Houston Cougars
Conference USA (21-11, 10-6)
RPI: 86
Big Wins: 11/15 Western Kentucky (73-64), 1/10 UAB (75-56), 1/14 at UTEP (94-86)
Bad Losses: 11/10 vs Georgia Southern (63-65), 1/17 at Southern Miss (76-83), 2/18 at Marshall (83-88)
Coach: Tom Penders
Probable Starters:
Desmond Wade, Freshman, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 3.5 apg
Kelvin Lewis, Junior, Guard, 18.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Aubrey Coleman, Junior, Guard, 19.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.3 spg
Qa’rraan Calhoun, Junior, Forward, 10.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Marcus Cousin, Senior, Center, 11.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Zamal Nixon, Sophomore, Guard, 5.5 ppg, 1.6 apg
DaShaun Williams, Senior, Guard, 3.3 ppg, 1.4 apg
Why They Can Surprise:
The Cougars brought in a couple newcomers to the backcourt and they have done more than just live up to expectations. Aubrey Coleman, a junior college transfer, spent his first year in Houston dominating Conference USA. The 6-4 wing is averaging an amazing 19.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Coach Tom Penders was hoping Coleman could come in and give the team a little scoring punch, but nobody could have asked for such a versatile player who scores nearly 20 points per game.
The other newcomer is freshman point guard Desmond Wade. The 5-8 Linden, New Jersey product will not do much scoring, but he is amazingly quick and will create a ton of opportunities for the scorers on the team. More impressive than his 3.5 assists per contest is his 1.3 turnovers. That is one of the best assist-to-turnover rations in the nation. Under Wade’s leadership, Houston only turns the ball over 9.8 times per game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Houston does not lack talent in the frontcourt. Marcus Cousin is a great interior scorer and a fine shot blocker and Qa’rraan Calhoun is a versatile scorer who can step outside and hit the three-point shot or battle in the paint. Add Coleman to the mix and it is quite surprising that Houston struggles on the glass. Cousin averages 8.2 boards per contest and is a solid rebounder, but the problem is the lack of frontcourt depth. When Cousin or Calhoun need a break, there are not many options and that makes the Cougars a small team that will get beat on the glass.
Who To Watch:
Kelvin Lewis is right up there with Coleman in the scoring column. He averages 18.0 points per game and it is no surprise when he tallies 30 or more points in a game. Unlike Coleman, Lewis does most of his scoring from beyond the arc. The 6-4 junior hits 2.8 long balls per game. However, if his shot is not falling, Lewis will still be involved. In January against UTEP he shot just 2-of-6 from long range and 5-of-9 from the floor. He still managed to tally 29 points by getting to the charity stripe 18 times and converting on 17 of those attempts. The opposition might be able to shut down Lewis if they want to, but that just means Coleman will get more opportunities. If the opposition tries to stop Coleman, Lewis will have a big day.
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 77.0 (40th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.1 (182, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.9 (215, 9)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.5 (84, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (201, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.3 (199, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 75.2 (17, 1)
Rebound Margin: -1.0 (223, 9)
Assists Per Game: 12.2 (234, 9)
Turnovers Per Game: 9.8 (2, 1)
Joel’s Bracket Says: Elite Eight loss to Wisconsin Green Bay
