The Good, Bad, and Ugly From Houston Basketball’s Win Over Lehigh
In this story:
The Houston Cougars have had quite the run under head coach Kelvin Sampson.
With Sampson at the helm, the Coogs have been lifted from mediocrity and thrust into the national spotlight, consistently competing for National titles.
With many calling his ability to return to the big dance after losing multiple star players to graduation, Sampson is out to prove people wrong with his young squad. After Houston recorded its first victory of the season, here are the good, bad and ugly from the dominant win over Lehigh.
The Good
A major part of Houston’s success this season will fall on the team’s core group of experienced veterans. Guard Emanuel Sharp led the way over Lehigh. He scored 24 points, seven rebounds and an assist, which led all scorers.
Forward Joseph Tugler had an elite defensive performance while still contributing on the offensive side, recording 11 points, two rebounds, three assists and four blocks.
Guard Milos Uzan was also a major contributor for the familiar Cougars, recording 12 points, five rebounds and five assists on the night.
Out of the newcomers, Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. combined for 20 points, 12 rebounds and two assists, making their presence felt early on in the year.
The Bad
With a decent amount of minutes, the Houston bench seemed to struggle offensively against Lehigh. The reserves put up eight combined points and two assists when on the court, something that will need to improve as the long season progresses. If scoring comes to a standstill when the starters are out of the game, the blue bloods of college basketball will absolutely feast on it.
It was not all bad for the Houston reserves. Freshman guard Isiah Harwell recorded four steals in the win, positively contributing to the Cougars’ turnover margin.
The Ugly
The Cougars recorded 13 turnovers, which, considering the new talent on the squad, is not that bad for a season opener. However, what is bad is that five of those 13 giveaways came from one player.
With Tugler’s five turnovers, the next highest amount of giveaways by a player was two. If one player coughs up the rock five times, it can inflate the team’s turnover rate, especially if every other player records a normal one or two turnovers a game. While the Coogs were able to get away with a dominant win here, if it continues, turnovers could become a cause for concern as the season progresses.
