The Houston Cougars were ranked second in the just released AP poll. They are 27-4 and, unlike Auburn, are on a two-game winning streak. They finished first in the Big 12 and their high rank in that tournament means they will be a favorite in the conference tournament.
As a side note, Kansas, the former top team team in the nation, finished sixth in the conference. The Houston Cougars will be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, it is reasonable to wonder if the guard-heavy team will struggle with the bigger and more physical teams in the NCAA Tournament. Do you think Houston will struggle due to their lack of size?
Houston Cougars Men’s Basketball Roster
L.J. Cryer is a senior guard who is the leading scorer for the Houston Cougars. He is averaging 15.3 points a game after averaging 15.5 points per game last season. That is remarkable consistency. He is 6-foot-1 and from Katy, Texas. The second scorer for the Houston Cougars is Emanuel Sharp who averages 11.8 points per game. He is a junior from Tampa, Florida and is 6-foot 3,
The third leading scorer from Houston is Forward J’Wan Roberts. He is a senior from the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is a tenacious rebounder despite only standing 6-foot-8. Guard Milos Uzan is the fourth-leading scorer for the Houston Cougars. He is from Las Vegas, Nevada. He averages 10.9 points per game. The final starter for the Cougars is Terrance Arceneaux, another guard. He averages 8.7 points per game and is 6-foot 6 inches tall.
Mylik Wilson is a guard and sometime starter for the Cougars. He is a 6-foot-3 from Louisiana. Wilson averages 6.0 points per game. Joseph Tugler is a 6-foot 8-inch sophomore forward and Ja’Vier Francis is a 6-foot 8-inch senior forward also from Louisiana. He averages 4.8 points per game. Both of these guys provide some size off the bench for the Cougars.
The bench for the Houston Cougars is Mercy Miller, Ramon Walker Jr., Kordelius Jefferson, and Cedric Lath. Houston tries to play up tempo so the bench depth is important for them. Probably more so than other teams.
Main Storylines
The top two stories for the Houston Cougars right now are about the just-released AP poll. The Houston Cougars are ranked second in that poll and will likely be a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The first story on the Houston Cougar website not about the AP poll is about the Louisiana Ragin Cajans hiring Houston Associate Head Coach Quannas White as its next men’s basketball coach.
There is much to do about the Houston Cougars being a top seed in their conference and likely in the NCAA tournament. The next two stories on the Houston area bracketology articles extolling the Houston Cougars’ virtues. As they are likely a top seed in both the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments, this is proper.
There is a story, among the first six about the Houston Cougars, about their win over Baylor in the final regular season game 65-61. Cryer had 23 points. He was the star, but Houston got contributions from others on the team. Namely, Roberts had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Houston. Roberts hit two free throws with 13 seconds remaining for Houston to ice a close game. Uzan had 12 points and Sharp scored 11. That type of balanced scoring makes Houston a tough opponent.
Conclusion
The Houston Cougars had a very good year at 27-4. They are highly ranked. The fact they receive balanced scoring contributions from many on their roster means if you plan to stop one option, another will beat you. However, it is worth noting that none of these players is taller than 6-foot 8 inches. If Houston has a strength, it is their balanced scoring, with their quickness being second. If Houston has a weakness it is their lack of size. The Cougars may run into trouble with longer teams in the NCAA Tournament.
