No. 1 Houston Upset by Temple; Owls' 1st Win over Top-Ranked Team Since 2000
Jan 22, 2023
Temple's Damian Dunn, left, celebrates as Houston's Jamal Shead, right, reacts at the end an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, in Houston. Temple won 56-55. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The No. 1-ranked Houston Cougars were riding a nine-game win streak into Sunday's matchup against the Temple Owls, but it came to a screeching halt with a 56-55 loss in front of their home fans at Ferttita Center.
For the Owls, this marks the program's first win over a top-ranked team since 2000.
Sunday's contest was a gritty battle that saw both teams shoot under 35 percent from the field. The Cougars were doomed by their ineptitude at the free-throw line, as they connected on 11 of their 21 attempts while the Owls converted 20 of 22.
Sophomore guard Damian Dunn led Temple with 16 points off the bench. He was fouled with 1:06 left in the second half and went 1-of-2 from the line to break a 55-55 tie.
The Cougars had a couple of shots to take the lead in the final seconds, but Owls senior forward Kur Jongkuch came up with a huge block out of bounds on Jamal Shead's layup attempt. Houston maintained possession with 1.3 seconds left, but Tramon Mark's tip-in attempt was off-target as time expired.
This is Houston's first loss in conference play, but they still lead the AAC with a 6-1 conference record and 18-2 overall. Temple (12-9) is right behind the Cougars at 6-2 in conference play. The Owls are now 2-0 against ranked opponents, as they took down then-No. 16 Villanova in November.
Temple will look to build on the momentum from Sunday when it hosts South Florida (9-11, 2-5) on Wednesday, while Houston will try to get back on track that same day in a road matchup against UCF (13-6, 4-3).
Houston's Taze Moore Wins 2022 College Slam Dunk Contest
Apr 1, 2022
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 26: Taze Moore #4 of the Houston Cougars reacts during the game against the Villanova Wildcats during the Elite Eight round of the 2022 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament held at AT&T Center on March 26, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Houston's Taze Moore now owns the crown of college basketball's best dunker after winning the 2022 College Slam Dunk Championship at Xavier University of Louisiana’s Convocation Center in New Orleans on Thursday.
Moore beat Wake Forest's Alondes Williams in the final. He earned perfect scores of 40 on each of his last three dunks to take home the championship belt.
On Moore's final dunk, he jumped over someone, caught a lob from the opposite side of the basket and threw it down. Williams put in a dunk off the side of the backboard that lacked flair because he was focused on completing the attempt before time ran out.
The semifinals were absolute insanity with highlight-reel dunks one after the other. Moore and Williams were joined by Grand Canyon's Sean Miller-Moore and New Orleans' Derek St. Hilaire. St. Hilaire was the only one not to earn a perfect score on any of his dunks.
Moore opened things up in the semifinals by paying homage to Vince Carter with his honey dip dunk. He wore Carter's vintage Toronto Raptors jersey and got the dunk in on the first try, making it look easy while he hung on the rim.
But Williams ignited the crowd with a mind-blowing back-scratch windmill dunk. Yes, you read that correctly. He pumped the ball over his head and touched his back before bringing it around for the windmill and throwing it down.
Miller-Moore said his second dunk was dedicated to his friend that passed away in a car accident. He effortlessly dropped a between-the-legs two-handed reverse.
Moore upped the ante with his second semifinal dunk, putting it off the backboard twice before throwing it down.
Williams answered immediately with a 360 one-handed scoop dunk off the bounce.
Miller-Moore tried to keep pace with a between-the-legs dunk off the stanchion, but he didn't make it on his first three attempts. He put it down on the fourth and the players appealed to the judges to let it count, but they had to abide by the rules.
No. 2 Villanova Beats No. 5 Houston to Advance to Final Four in Men's NCAA Tournament
Mar 27, 2022
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MARCH 26: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats reacts during the second half against the Houston Cougars in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Elite 8 Round at AT&T Center on March 26, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
For the first time since the 2017-18 season, the second-seeded Villanova Wildcats are headed to the Final Four after defeating the fifth-seeded Houston Cougars 50-44 on Saturday in Elite Eight action at AT&T Center.
This is the third time since the 2015-16 season that Villanova has reached the Final Four under head coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats won the NCAA title in 2016 and 2018.
The Wildcats have had an impressive run in the NCAA tournament, also defeating Delaware, Ohio State and Michigan behind solid performances from Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels and Justin Moore.
Gillespie was somewhat invisible Saturday, but Houston's significant offense struggles allowed the Wildcats to escape with a win.
Notable Performers
Jermaine Samuels, Villanova: 16 PTS, 10 REB
Taze Moore, Houston: 15 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST
Caleb Daniels, Villanova: 12 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST
Jamal Shead, Houston: 9 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST
Collin Gillespie, Villanova: 6 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST
Jermaine Samuels Continues Impressive NCAA Tournament Run
Samuels has been one of Villanova's best players throughout the NCAA tournament, and he was a difficult matchup for Houston on Saturday night thanks to his size, strength and versatility.
The senior forward led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds to help boost the Wildcats into the Final Four, and it was only his latest double-digit performance.
Caleb Daniels and Jermaine Samuels have combined for 14 points, which ties the number of points all Houston starters have scored in the first half. pic.twitter.com/rpOxBp5juH
In a first-round win over Creighton, Samuels notched 15 points. He followed that up with 17 points against Ohio State in the second round and 22 points against Michigan in the Sweet 16.
Samuels' performance on Saturday was even more important because star guard Collin Gillespie struggled, making just one of six shots from the floor and zero of four from beyond the arc.
While Gillespie will undoubtedly need to be better in the next round, it's an excellent sign for Villanova that players like Samuels are elevating their game through each contest.
To put his impact into perspective, Samuels entered Saturday's game against Houston averaging 11 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists this season.
Wright's teams have always been focused on team efforts, and that's exactly what it's going to take for the Wildcats to win another title under the veteran head coach.
Houston Offense Abysmal in Close Game Against Villanova
The Cougars kept the score close throughout Saturday's game, but they were never able to overcome a very beatable Villanova side that saw its own offensive struggles.
Houston made 17 of 57 shots from the floor and was even worse from beyond the arc, making just one of 20 shots. It was by far the Cougars' worst shooting performance of the NCAA tournament.
Entering Saturday's game, Houston was shooting 54.9 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from deep this season, according to Sports Reference.
While many of the team's difficulties on Saturday could be attributed to the solid defense Villanova played, the Cougars even struggled to make open shots.
The Cougars had seven players averaging double digits this season. Only Taze Moore reached double digits against the Wildcats, finishing with 15 points, in addition to 10 rebounds and one assist.
However, it's important to note the Cougars were missing their best offensive player in Marcus Sasser, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in December. Before going down, he led the team with 17.7 points per game.
Had Sasser been available, Houston might have been the team moving on to the Final Four. Instead, the Cougars will be looking for ways to improve next season.
What's Next?
Villanova moves on to the Final Four and will face either No. 1 Kansas or No. 10 Miami.
No. 5 Houston Upsets No. 1 Arizona, Advances to Face Villanova in Elite Eight
Mar 25, 2022
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MARCH 24: Fabian White Jr. #35 and Reggie Chaney #32 of the Houston Cougars reacts during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 Round at AT&T Center on March 24, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Houston Cougars are one game away from returning to the Final Four for a second straight season. And yet another one seed fell in the process.
The five-seeded Cougars knocked off Arizona 72-60 Thursday night in the South Regional Sweet 16. That came just hours after another one seed, Gonzaga, was felled by four-seed Arkansas.
These Cougars are an incredible story. Last year's Final Four team lost Quentin Grimes to the NBA and has dealt with season-ending injuries to this year's top scorer, Marcus Sasser, along with Tramon Mark.
But Houston just keeps on ticking, playing an incredibly balanced and fundamental brand of basketball. In the process, the Cougars ended the Wildcats' bid to return to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
It would be reductive to suggest that Houston just wanted it more. But the Cougars scrambled and dove for loose balls. They played swarming team defense. They forced 14 turnovers, held Arizona to 34 percent shooting from the field and out-rebounded them 37-34.
Really impressive half for Houston -- up six on top-seeded Arizona at the break. Wildcats just having a lot of trouble dealing with Houston's intensity and aggressiveness for 30 seconds (sometimes more) every possession at both ends of the floor. Haven't gotten into a rhythm.
Any coach in America that wants to give his team an example of what it takes to win and how to play just needs to have tape of this Houston handy. All heart, move ball on offense perfectly, ferocious defense, crash boards on both ends.
It would be more accurate to say that the Cougars wanted it, badly. And in what has been a bracket-burning type of tournament, that intensity and poise makes them a real threat to win it all.
Key Stats
Jamal Shead, HOU: 21 points, six assists
Kyler Edwards, HOU: 19 points, five boards
Josh Carlton, HOU: 10 points, seven rebounds
Benedict Mathurin, AZ: 15 points, 4-of-14 from the field
Dalen Terry, AZ: 17 points, six rebounds
Christian Koloko, AZ: 10 points, four rebounds
Shead Was the Unlikely Hero for Houston
Houston has been rotating through leading men. Against UAB in the first round, Edwards went for 25. Taze Moore gave them 21 against Illinois in the second round. On Thursday, it was Shead's turn.
And it was a huge turn, given that he was the team's fifth-leading scorer among its healthy players.
#KHOU11@UHCougarMBK The Coogs are always better when Shead is more assertive on the offensive end. It looks like he's turning it up
To go on a deep run, you sometimes need a role player or two to go off. On a night when Houston played superb defense, Shead gave them enough on the other end to push them through to the Elite Eight.
Mathurin Didn't Have Another Epic Performance in the Tank
Mathurin was phenomenal in Arizona's overtime win against TCU in the second round, scoring 30 points. Houston's defense proved to be a tougher assignment.
Mathurin went just 1-of-7 in the first half from the field. While he picked it up in the second half, he went long stretches without making much of an impact, and the buckets he did get were off tough looks.
Houston's defense has just completely erased Mathurin. He's a non-factor.
Arizona played with fire against TCU, but Mathurin extinguished the flames. The future lottery pick couldn't come up with an encore against Houston.
What's Next?
The Cougars will face No. 2 seed Villanova on Saturday at 6:09 p.m.
No. 5 Houston Upsets No. 4 Illinois in NCAA Tournament to Clinch Sweet 16 Berth
Mar 20, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 20: Alfonso Plummer #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives past Josh Carlton #25 of the Houston Cougars during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 20, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Houston remained red hot with a 68-53 victory over Illinois in the second round of the 2022 NCAA men's
basketball tournament Sunday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
The fifth-seeded Cougars have won 11 of their
past 12 games since a brief two-game losing streak in mid-February to reach the Sweet 16.
That run of success includes winning the AAC tournament and their
March Madness opener, an 82-68 triumph over UAB on Friday.
While the No. 4 seed Fighting Illini escaped an
upset bid from 13th-seeded Chattanooga on Friday, they weren't able
to overcome a strong UH squad in the round of 32. They finish with a
23-10 record, the program's third straight year topping 20 wins.
Houston plays at one of the slowest
paces in the country, and when it's able to pair that with suffocating
defense, the Cougars look like a national championship contender.
Just ask Memphis, which was held to a minuscule 53 points on 63
possessions in the AAC title game.
The Cougars were locked in on that end
of the floor in the first half. They held the Illini to 36 percent
shooting in the opening 20 minutes, including a 4-of-13 mark from
three-point range.
UH made it clear from the opening tip
it was going to heavily tilt its defensive game plan toward Cockburn,
who entered the day averaging 21 points through 27 games this season.
It compressed the defense toward the paint and forced Illinois to
work on the perimeter.
It was highly effective early, as the
Illini had just 13 points at the final media timeout of the first
half. Their offense showed signs of life right before halftime with a
trio of threes to keep the game within reach.
Houston never relented, though. Its ability to deny early pass entries to the paint was a
game-changer, and it left the Illinois offense stagnant and looking
for answers.
The game wasn't nearly as lopsided as
the final score would suggest, but the Cougars forced the Illini to
work hard on every single possession, and eventually, their own offense
was able to heat up and pull away.
Cockburn Doesn't Get Enough Help
Cockburn is the engine that made the
Illinois offense run all season. He's averaged 13.7 shots while
shooting 59.5 percent from the field. The fact he walked into the
locker room at halftime with just three shot attempts was an issue.
The Illini knew that wasn't a recipe
for success and started feeding him the ball early in the second
half. He attempted four field goals and two free throws in the first
five minutes after the break to help get the game tied.
While Cockburn finally got rolling in
the second half, the rest of the Illini offense didn't follow suit. No other player reached double figures in scoring.
Illinois finished the game shooting
35.6 percent from the field and 28.6 percent on threes. Even when it
was able to create some open looks in the second half, it failed to
knock them down.
The game continued to hang in the
balance, and one hot streak of shooting could have flipped the game in
the No. 4 seed's favor, but that never arrived, and Houston took
advantage to move on.
What's Next?
Houston advances to face either No. 1
seed Arizona or No. 9 seed TCU in the South Region's Sweet 16. The
Wildcats and Horned Frogs are scheduled to tip off at 9:40 p.m. ET on
Sunday.
5-Star PF Jarace Walker Commits to Houston over Alabama, Auburn
Nov 5, 2021
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 19: Jarace Walker #25 of IMG Academy in action against Fort Myers High School during the City of Palms Classic Day 2 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on December 19, 2019 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Houston landed one of the top frontcourt talents in the 2022 recruiting class when Jarace Walker committed to the Cougars on Thursday.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello detailed the player's recruitment ahead of the decision:
Five-star Jarace Walker has committed to Houston, giving the Cougars a program record 3 ESPN 100 commits & first 5-star recruit since Danuel House in 2012. Houston was involved early for Walker, had him on campus in June, and has been the leader since the summer. Impressive job.
Walker is the No. 13 player overall and No. 1 power forward in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also the fourth-best player in the state of Florida.
Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports evaluated the IMG Academy star in March and compared him to former Iowa State star Royce White:
Walker is a strong physical specimen with a cut-up frame and broad shoulders at the hybrid four man spot. He is a nice vertical athlete who can finish emphatically when given the chance and always looks to assert himself on the glass. When Walker steps on the floor, you can expect to get a contribution from him in a lot of ways. He is one of those guys who gets rebounds, assists, and scores. He will need to improve as a shot maker, but he is a versatile four in the making who has both the physical tools and emerging face-up skills that should only continue to blossom at the next level.
Originally from New Freedom, Pennsylvania, Walker transferred to IMG Academy ahead of his freshman season. He averaged 7.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 2018-19 while playing a somewhat limited role for the Ascenders.
If you find anywhere doing futures bets on NBA Slam Dunk Contest champions, jump on Walker at the earliest opportunity. The 6'8", 220-pound forward can already throw down like an elite dunker.
Walker had the opportunity to reclassify, thus joining the 2021 class and hitting college—and by extension the NBA—one year early. The tactic has become more popular for those with the opportunity to take advantage.
Speaking with 247Sports' Travis Branham in October 2020, Walker was unsure whether he'd be a member of the 2021 or 2022 class.
"I'm not really thinking that far in the future yet, just focused on this season and leading my team to a national championship and then I'll see what happens from there," he said.
As much as Walker is bound to generate buzz with his incredible athleticism, his game goes beyond his ability to get inside and live above the rim. He should be an effective spot-up jumper, which will make him useful in the pick-and-roll and as a floor-spacer to open up the paint for his guards. He can also find an open teammate when opposing teams shut off his path to the basket.
Whenever he does arrive in Houston, Walker should make an immediate impact for his school.
Under Kelvin Sampson, the program has become nationally relevant once again. First came the 2019 trip to the Sweet 16 and then in 2021 Houston enjoyed its first Final Four since the days of Phi Slama Jama.
"It will be great to pick his brain each day about the game," Walker said of Sampson. "His NBA experience is impressive. He is a legend in the college game. He is such a good defensive coach and he showed me how they get their shooters open for shots."
Getting Walker's commitment is a sign that Sampson can attract the kind of talent who will help the Cougars be a genuine national title contender. Walker joins a pair of 4-star commits in 2022 (small forward Terrance Arceneaux and shooting guard Emanuel Sharp).
Mercy Miller, Master P's Son, Commits to Houston Basketball
Aug 30, 2021
Mercy Miller, son of rapper and producer Master P, announced on Instagram on Monday that he has committed to play basketball at the University of Houston.
Miller is heading into his sophomore season at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. Though 247Sports doesn't yet have composite rankings for the class of 2024, Miller had already earned scholarship offers from Houston, Minnesota and Hampton.
Master P also discussed the commitment on Instagram:
My son [Mercy] has already won a High School State Championship as a Freshman. For the future, he's focused on winning a College Championship where all the great legends came from like Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. And that's why he decided to make an early commitment to the University of Houston.
The 6'4" combo guard took an unofficial visit to Houston last week, according to Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports.
Miller's father has high expectations for the emerging talent.
"In the state championship game at only 15 years old he had 15 points in that game, and he’s the No. 1 player in Minnesota so he’s just getting better and better," he told 247Sports.
Last season, Miller played alongside Chet Holmgren, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class. Jalen Suggs, the No. 5 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, also went to Minnehaha before starring at Gonzaga.
Master P, who was born Percy Miller, played some NBA Summer League and has appeared in the All-Star Celebrity Game. Mercy's older brother Romeo spent two years at USC but left and started his own music career.
Houston's Kelvin Sampson Discusses Father, Racist Experiences Growing Up in NC
Apr 2, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 02: Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars looks on during practice ahead of the Final Four Semfinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 02, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Houston men's basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson spoke with reporters Friday about his father, John "Ned" Sampson, as well as his experiences with prejudice and racism growing up in 1960s North Carolina.
Sampson's father primarily worked as a basketball coach and athletic director, and he had a 34-year career with Pembroke High School that ended in 1983.
But he's also known for his role in running the Ku Klux Klan out of Maxton, North Carolina in 1958. During what is known as "Battle of Hayes Pond," he was one of several hundred members of the Lumbee Tribe who prevented a KKK rally from occurring in the area.
"I'm very proud of Lumbee Nation. I'm very proud of my father," Sampson told reporters, per Scott Gleeson of the USA Today. "[Ned Sampson]'s a pretty good person to be a role model of growing up."
He also added:
“Even to this day if you go back to Pembroke, North Carolina, he was a rock and a foundation piece for that community. We’re a non-federally recognized native American tribe that’s felt prejudice and racism our entire lives. When I was raised in Pembroke, that was a big source of pride—that we stayed with each other. We kind of care of each other. The KKK was huge in that area. That’s a vivid, clear image with me."
Sampson spoke with Nick Martin of Deadspin in March 2018 about his recollection regarding the Battle of Hayes Pond, which happened when the Houston coach was just three years old.
“The thing I remember about Hayes Pond was my father, Mr. Deldon—these were all his friends—they just jumped in a truck and went down to Hayes Pond. And they were bound and determined to break up that KKK rally. [A KKK member] had put a lightbulb out there in the shed, they were having that rally, pumping their KKK rhetoric. [A member of the Lumbee tribe] shot the light out, shots were being fired. And the first thing [the Klan] did, because they didn’t have guns, was they jumped under a truck. Just jumped under it. ... The next thing you know was the rally was broken up and it was gone, and that was considered a victory. They ran the KKK out of town.”
Sampson's father also endured racism while working part-time in a tobacco factory, and the Houston coach noted that water fountains and bathrooms were segregated. His father also taught at segregated coaching clinics.
"You didn't think anything of it at the time," Sampson said. "It's the way it was in the 1960s. It was very divided. Very racist. But we survived. We achieved."
The elder Sampson did his best to break down down those barriers, and Ronnie Davis, a former athletic director of the Public Schools of Robeson County, spoke about the coach.
“It didn’t matter what nationality or race a kid was,″ Chavis told Earl Vaughan Jr. of the Fayetteville Observer in Feb. 2014 following Sampson's death. “He was a kid that needed to be coached.″
Sampson's son will now be looking to win the first national championship of his illustrious coaching career.
His Houston Cougars will be playing the Baylor Bears in the Final Four on Saturday at 5:14 p.m. ET. The winner plays Gonzaga or UCLA on Monday in the national championship.
Houston Will Finally Face Challenges After Historically 'Easy' Final Four Path
Kerry Miller
Mar 30, 2021
Houston guard Marcus Sasser (0) reacts to a basket against Oregon State during the second half of an Elite 8 game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium, Monday, March 29, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Houston Cougars are headed to the Final Four for the first time since 1984 following their 67-61 Monday night victory over the Oregon State Beavers.
After leading 34-17 at halftime, Houston allowed Oregon State to claw all the way back to tie the game at 55-55, but the Cougars' prowess both on defense and on the offensive glass was just too much in the end.
Houston also made too many threes against an Oregon State team that had excelled on the defensive perimeter for the past few weeks. Marcus Sasser led all scorers with 20 points and five made triples. Quentin Grimes was close behind, scoring 18 with four made threes. DeJon Jarreau also made a pair in his second straight game with at least nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
With the victory, Houston became the first team in NCAA tournament history to reach the national semifinals by going through four consecutive double-digit seeds.
The combined seed total of opponents Houston has faced (No. 15 Cleveland State, No. 10 Rutgers, No. 11 Syracuse and No. 12 Oregon State) is 48, and that is just the sixth time a team has faced a seed total of 45 or greater in its first four tournament games.
1990 UNLV faced a 16-8-12-11 path (47 total)
1991 North Carolina faced a 16-9-12-10 path (47 total)
2001 Michigan State faced a 16-9-12-11 path (48 total)
2008 Kansas faced a 16-8-12-10 path (46 total)
2011 Kansas faced a 16-9-12-11 path (48 total), but it lost to No. 11 seed VCU
(Let the record show that Gonzaga's four previous trips to the Elite Eight each featured a combined seed total below 40, and this year's is 35. When I tweeted about Houston's seed path Saturday night, there were a whole bunch of "Well, that's just an average year for Gonzaga" responses and, come on, just stop already.)
That cupcake path is going to be a narrative for the next few days, but don't let it detract from how good this Houston team is.
After beating Texas Tech 64-53 on a neutral court in late November, the Cougars entered December ranked in the top 15 on KenPom and never once abandoned that post. All season long, they have had one of the most efficient defenses and one of the most relentless frontcourts of offensive rebounders, and that has continued through the first four rounds of this tournament.
Despite upsetting three very impressive teams in Tennessee, Oklahoma State and Loyola-Chicago, Oregon State looked hopelessly overmatched most of Monday night. The Beavers switched up their defensive alignments frequently, trying anything and everything to push Houston out of its comfort zone. However, open looks were all but impossible for Oregon State to come by, and it simply could not buy a defensive rebound when it needed one most.
And yet, the Beavers scored more points (61) against Houston than any other team has thus far in this dance. That's a testament to how suffocating this defense typically is.
Houston's DeJon Jarreau
Houston now ranks in the top 15 in the nation in all of the following on defense: steal percentage, block percentage, three-point percentage, two-point percentage, effective field-goal percentage and even free-throw percentage.
That last one might seem more random than defensive, but the Cougars make teams work so hard for every inch of space that even the free-throw strokes look fatigued after a while.
Case in point: Oregon State's Ethan Thompson was 25-of-26 from the charity stripe in his first three games of the tournament, but he shot just 5-of-8 against Houston. Maurice Calloo had not missed a free throw since early February and was 27-of-30 on the season. He missed two of his five tries against the Cougars. They just wear you out.
Perhaps most impressive and unexpected has been Houston's ability to swarm without fouling. Putting opponents at the free-throw line was a common problem during the regular season—frankly, the only significant complaint one could make about this defense—but the Cougars have committed just 14.8 fouls per game during the tournament.
Oh, and the offensive rebounds, otherwise known as the defense played on offense.
Houston had a completely unexpected off night in that department in the Sweet 16 against a Syracuse team that almost always struggles on the defensive glass. The Cougars only got back 29.7 percent of their misses in that one. But they corralled 43.2 percent against Rutgers, 48.5 percent against Cleveland State and 46.3 percent against Oregon State.
All told, Houston has grabbed 62 offensive rebounds while only allowing 86 defensive rebounds. And those second/third/fourth chances usually make a colossal difference for a team that is now 28-3.
It's all remarkable stuff.
But as has been the refrain all season long with the Cougars: Who have they faced?
Every other team that earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed had at least eight Quadrant 1 wins. All the No. 3 seeds had at least six such victories.
Houston, though?
Just two wins in three tries, and one of those two wins was a road game against NET No. 65 SMU—a team that never felt like a serious threat for an at-large bid. The Cougars had that November win over Texas Tech and no other bragging rights. (TTU's primary power forward, Kevin McCullar, wasn't playing at that point in the season, either, because of a high-ankle sprain.)
Suffice it to say, overall strength of schedule was a huge question mark for the Cougars long before the NCAA tournament began, and this little Waltz of the Creampuffs through the Big Dance has done nothing to change that.
Maybe it would be different if Houston had plowed through its four games the way USC destroyed Drake, Kansas and Oregon en route to the Elite Eight. Instead, the Cougars needed a borderline miraculous comeback against Rutgers and narrowly avoided a complete meltdown against Oregon State.
But if you've been patiently waiting for months to see if Houston can hold its own against some of the best teams in the country, you're in luck.
After four consecutive wins on the game's easy setting, it's time for the Cougars to crank the difficulty level up to expert. To win it all, they'll need to beat Baylor in the Final Four and probably Gonzaga in the national championship—merely the two teams we've been hyping up as national championship co-favorites since before the season began.
If that happens, would anyone seriously still care about how weak this year's AAC was or how favorably that Midwest Region broke for the Cougars?
Of course not. We would spend at least the next decade trying to figure out how Houston—the program that was on the receiving end of one of the wildest national championship upsets of all time in 1983—became the lone hurdle this Gonzaga juggernaut couldn't clear.
These Cougars have the defense to beat anyone. And if they win two more games, the strength of opponents they faced in the previous 31 will be an irrelevant footnote on a historic season.
Kerry Miller covers men's college basketball and college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter,@kerrancejames.
Mattress Mack Bets $1M on Houston to Win 2021 Men's NCAA Tournament at 9-1 Odds
Mar 27, 2021
FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2019, file photo, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson talks to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Connecticut, in Hartford, Conn. The entire team piles into Sampson's house before each home game to prepare for the next opponent, eat his wife Karen's delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies and bond like a family. The routine is something Sampson and his players agree has created an environment of closeness and trust that is an integral ingredient in the ninth-ranked Cougars' success this season.(AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
DraftKings announced Saturday that a Houston furniture store mogul placed a $1 million bet on the University of Houston to win the 2021 NCAA men's college basketball tournament.
DraftKings noted that the bet will pay out a total of $10 million ($9 million in profit) if the Cougars win it all at 9-1 odds:
The bet was placed by Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, who owns Gallery Furniture stores in the Houston area and is well known for placing huge sports bets.
In February, McIngvale bet $3.46 million on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win Super Bowl LV. The Bucs beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9, netting him $2.75 million in profit.
Per Darren Rovell of The Action Network, Mattress Mack said he flew on his plane from Houston to Denver on Friday night in order to place the $1 million bet on the Cougars on the DraftKings mobile betting app, and then flew back home.
Mattress Mack had to fly out of Texas since mobile sports betting is not legal in the state.
When asked why he decided to place the bet through DraftKings, Mattress Mack said:"DraftKingshad the best number at 9-1 and they were willing to take the full amount."
Mattress Mack is known for tying the fate of Houston-area sports teams into promotions at his furniture stores, and he plans to do the same with the Houston men's basketball team.
McIngvale said the bet is a hedge against a Final Four promotion he plans to run if the Cougs make it that far. Should that happen, he plans to give patrons 50 percent off purchases if Houston wins in the Final Four and 100 percent off if the team wins the national championship.
Houston is a No. 2 seed by virtue of its 26-3 record this season, and it has already beaten Cleveland State and Rutgers en route to the Sweet 16.
The Cougars will face the 11th-seeded Syracuse Orange on Saturday for a spot in the Elite Eight, where they would take on either No. 8 Loyola Chicago or No. 12 Oregon State for a spot in the Final Four.
Houston has never won a national title, although it has lost in the Final Four five times and the National Championship Game twice, but not since 1984.
For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.
