Kelvin Sampson Gives Hilarious Quote On Houston Star Jojo Tugler
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Houston showed out in the first game of the season, coming out victorious with a 75-57 win over Lehigh.
Several players had standout games, but returning forward Joseph Tugler struggled, and head coach Kelvin Sampson made sure to let him know in the post-game press conference.
”I thought out of all the freshmen last night, that Jojo was the worst one,” Sampson said. “Then I reminded myself, wait a minute, he’s a junior.”
What Jojo Brings To Houston
Jokes aside, Tugler is one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference and he is set for a big year.
He did struggle in the season opener, ending the night with five turnovers, but managed to score 11 points.
Just over a week ago, in the scrimmage against Mississippi State, Tugler was dominant on both sides of the ball.
He finished the game with 17 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
The veteran forward also received recognition in the offseason by being named the CBS Sports’ Preseason National Defensive Player of the Year.
He is coming off a great defensive season where he averaged two blocks and a steal per game.
Due to his stellar performance, he also won the Lefty Driesell Award and was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
This year, he looks to continue that same defensive dominance, but the team will utilize Tugler in a different role.
With the loss of L.J. Cryer, J’Wan Roberts, Mylik Wilson and Ja’Vier Francis, the Cougars will need Tugler to step up his play on the offensive side.
Last season, he averaged just 5.5 points per game, and that will not be enough to lead the team back to the championship game.
Tugler has already shown improvement around the rim, scoring 17 and 11 points in the first two games.
He will also be utilized to fill in for Roberts, who played a huge role in the offense last year.
Tugler will be relied on to play tough defense, score in the paint and to make smart passes as several Houston possessions begin with him with the ball at the top of the key.
Next Up
Houston will take on Townson on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. inside the Fertitta Center.
The Cougars have a 98.2% chance to win according to the ESPN Matchup Predictor, and they will look to continue to improve with several tough games on the horizon.
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).