On Big Monday, the Coogs beat Baylor comfortably 76-65. Even with an 11-point margin of victory, the game was never that close. Baylor had one of its best shooting nights of the season, and they never posed a threat. Houston led by 25 with under six minutes before Baylor went on a run to prevent it from being an embarrassing blowout.
After the loss to Texas Tech, UH picked up two wins over Oklahoma State and Colorado, which were a little too close for comfort. Emanuel Sharp sat in both of those games, nursing an injured foot. A win is a win in this league, but fans were worried about Houston’s direction. They aren’t used to seeing a home loss and then struggling against inferior teams. UH fans think 20+ point wins are the norm, and those “close” wins feel different.
Of course, there are good reasons that UH has “struggled” – Emanuel Sharp hasn’t been healthy in weeks, LJ Cryer has been dealing with a hand injury since the Utah game, and Ja’Vier Francis had a concussion vs. Oklahoma State. With all three back and healthy, Monday was the much-needed get-right game.
It is weird to say, but it seems many didn’t realize how vital Emanuel is until he was gone. It is a little crazy to think that you can take for granted the contributions a one of the best shooters in the country. With him in the game, UH’s offense is dangerous all over the court, and he changes the way opponents defend the Cougars. Pick your poison between Sharp, LJ, or J’Wan, and then defenses have to hope that Uzan, Mylik, and Arceneaux don’t tear you up.
That is precisely what happened to Baylor. They were missing their starting big man so they had to come up with a plan to address an attack that they couldn’t defend straight up. They tried to go zone, and J’Wan ate up gaps in the zone, then LJ and Emanuel shot over the top of it. When they switched to man-to-man defense, that opened things up more for J’Wan, and it also allowed Milos, Mylik, and Arceneaux to get to the paint off the dribble. By the final buzzer UH had 5 of those guys in double figures and Mylik chipped in 9.
Big Monday was a good reminder of what this team is and what it can still be. For all the uneasiness over the last few weeks, the Coogs are sitting at 20-4 overall and leading the Big 12 with a 12-1 record.
Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, but this win was a much-needed confidence boost. This weekend, UH has a monster test in Tucson against the second-place Arizona Wildcats. If the Coogs can continue playing to their standard, it should be a good weekend.
