Houston basketball is about to begin its run in March Madness once again for the eighth straight season. Last year, the Cougars were the Big 12 regular season and tournament champions entering the NCAA Tournament, but this season that was not the case.
The Arizona Wildcats took both of those crowns from the Cougars, and Houston ended up in second place in both of those races. Houston faced Arizona for the second time this season in the Big 12 Tournament championship and came up just short 79-74, in a game that came down to the wire.
Given how young the Cougars are, the tournament experience was quite valuable to the team. Houston will still likely take one more jump of improvement heading into the NCAA Tournament. Here are two reasons why UH’s Big 12 tournament run to the final will help them in March Madness.
Freshmen get to see what it’s like
If Houston basketball is going to go all the way this year again, it will be the two starting freshmen who would’ve likely played a big role. It all starts with freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, who is the team’s leading scorer and the youngest All-American in UH basketball history. While he had a good game against BYU with 17 points and the game-icing shot and followed that up with 22 against Kansas, Flemings did struggle against Arizona with just eight points on 3/12 shooting.
Flemings has been consistent all year for the Cougars, and he got a taste of what a big college tournament is like. This was mostly for Chris Cenac Jr., who is a key player for Houston basketball. If Cenac can deliver, Houston’s offense is on another level. It depends if he’s a confident shooter from three and the midrange. He’s a great rebounder and has more experience against a team with strong bigs like Arizona. His game against Kansas proves the exact point, as his 17 points were a huge reason why Houston blew out the Jayhawks.
Not only that, but Chase McCarty continues to get more minutes as a redshirt freshman.
Final reflection vs the top teams
I wanted Houston to face Arizona in the Big 12 tournament championship to get another crack at what is likely the best team in the country. The Wildcats are a tough matchup for Houston with their paint scoring and front court, while their defense and two guards, Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries, are excellent.
It was another great learning experience for this Houston team that is yet to fire on all cylinders. There has not been one game this season where all three guards alongside Joseph Tugler and Cenac Jr. were all at their best. This Houston team can still improve and grow even in the week leading up to the tournament.
The Cougars have beaten some strong teams throughout the year, like Arkansas, a healthy Texas Tech, BYU, Kansas, and TCU. Houston basketball got one more look at what needs to improve against the best of the best. Tugler has clearly taken a leap on offense. It can also give motivation the senior guards in Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan to wake up from their slumps in March Madness.