3 Takeaways From Houston's Blowout Win Over Texas A&M in March Madness
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Seven. Straight. Sweet 16s.
How has such consistency been amassed in that time? It comes in three different things stressed by coach Kelvin Sampson in his 12-season tenure at Houston:
Defense, rebounding, and clean basketball.
When holding No. 10 seed Texas A&M to 35% shooting, winning the battle of the boards plus-17 and the turnover battle plus-4, all became tone-setters for No. 2 Houston men's basketball's 88-57 blowout win in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Saturday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Not only did it help extend an incredible program streak for Houston, but by way of back-to-back 31-point wins in the first weekend, it ultimately earned the Cougars the right to play just two miles away from campus amidst home crowd support.
Add the help of four Cougars in double-figure scoring, including 18 points from redshirt senior guard Emanuel Sharp and a near double-double from freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr., and Sampson has also amassed a fifth-straight 30-win season for the program.
As Houston awaits the winner of No. 14 seed VCU against No. 3 Illinois for a Thursday date at Toyota Center, here are three takeaways to consider from wire-to-wire domination to cap off the first weekend.
Early pounce on offensive glass sets the stage for separation
Rebounding has been a common stressing point for Sampson throughout his tenure as a true method of cashing in a winning effort, no matter how big or small the resulting margin is.
In Houston's case, one step that signaled early signs of pulling away was a racking of 10 offensive rebounds, with as many as four in one possession, in just the first nine minutes of the contest.
It effectively set a tone on the boards that saw the Cougars never relent on its lead, as with the help of Texas A&M's six-minute field goal drought from the floor, Houston elapsed a 21-4 run to close the opening half.
While the point separation proved drastic towards moving to the second weekend, the story truly lies larger in a staggering plus-10 finish for Houston on the offensive glass.
Not only did it create extra possessions throughout that led to a second consecutive 31-point win, but it led to no Texas A&M starter scoring in double-figures.
Home is where the Houston is
Heading into the matchup, a lot more than realized was on the line for both Texas A&M and Houston considering the regionality of both supporting fanbases.
While the Cougars were vying for a spot to play just two miles from the campus at UH, the Aggies, just under 100 miles away from downtown Houston, were looking to bring their mounting network of fans and alumni in the Gulf Coast region to show out at Toyota Center.
But with another show of domination from Houston, the support can only grow from the whole city to leave for an environment similar to Fertitta Center towards helping potentially life the Cougars to a second consecutive Final Four for the first time since the Phi Slama Jama era.
Is Miller Madness close to signature?
Once again, in a 31-point blowout effort, sophomore guard Mercy Miller is the double-figure effort for for Sampson's bench in over 20 minutes of action. With each passing postseason outing, one can wonder if his role will increase once the tensions roll tighter against single-digit seeds.
In an efficient 22 minutes, Miller racked up 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting and a triple over the top, but also garnered two blocks and a steal towards an already fatiguing Texas A&M offense.
Will a fourth consecutive double-figure game off the bench for Miller be the template for a potential signature month namesake?
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.