NEWARK, N.J. — How do you make it to inside one shot of profitable a nationwide title, convey again three key items from that crew, begin 10-1 and nonetheless float alongside the outskirts of the nationwide radar?
Just one means: You are the perpetually under-discussed Houston Cougars.
I am not saying it is proper, I am simply saying it is how it’s. Far too usually.
“Do not sleep on Houston,” Kelvin Sampson famously mentioned on CBS final April after the Cougars shocked a lot of the faculty hoops world by ending Cooper Flagg’s faculty profession with the Coogs’ epic come-from-behind 70-67 upset of top-seeded Duke within the Ultimate 4.
It is time to remind the world to get up once more.
Possibly it is as a result of Houston likes to win ugly. Possibly it is as a result of its schedule hasn’t been flashy to this point. Possibly it is as a result of the Cougars do not produce one-and-done expertise (although, learn on, as a result of that is now not the case).
However right here we’re once more, amid one other season, and Houston is without doubt one of the greatest groups within the nation.
Do not sleep on Houston.
It is time to begin paying game-by-game consideration to the Cougars as soon as extra, as they’re essentially the most reliably profitable crew in faculty basketball and proved the notion true moreover on Saturday with one other bodily authoritative, Houston-style win in opposition to overmatched Arkansas within the By no means Neglect Tribute Traditional on the Prudential Heart.
The Cougars defeated the Razorbacks 94-85 to enhance to 11-1, getting there behind 22 factors from senior guard Emanuel Sharp and 21 extra from freshman guard Kingston Flemings Jr.
Houston entered the sport with a No. 8 rating; Arkansas had a 14 subsequent to its identify. The 2 groups did not look as shut as these numbers would recommend. Arkansas was inside respiratory distance for your complete second half, however by no means threatened after Houston broke the sport open by ripping off a 15-0 run to get the rating to 41-19 within the first half. The sport teetered there. The one cause it wasn’t a blowout was due to the play of Arkansas freshman level Darius Acuff Jr., who stored the hole from changing into a chasm.
Acuff, who might be a lottery choose in subsequent June’s NBA Draft, completed with 27 factors and 7 assists, each game-highs.
“We have been up 49-41, and it appeared like we performed our worst basketball the final three minutes (of the primary half),” Sampson mentioned. “However we had some playing cards to play as a result of we may area the ground.”
John Calipari and Kelvin Sampson have 70 Seasons and 1,600-plus wins between them, however this was simply the second time they’d ever matched wits (Calipari received the higher of Sampson within the 2018 NCAA Match). For Arkansas, Saturday was a missed alternative. The Hogs are 9-3, however a victory right here would have certainly bumped their status up a tier. As an alternative, they’re considered one of six or seven groups with expertise which can be jumbled close to the highest of the SEC, which is able to begin league play in two weeks.
Houston’s in a a lot rosier place. The Massive 12 is stacked with the likes of Arizona, Iowa State, BYU and even Kansas. It hasn’t dropped a bit from its perch on this sport.
The reply as to why Houston wasn’t getting extra consideration is their schedule. Saturday’s win logs as simply the second Quad 1 victory for UH via 12 video games, becoming a member of the Nov. 16 73-72 defeat of Auburn in Birmingham, Alabama. Beating Arkansas additionally improved the Coogs to 7-1 of their final eight video games in top-15 matchups.
That is what Sampson’s groups do. Win far more than they lose, and once they win, they damage you and have a tendency to not make it shut.
You would possibly’ve forgotten it amid the crunch of unbelievable November video games, however Houston’s solely loss got here by three at Gamers Period in Vegas. I used to be there; Tennessee may not play a greater general sport this season. And the Vols are clearly of excellent high quality. That in thoughts, Houston having a lone single-possession loss in opposition to a crew that may be a top-four seed should not displace them from the dialog of who’s elite on this terrific season.
Houston’s adaptability Saturday was additionally admirable. Arkansas got here into the sport averaging 89.9 factors, and it received near that, however Houston had no downside making it a observe meet. The sport had 73 possessions, essentially the most Houston’s performed in regulation for the reason that begin of the 2024-25 season. I do know Sampson abhors seeing one other crew hit 80-plus on his guys, however having this sort of win will serve Houston effectively within the subsequent three months.
“It speaks to Arkansas’ expertise that they scored 85 factors,” Sampson mentioned. “They’re adequate to try this, and thank goodness we have been adequate to attain 94.”
Houston’s 94 factors have been this system’s most in opposition to a ranked crew in regulation in 15 years.
The Cougars stymied the run-happy Hogs, who got here into the sport ranked No. 2 in quick break factors at 22.7 per evening. On this evening, a mere seven — which is a half-point greater than Houston provides up per sport.
“I believe that was the primary time we performed zone since I used to be at Montana Tech,” Sampson mentioned, following with some admitted facetiousness. “We went 1-2-2, again to 3-2, purchased us some possessions. It’s going to by no means be our fastball, nevertheless it’s good to know you’ve got received a curveball.”
Houston knew it could have its moments on the offensive glass — Arkansas permits 16 per sport in second-chance alternatives — and voila: Cougars received 16 on the board after securing 12 offensive rebounds.
Regardless of the cut-off you need to use, Houston leads all groups in faculty basketball in win complete previously 5, six, seven, eight years. It is no shock the Cougars are this formidable as soon as extra. Whereas they do not price top-five in effectivity simply but, their DNA places them in a deep pool of groups that features undefeateds corresponding to Arizona, Michigan and Iowa State. Then the one-loss bullies are Houston, Duke, UConn, Gonzaga, Purdue, Michigan State and North Carolina. (Undefeated Vanderbilt might be in that class as effectively, nevertheless it’s but to beat a top-30 crew.)
Getting Sharp, Uzan and Tugler again, with that Ultimate 4 expertise, is big. However the addition of Flemings is what modifications the dynamics in play. He is a rangy lead guard who was ranked twentieth in his highschool class and has already outplayed that projection. He is placing up higher than 15 factors, 5 assists and capturing virtually 60%.
Houston’s all the time been good/nice underneath Sampson. At all times been robust. At all times been opportunistic. At all times had a swagger.
Kingston makes them harmful. Uzan and Sharp are able to taking and making the massive shot, however Flemings is the man who’s the important thing to maintaining Houston simply nearly as good this season because it was final season, and the one earlier than that, and the one earlier than that.
However much more? He is proficient sufficient to make Houston imagine that getting again to a nationwide championship sport needs to be the expectation, not the hope.
“How good can we be? I by no means take into consideration that. I simply know that we are able to get higher,” Sampson mentioned.
That is Houston merely at its good. We all know Houston when it is nice, and this group has the stuff to be nice. The Cougars’ most spectacular character trait is how they reliably get stronger the extra video games they play. We’re one-third of the way in which via the faculty basketball season and Houston may be 60% or 70% of its potential. Maintain your eyes on these guys as a result of they’ve clearly received their eyes on the prize: Sampson has himself a nationwide title contender but once more.