What the Rebound Battle Means For Houston Cougars Heading Into Big 12 Play
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By no standards was the No. 8 Houston Cougars' 69-60 non-conference finale win over Middle Tennessee on Dec. 29 pretty for a Quad 3 matchup out of a nine-day break.
Although starting forwards Joseph Tugler and Chris Cenac Jr. led the way for the Cougars, each with six boards in their 31 total as a team, this wasn't enough to win the rebounding battle over the Blue Raiders' 33.
For the third time through the final seven games of non-conference games and for the first at Fertitta Center this season, Houston has either lost or tied in the rebounding battle. This was also the first time since their 53-48 win over St. Mary's on Dec. 3, 2022, that the Cougars had lost that battle against a non-power conference opponent.
There haven't been the prettiest of wins early on in non-conference play in the campaign, and though it's not meant to be a beauty pageant in general, the three-possession win left what felt like the most sour note for coach Kelvin Sampson and the team in a while, as evident in their postgame press conference.
“It hurts my heart to say this, but I just thought they played harder than we did,” Sampson said. “Thought they outhustled us, they out-scrapped us. They were the aggressor.”
Leading that aggression off the boards for Middle Tennessee was redshirt sophomore forward Torey Alston's 10-point, 12-rebound double-double as one of three double-figure scorers for the Blue Raiders who gave the Cougars fits off the glass out of a nine-day break.
From out-boarded to facing Big 12 boards leaders
Knowing that its margin of error is almost thin to none in Big 12 play with the consideration of its freshman core of Cenac and guard Kingston Flemings, the performance was rather one Sampson wanted washed away with his greater emphasis on grabbing boards compared to scoring.
It requires a quick turnaround in that department, as right out of the gate, the Cougars will face the Big 12 rebounding leader in senior forward Baba Miller in the conference road opener against Cincinnati on Saturday, Jan. 3. In 11 games, he's averaged 11.5 boards.
Three days later, Houston will have to contend with reigning Big 12 Player of the Year and junior forward JT Toppin, second in rebounds to Miller, in its midweek conference home opener on Jan. 6.
Though it may provide a relief to fans that Sampson's standards are set high for the program even when not satisfied with particular wins, his message remains the same in not overreacting on one.
The 2024-25 campaign proved that conference play made Houston a different animal even when faced with the best in the Big 12, starting out favorably in their non-conference slates, and so Sampson's prospect can still hold true in that consideration.
Therefore, it wouldn't be entirely surprising that the Cougars improve their hustle on the boards starting Saturday, even when faced with the toughest frontcourt rebounding competition out of the gate.
All that remains is the slight Achilles' heel for Houston is dealing with foul trouble amongst its starting frontcourt, as Tugler and Cenac picked up three and two fouls on Monday, respectively, after combining for seven personal fouls in their performances against Arkansas on Dec. 20.
Though the quiet relief is that redshirt fifth-year forward Kalifa Sakho is slated to make his return for the Big 12 opener Saturday.
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.