An Experienced Houston Cougars Squad is Being Powered By a Talented Young Core
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The Houston Cougars have been steamrolling through the first half of the college basketball season, as the season turns over into the conference portion of the schedule, and the Coogs have done well, sitting with a 16-1 overall record and a perfect record in the Big 12 through four games.
The Cougars are largely led by their experienced trio of guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan and forward Joseph Tugler, with the three players being key returners from the Houston squad that made a run to the title game of the NCAA Tournament last year.
And so far through the first 17 games of the season, it's been just like many expected, with Sharp leading the Cougars in scoring per game, Uzan finding his rhythm as a double-digit scorer, and Tugler making impacts elsewhere as he leads the Coogs in steals and blocks per game. However, a new wrinkle added to the Coogs is an infusion of young talent that has been powering Houston.
Houston's Freshmen Have Found Their Way
Houston has depended on many of its freshmen players so far this season, with both guard Kingston Flemings and forward Chris Cenac Jr. starting from game one with the Cougars veteran core, and both guard Isiah Harwell and forward Chase McCarty are finding their roles on the squad.
After the Cougars' blowout victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers, head coach Kelvin Sampson spoke about the adjustments the young players have had to make and highlighted how the Coogs have been able to remain a top team with the increased roles of those young players.
“Proud of our young guys, not very many teams in the top 10 in the country are playing four freshmen," Sampson said. "And we paid the severance for that early, by playing four freshmen, because you’re not going to look great because you’re playing four freshmen. But we hung in there with them, let them make their mistakes.”
The leading freshman for the Coogs has undoubtedly been Flemings with the guard sitting as the second-leading scorer, averaging 15.4 points per game along with 3.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. The guards' start to the season has not gone unrecognized, as Flemings earned a midseason Third-Team All-American selection by The Sporting News.
The other younger player that has played a big part in the Cougars' early-season success is Cenac, with the big man averaging 9.1 points per game with a team-high 7.6 rebounds and about a block per game.
And off the bench, Harwell has found his role after easing into the season with the guard being a big piece in the Cougars' second unit as he averages 5.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, as well as McCarty, who is averaging 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds off the bench.
