Houston Cougars Show Early Improvements on Defense vs Towson

Kelvin Sampson's trademark defense is already taking shape early in the season with their performance against the Tigers.

Nov 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Towson Tigers guard Tyler Tejada (15) controls the ball as Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) defends during the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On Saturday night, the Houston Cougars moved to 2-0 on the season with a 65-48 win over the Towson Tigers. While the offense took a small step back, Coog Nation was reminded that head coach Kelvin Sampson's teams will always excel at winning the defensive battles.

Last season, the Cougars gave up just 58.7 points per game to opposing offenses. Not only did Houston have the best defense in the Big 12, but it also had the best defense in the country. While it may be early in the season, the Cougars already look like they're in midseason form defensively.

Across the board, the Towson Tigers shot just 38.8% from the field and a measly 16.6% from the three-point line. Houston's suffocating defense totaled 11 steals, forcing the Tigers to turn the ball over 18 times.

Joseph Tugler Does It All

Nov 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Towson Tigers forward Caleb Embeya (23) attempts to get a rebound away from Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) during the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One of the more positive performances offensively came from junior forward Joseph Tugler. On a night where the Cougar offense wasn't operating as intended, the Monroe, Louisiana native still found his way to 15 points shooting 7 of 14 from the field.

Not only was Tugler second in scoring for the Cougars on Saturday, but the junior was a factor in every part of the win. The junior just narrowly missed out on a double-double with eight total rebounds. Defensively, Tugler was giving the Tigers fits all night with five steals and one block.

Joseph Tugler, Houston 6-8 PF, 20 y/o
-Strong case for CBB's best defender: 12.4 BLK%, 2.8 STL%, off-ball instincts off the charts with the movement/hops to make plays, capitalize on quick processing/reads. Guards all different archetypes
-14.5 O-REB%. Motor/physicality under… pic.twitter.com/l3ECiuCG8k

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) October 6, 2025

The forward's playmaking ability at both ends of the court are what separate him from your average college basketball player. Before the season began, Tugler was selected as the CBS Sports Preseason National Defensive Player of the Year and is currently on the Naismith Men’s College POY Watch List.

Intensity for 40 Minutes

Nov 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Mercy Miller (25) reacts after making a basket during the first half against the Towson Tigers at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks last week, the Cougars came away with a 75-57 win. In the second period, Houston was outscored 34-31 after leading by 21 at halftime. While it didn't affect the outcome of the game, both the Cougars' offense and defense regressed in small ways.

It was an entirely different story against Towson on Saturday. Not only did Houston improve on their overall defense against the Tigers, but they also managed to turn up the heat after a second half that left much to be desired. After leading 33-26 at halftime against Towson, the Cougars were relentless in the second period, only allowing the Tigers to score 22 points.

For Coach Sampson, the Cougars' intensity for all 40 minutes is likely something that he loves to see — even if it isn't against a Power Four opponent. While we might not be in conference play yet, seeing improvement in Houston's patented defense this early in the season is something to take note of.