(Picture credit score: Troy Taormina-Imagn Pictures)
When answering a query about working one among his freshmen into the fold, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson acquired sidetracked as he made a request to the assembled media.
‘I would like everyone to cease evaluating this staff to final 12 months’s staff. This staff won’t ever be nearly as good as that staff — most groups will not,’ Sampson stated of the Cougars squad that reached the nationwide title recreation, dropping to Florida. ‘… I would like this staff to be nearly as good as it may be. Not so good as this staff or that staff; that is kinda foolish.’
Certainly, No. 7 Houston bears little resemblance to the 2024-25 squad that received 35 video games, with solely Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan and Joseph Tugler as the important thing returning items. Sampson’s new roster has been powered by first-year gamers, and he’ll proceed to construct their video games and confidence when the Cougars host New Orleans on Saturday afternoon.
The freshman who Sampson was requested about was Isiah Harwell, one among three five-star recruits in Houston’s class together with Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. Whereas Flemings (14.8 factors, 5.1 assists per recreation) and Cenac (8.9 factors, 7.7 rebounds per recreation) have been spectacular early of their faculty careers, Harwell had made much less of an influence in restricted minutes off the bench.
Then got here Wednesday’s recreation in opposition to Jackson State, when Harwell scored a career-high 20 factors in 24 minutes, together with 4 3-pointers, in an 80-38 win.
A part of Harwell’s journey has been recovering from a torn ACL late in his highschool profession, owing to his slower growth this season.
‘They by no means gave up on me, by no means gave up confidence in me,’ stated Harwell, who’s averaging 5.3 factors per recreation. ‘Coach all the time put confidence in me, the staff all the time hyping me and nonetheless placing confidence in me. I feel that is a part of their program and that is why I got here right here. So actually I do not take any credit score for it; it was all of the staff that put me on this place.’
Harwell and Sharp (23 factors) mixed to supply greater than half of Houston’s offense on Wednesday. Sharp leads Houston at 18.1 factors per recreation and has shot 41.2% from 3-point vary, whereas Flemings has hit 53.8% (14 of 26).
Houston will welcome close by New Orleans (3-7), which has had an up-and-down season.
The Privateers opened with a 78-74 upset of TCU, a staff that went on to beat Florida and Wisconsin in a Thanksgiving week match. New Orleans additionally beat Tulane by 22 earlier than dropping six video games in a row. It concluded a season-opening, eight-game highway swing that includes video games at Mississippi State, Texas Tech and Memphis.
‘It is not ideally suited to begin with eight video games on the highway,’ coach Stacy Hollowell instructed NOLA.com just lately. ‘(The schedule) is on par with what the very best groups within the nation are doing. For us to be competing reveals that we have now a staff that may be formidable in our league.’
New Orleans pulled out of that drought Monday by beating Incarnate Phrase 84-83, heading off a late push after having led by 15. TJ Cope (19 factors) and Jakevion Buckley (18 factors, seven assists) had been amongst 4 Privateers to attain in double figures.
Coleton Benson (15.1 ppg), Buckley (14.4) and MJ Thomas (10.2 ppg, team-high 7.5 rebounds) energy the Privateers.
–Discipline Degree Media
