Heading into the big 12 tournament. 3 seed at worst for March. Put up a c note rebounding out of a bad streak of basketball.
Sky really is not falling.
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If we win the last two games of the regular season and at least two in the conference tournament, it will give us a record of 30-5.
Five 30 win seasons in a row would be a special achievement for UH.
IDK what the ceiling is for this team, but I’m going to enjoy each and every game we have left.
Think Final Four and so much more.
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So a projected Sweet 16 exit. That’s what 3 seeds are expected to do.
To start the season, we were ranked 2nd nationally in both polls, barely missing 1st place with 28 voters across both polls picking us #1.
The expectation in November was much higher than a 3 seed.
Now, a 3 seed is great for UH historically. We’ve made Final 4s from worse.
But I’ve got a nagging feeling that, in my lifetime, we’ll never be as close to a National title as last April when we led Florida by double-digits in the second half…
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Honestly, I don’t get too worked up about where UH is right now in the polls. Its not like we haven’t seen our positioning for “The Dance” go up and down before. I have no concerns for our record after the 0-3 stretch we had either. Part of it is due to the fact that Sampson has NBA experience and the scheduling for the NBA is brutal. Any coach that expects to go undefeated against the competition we have in the Big 12 will lose his mind very shortly. I think we are exactly where we are supposed to be.
What stuck in my mind about UC the other day was our players looked like they were having fun again. The season is long and it wears on you so you better have some fun along the way or you’re dead.
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Just enjoy the ride. It’s fun
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Idk… I think this group could pull it off… no team is head & shoulders better than the other 10-12 elite teams…
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If used in context, hindsight can be a valuable educational tool. Take UH’s 3 game stretch against Iowa St. Kansas, and Arizona. Not many teams in the NCAA Tournament have experience playing those types of quality teams back-to-back. In the NCAA Tournament, the Thursday/Saturday and Friday/Sunday format, almost guarantees that teams will be facing a tough opponent in a Saturday or Sunday matchup. That will test the coach’s short time in game planning and the energy and stamina of the players. Coach Sampson’s experience coaching in the NCAA Tournment gives UH the edge for developing a solid game plan in such a quick turnaround. More importantly, UH’s veteran players understand the energy and focus required to compete in those second weekend games, and I trust that they will prepare the younger players what to expect. I also think the quality of UH’s bench could be a difference-maker in those Saturday/Sunday games.
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All these sports media people predicting how far a team goes in the tournament are mostly full of it. Matchups matter. Until there is a bracket, it’s a blind guess.
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You give any decent coach more than 5 days to study our team, then we can be beat.
Heck every team knows to drive at Tugler or Cenac early in the game to get us into foul trouble already.
Now defenses will close out on our guards at the top of the key since our big men rarely run the pick and roll effectively.
Right… Purdue better hope they don’t have to play anybody… 
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Everybody is scared. Not just us. There’s no 2021 Baylor. With that being said the Florida coach is priming his team again.
Would be funny if we met again.
Keep in mind that UH had a target on their backs! Every team likely played us with more intensity than any other opponent, yet we.were in every game to the end. We were one break away from winning four of those losses, with Kansas being the only definitive loss. After the Colorado win, where we addressed our offensive needs I feel much better about our chances in the tournament.
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The very fact many of us still think we have a shot at the grand prize says much about the program coach Sampson has established here. He has literally built a program from fragments of the yester years.
Just be proud we have a chance and hope we get hot at the right time.
To me what is so promising is the sudden rise of McCarty and Mercy. Frankly, I was saying not too long ago that Mercy would be gonzo at the end of this season. I had given up on him, but thank God coach didn’t…
Our interior is not as strong as we would like but I was pleased the way Tugler hustled Saturday and even attacked the basket like a crazy man, even after sitting on the bench after the two early fouls.
If Tugler can learn to shoot better looking free throws that go in more often than not, then he can learn how to put the same touch in the lane and at the basket.
I realize Colorado is not a very good team, but I still love how the Coogs felt sorry for themselves early, regrouped and put a whoopin’ on the Buffs.
I am not sure we have what it takes to win the title, but I do believe that three game skid woke us all up and I think the upcoming Big 12 tourney now gets more attention from our Cougars.
Now if we can just get Harwell to start hitting his shots…
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I’ll agree with this. Seems like in every one of our losses some role player goes for 20+ on us. Jaylen Petty turns into Kyrie Irving against us every time. He definitely models his game after him. Heise hits huge shots against us and Dell’Orso could not be stopped. That being said we should expect teams to play us with intensity and we need to match it. We need an X-factor guy outside outside the starting 5 to get some big buckets for us if we want to make it deep in the tournament. So far, that’s looking like Miller or McCarty that has to fill that role.
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I don’t like that matchup this year, at all.
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I dont either