with five seconds left. He went up for a 3-point shot but didn't pull the trigger, letting the ball bounce in front of him instead.

He refused to touch the basketball afterward as that would result in a traveling violation, according to Rule 9, Section 5, Article 7 of the men's college basketball rule book. The rule states: "It is traveling when a player falls to the playing court while holding the ball without maintaining a pivot foot."

Precious seconds were wasted before the Gators stole the basketball as they captured their third NCAA title.

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to blast Sharp after his late mistakes prevented Houston from winning the championship.

"Emanuel Sharp shouldn’t be dribbling though smh do what you do best," one fan pointed out.

"Wow man Emanuel Sharp tried to play hero ball and just lost em the game," one fan chimed in.

"Emanuel Sharp with one of the biggest choke jobs since Chris Webber my god back to back turnovers," one fan commented.

Here are some other reactions.

"Sharp with back to back turnovers to cost his team the natty….poor guy must be sick to his stomach right now," one fan shared.

"Sharp had 2 chances to make himself a hero… and he never ever got a shot off. 2 turnovers. I see him shoot every single time, but he didn’t even put one up when it mattered most," one fan tweeted.

"Sharp sank Houston. You just can’t have those two turnovers in those moments. Can’t dribble into 3 guys and you can’t premeditate jumping for a shot without reading the defense first," one fan posted.

How Emanuel Sharp fared in the 2025 NCAA championship game

Emanuel Sharp struggled in the national championship game against the Florida Gators, scoring just eight points in 29 minutes of action. He shot 3-for-11 from the field, including 1-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (#21) loses the ball as he attempts to shoot against Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (#1) in the second half in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Photo: Imagn

Sharp, who also had three rebounds and one assist, would unfortunately be remembered for his two turnovers in the final 26.5 seconds that cost the Cougars the game. Houston finished the season with a 35-5 overall record.