The Cougars pulled out another win Saturday afternoon, their 20th of the season, and could move back to #2 in the AP Poll after Alabama’s blowout loss to Oklahoma.
A few notes, nuggets, and observations from the afternoon:
Kelvin Sampson came out in a coat and tie, but then his team came out flat. Sampson wore the suit as part of the nationwide Coaches vs. Cancer weekend. You could tell Kelvin has lost some weight since the last time he wore a suit during a game, as it was a bit baggy on him. He kept the jacket on longer than could be expected.
But the tie? The tie made it an eternity, almost three minutes into the second half. That’s one of college basketball’s biggest upsets this season.
Early on, Cincinnati was hungrier and more focused, and they went to the rack with more determination. They also shot the bleep out of the three. The Bearcats were quicker to loose balls, something you never see, and outrebounded Houston. It was obvious which team had spent a week stewing over an emotional home loss and which team was tipping off for the third time in less than seven days.
But in the second half, the Houston we know emerged, clamped down on defense, challenged everything the Bearcats attempted, and shut down their offense over the final 10+ minutes. After a ridiculous 8/12 on threes in the first half, Cincinnati returned to earth and shot 3/15 in the second.
Jarace Walker had a really nice game Saturday, scoring 25, grabbing seven boards, and blocking two shots. Most of his points came from turnaround or pull-up jumpers, meaning he is still is not challenging inside. But some of the shots he made were incredible, and he made a lot of tough jumpers (he was 8/10 inside the arc). Kelvin Sampson has demanded he play with more heart, and Jarace responded.
The next hurdle is to play well at Wichita, showing he can string together strong performances. He did that vs. SMU and Cincinnati in early January, then missed a game with illness (USF).
Saturday was the fifth time Cincinnati has made five or fewer free throws in a game this year and the third time in conference play. Cincinnati averages under 13 FT attempts a game in AAC games, while 2023-24 AAC members Memphis and Tulane shoot 13 and 11 more a game.
| Team | FTA Per Game | 2023- Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 25.75 | AAC |
| Tulane | 24.0 | AAC |
| USF | 22.1 | AAC |
| SMU | 22.0 | AAC |
| Temple | 21.4 | AAC |
| UCF | 20.6 | Big 12 |
| ECU | 20.1 | AAC |
| Wichita St | 19.4 | AAC |
| Houston | 17.1 | Big 12 |
| Tulsa | 14.25 | AAC |
| Cincinnati | 12.9 | Big 12 |
I’m not saying… but I’m saying.
When J’Wan Roberts tied it at 62, it seemed like the loudest Fertitta had ever been. It was a nervous energy, as fans had seen a similar situation a week before, but this time, the Cougars outscored UC 13-7 to finish off the win.
After a little slump, Jamal Shead has returned to his former self. After ten assists on Wednesday night, Shead was clutch in the UH rally against the Bearcats. He’s played pretty well in five of his last six games. His defense, which has waned in conference play, has been getting better, too.
For the first time this season, UH stayed in a hotel before a home game. This has been planned since before the season and was not about the home game distractions Kelvin Sampson discussed with the media earlier in the week. The Coogs will do the same for most, if not all, remaining home games.
Strength coach Alan Bishop told me before the game that JoJo Tugler has a 7’6″ wing span. That’s an astonishing 90 inches and will be the longest wingspan on the team, an inch longer than Ja’Vier Francis.
For perspective, Hakeem reportedly has a 7’6″ wingspan, too. I’ve flown on planes with less of a wing span than the Dream and Tugler.
In the postgame, Kelvin Sampson talked about using Marcus Sasser as a decoy. Cincinnati locked him down mostly, but Sasser drew the attention that helped Jarace and Shead make plays down the stretch.
Just an oddity: Sasser did not shoot a free throw from the 10:43 mark in the UCF game until 4 seconds to play Saturday.
Saturday was UH’s 10th time on CBS in the last five seasons. The Coogs have gone 8-2 in those games.
Wins: @Cincinnati (2019); Memphis (2020); @Temple, Memphis, Oregon State* (2021); Wichita State, Illinois* (2022); Cincinnati (2023).
Losses: @Memphis, Baylor* (2021).
*NCAA Tournament