The Houston Cougars won their first Big 12 tournament game in school history, a 60-45 victory over the TCU Horned Frogs. According to ESPN, TCU’s 23.3% shooting was the lowest in the Tournament in 24 years. UH’s defense held the Frogs to their worst shooting percentage in over 10 years.

UH started the game with a chip on their shoulder after TCU’s upset win in Fort Worth in January. Before the game, the Horned Frogs were the only team in the Big 12 that Houston had not yet beaten.

The Coogs started the game on a 16-0 run and never looked back.

the daily #224 | 3/15/2024 | Archives
 

Houston appeared to have been shot out of a cannon. They swarmed on defense and made TCU look silly on both ends of the floor. The game was never close.

What UH did well

1. Houston made Emanuel Miller look like bad. Miller was the “head of the snake” coming into the game. He entered the game averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds. He finished the game with 3 points on 1/10 shooting. He had 5 offensive rebounds and seven overall but struggled mightily to capitalize on them. He injured his ankle late in the first half but returned in the second and led the team in minutes played with 34.
2. The Coogs held the #1 nationally ranked fast-break team (18.59 transition offense points per game) to only ONE fast-break point! That was huge, as it is the key to victory for TCU.
3. UH defended the paint without fouling (I wouldn’t ask a Horned Frog fan if they agree). TCU shot 14 free throws on Thursday, compared to the 29 they shot in Ft. Worth in January. They don’t shoot from outside very well and they proved that Thursday – going 2/20. They want to get to the basket and draw fouls. Houston did a phenomenal job guarding the paint without letting them get to the line often.
4. The Coogs did a great job of forcing 15 turnovers. Their “monster trap” in the post and “blitzing” guard traps affected the Horned Frogs all day. UH had several deflections that ultimately led to steals. You can’t have 15 turnovers and expect to win against Houston.

What TCU did well

1. TCU owned the offensive glass, finishing with 30 offensive rebounds. UH was better in the second half, holding TCU to 8 offensive rebounds. Kelvin Sampson made a great point in the post-game presser that, due to injuries, UH has to play more four-guard lineups than usual, and the guards must rebound more. The team depends on J’Wan Roberts and Ja’Vier Francis more than ever, and he said that he challenged them at half-time (J’Wan finished with 10 rebounds while Ja’Vier had nine). The three starting guards had 0 offensive rebounds combined.
2. The Coogs struggle against big, athletic forwards, and Micah Peavy was a problem for them on Thursday. He has a similar game to KJ Adams (Kansas), Dillon Mitchell (Texas), and Jalon Moore (Oklahoma). All of those guys usually lead their team in rebounding when playing UH. Peavy finished the game with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He was a force on the offensive glass (he finished with 7).
3. Their traps bothered the Coogs. UH had 13 turnovers, but TCU couldn’t capitalize on them. They were able to make the game ugly by playing solid pressure defense.
4. We mentioned that to beat UH, you better limit Jamal Shead and get the ball out of his hands. TCU didn’t do that. However, Shead didn’t have his best game but still finished with 12 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals against one turnover. Most teams would give anything to have a performance like that from their point guard. I suspect Jamal wasn’t excited about his final stats and will look to have a huge game Friday vs Texas Tech.

What’s next?

The Cougars (29-3, 15-3) will take on Texas Tech (23-9, 11-7) Friday evening at 6 p.m. The Red Raiders have found a new identity since the last time they matched up with Houston. Their 7’0″ big man, Warren Washington, has been out for a few games with a foot injury, and they have played a smaller/quicker lineup. This has helped open up their driving lanes and allowed them to play more aggressively on defense. It has, however, taken away an elite rim protector and should help the Coogs attack the paint.

The Red Raiders are led by their paint-attacking guards, Joe Toussaint and Pop Isaacs. They love to get the ball in the paint, looking to score or to kick out to open shooters like Kerwin Walton. Darrion Williams and Robert Jennings have improved since their last meeting with the Coogs and will look to bring energy on both ends.

If the Coogs defend as they did on Thursday, I believe they will beat Tech and play for a Big 12 Tournament Championship. They will need to shut down Pop Isaacs like they did Emanuel Miller. He is a three-level scorer and can score in bunches when he gets hot. Jamal Shead and company will take that personally and look to survive and advance to face the winner of Baylor and Iowa State.