2 Key Takeaways From Houston Cougars' Win at No. 16 BYU
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With 35 combined points from freshman guard Kingston Flemings and forward Chris Cenac Jr., paired with a crucial late surge on the offensive glass, the No. 8 Houston Cougars waltzed out of Marriott Center in Provo, Utah with an 77-66 win over No. 16 BYU late Saturday night.
Amongst three freshmen performers from stacked season class in the matchup, Flemings led the winning effort for Houston with 19 points on 8 of 18 shooting and 15 of the Cougars' 15 assists, spoiling a 28-point, three-triple performance from forward AJ Dybantsa.
Though it was a matchup that left multiple NBA draft scouts in awe, the story of the game lied in Houston's battle of the boards, as six offensive rebounds across a 3:45-long stretch into the final media timeout allowed its efforts to ultimately hold firm considering BYU logged 28 trips to the stripe on the night.
As a result, BYU was handed its fourth straight loss in Big 12 play to fall to 5-5 in the league after starting 4-0.
On Houston's end, here are two takeaways in how the Cougars improved to 21-2 overall and 9-1 in Big 12 play.
Cenac takes the freshman frontcourt battle
With Cenac averaging close to 10 points and eight rebounds through 23 games overall, a quiet case could be made for him to contend as a Big 12 Freshman of the Year finalist towards the back end of the regular season and jump back into lottery range as an NBA Draft prospect.
In having a rough go from beyond the arc in Wednesday's win over UCF, Cenac launched two of Houston's seven triples towards his 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting.
In effectively sharing the boards among his backcourt, he finished with five of Houston's 40 rebounds towards a plus-4 finish on the glass to once again prove that it's the opportunities that create scoring that matter more than the scoring itself, making his stance before Dybantsa speak volumes.
Sakho's minutes become more precious on the offensive glass
In the case of redshirt fifth year forward Kalifa Sakho, two of his three rebounds on the night came in the same crucial stretch of six offensive boards for which Houston had experienced a minus-7 disadvantage late in the game.
That stretch also showcased the physicality of his defensive prowess in the post considering his 7-foot-4 wingspan.
Now, over the last three games, he's averaged 4.7 rebounds, and depending on the test severity of Houston's frontcourt in the final stretch of Big 12 play, he has a chance to bring his season average towards a finish of around three to four boards per game.
Big steps for a former JuCo talent now a member of a national title contender.
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.