2 Key Takeaways From No. 2 Houston's First Round Win Over No. 15 Idaho
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The beginning of the road to Indianapolis for No. 2 seed Houston men's basketball saw it facing a No. 15-seeded Idaho program in its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1990, having won the Big Sky conference.
Considering the prior history coach Kelvin Sampson had in facing the Vandals, and with multiple chips on the table from a tournament drought elapsed 37 years, there were eyes for upset opportunities at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City to cap off a hectic day of action there.
But a series of double-digit performances in scoring and rebounding among Houston's starting freshmen in their NCAA tournament debuts helped create separation towards the Cougars' 78-47 blowout win over the Vandals Thursday night.
Guard Kingston Flemings' 18-point tournament debut was the highlight among five Cougars in double-figure scoring, while forward Chris Cenac Jr. mustered a career-high 18 rebounds to help them win the battle of the boards a staggering plus-15.
Both efforts found Houston with its second Round of 32 date with Texas A&M in three seasons set for Saturday, March 21, with implications of bringing home crowd support in-state back on the line.
But while it may have been another show of dominance for Houston in dodging another opening day full of madness, the blowout gave two notable takeaways that inspire confidence among multiple areas of coach Kelvin Sampson's roster heading into second round.
Has Miller Madness arrived off Sampson's bench?
In a season filled with opportunities for Sampson's bench to gradually earn and increase its minutes as it progressed into postseason play, one such case showed in sophomore guard Mercy Miller's second consecutive double-figure performance.
In tying his second-most minutes played this season with 24, Miller became the fifth Cougar to post double figures on Thursday with 10 points off 4-for-9 shooting, with two made triples over the top, a steal and a block towards turning the contest into a gym run-out.
But those 24 minutes may have just been the start of an increased role in tournament progression, where as the competition gets tougher, instances like starters entering foul trouble require Miller's extended presence on the floor.
What once became a recipe for separation in a blowout can become a recipe to seal a game in its final seconds, potentially down at the charity stripe.
Freshman 18s bring record performances
Two things came in a series of 18s for Houston's starting freshman in record-breaking and career performances.
With Flemings' 18-point tournament debut, which had him begin a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor, he officially set the Houston freshman program record for scoring in an NCAA tournament game as a whole.
Considering this is only his debut, that record has the potential to be broken multiple more times towards a potential run to the third weekend and helping Houston finally fulfill the dream.
But on the boards, it took Cenac's tournament debut to set a new career-high on the mark with 18 rebounds. 17 of them came defensively towards staying at bay himself with Idaho's entire defensive rebounding tally on the night, and his original career-high even became tied with 19 game minutes remaining overall.
Both freshmen achieving these feats towards avoiding the madness of the first day, considering the draw Houston has toward advancing to its first Final Four appearance out of the South region, have shown the Cougars can advance far on the heels of their youthful talent in a tournament deep of its best freshman class in ages.
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.