Key Highlights
- Houston Cougars have a high ceiling and can get significantly better.
- The Cougars need to improve their defensive unit to match what is taken for granted: that Houston is better defensively than offensively.
- Michigan, Arizona, and Duke are described as the most complete teams in the country with strong offensive and defensive efficiency.
- Kingston Flemings is the Cougars’ best player, with a 42-point outburst at Texas Tech.
The Houston Conundrum: Offense vs. Defense
You might think this is new, but… it’s not. The debate over whether offense or defense wins championships has been around as long as there have been teams to win them. For the Houston Cougars, however, the question is far more urgent than academic.
High Ceiling, Low Floor?
The Cougars are a revamped Kelvin Sampson team now driven more by offense than defense. Jay Bilas, in his latest “Bilas Index,” highlights them as a national contender with a high ceiling and the potential to get significantly better. But as he so aptly puts it, “defense wins championships.” The interesting difference from past Houston teams is this group needs to get better on the defensive end to match what so many take for granted: that Houston is better defensively than offensively.
Comparing the Contenders
Michigan is described as the most complete team in the country, top-five nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Arizona sits right behind with a paint-dominant, physical identity and a defense that protects the lane as well as anyone, even if the Wildcats aren’t as dangerous from 3-point range. Duke rounds out the trio in front of Houston, powered by Cameron Boozer’s national player of the year campaign and a roster Bilas believes is “still legit” despite a couple of blown leisures.
What’s Still on the Schedule
Houston has five regular-season games left before postseason play. Here’s what’s still on the schedule: the Cougars fell short of Iowa State last night, and they’ll look to Arizona on Saturday. Beyond that, four more games until the regular season closes out, then the Big 12 tournament.
March Madness is just around the corner, and for Houston, the writing’s on the wall.
They need to shore up their defense if they’re going to compete with teams like Michigan, Arizona, and Duke in the tournament. The Cougars are better offensively, but that alone won’t be enough.
Will Houston be able to turn things around in time? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: as March Madness approaches, they can’t afford any more defensive lapses if they hope to make a deep run.
