The Good, Bad and Ugly from No. 1 Houston Cougars' Win Over Oakland
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No. 1 Houston Cougars concluded their opening three-game homestand with a 78-45 win over Oakland at Fertitta Center on Wednesday, backed by three players in double-figure scoring in their strongest showing yet, featuring the prized freshman class.
Coming into the game, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, led by coach Greg Kampe in his Division 1 active record 42nd season, stayed neck and neck with previously top-ranked Purdue on Saturday thanks to outscoring the Boilermakers in the paint.
This set a small narrative around the college basketball community about how Oakland could be a potential home trap game for Houston, considering the Cougars' freshman growing pains through their first two games against Lehigh and Towson.
Houston wasted no time in putting the narrative to rest as it finished with a +7 turnover margin and a 45% night from the floor. There's a handful of things good to write home about as we sorted it all out to the good, bad and ugly:
The Good: Sharp, Flemings lead the way, plus multiple small surprises
Freshman guard Kingston Flemings is effectively setting his presence as a playmaker for Houston, as he continued his torrid stretch from Saturday by racking up 19 points on 8 of 12 from the field while grabbing a stout five of the Cougars' 46 rebounds after they were out-rebounded on Saturday against Towson.
A quick shot at redemption from a 2-for-7 outing from three-point range on Saturday turned into five triples and a 19-point outing for redshirt senior guard Emanuel Sharp. Though it may not always be his game, he gave the Cougars a taste of his long-standing sharp-shooter prowess.
There were multiple surprises off the bench, which, after a scoreless first half, freshman guard Isiah Harwell scored a late nine points of 3 of 6 from the floor, including a triple. Additionally, sophomore guard Mercy Miller scored seven first-half points.
The boards were also greatly beneficial off the bench, as redshirt fifth year guard Ramon Walker Jr. racked up a team-leading six rebounds. Redshirt fifth year forward Kalifa Sakho tied Flemings' mark on the boards with five of his own off the bench in utilization of his 7-foot-4 wingspan.
The Bad: Not much to write home about
You could definitely make a case that there was not much bad to write about from this game, as the Cougars delivered their best performance against an Oakland program that played close with the previous top team in the nation, and Houston's defense found its maximum potential in suffocation against a mid-major opponent.
The Cougars are dominating the turnover battle in key minutes, paired with holding the Golden Grizzlies to just a hint over 30% from the floor while dominating the boards in response to their Saturday mark, showing they are ready for their first true test in facing No. 22 Auburn on Sunday in Birmingham, Ala. The 46 rebounds in a collective effort across the rotation prove that scoring doesn't always tell the story in a complete team outing.
The Ugly: McCarty with a scare
With 8:11 remaining in the game, redshirt freshman forward Chase McCarty came down trying to defend a layup by junior forward Isaac Garrett, and he was nailed in the head on the attempt.
He was helped off the floor subsequently after lying in pain, but it appeared he was intact lower-body-wise. Coach Kelvin Sampson gave no status update regarding him in his postgame presser.
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.