Smith: Gray bedevils opponents with endless supply of energy

led to the great success of the Cougars in 2028.

“This year right here will be very significant and special for all the true Houston fans, because they’ll understand how far and how long it’s been since the University of Houston program has been prominent, year in and year out, and been on a national scale of putting people on notice.” On notice. That’s what it must feel like if you have to defend — more like deal with — Gray.

He bounces. Attacks. Zips from the 3-point line to the bottom of the paint while an opponent is still catching breaths. Or he just darts around the arc, waits for the ball to return to his hands, then fires up another 3.

There’s a courageousness to his attack. Fire and heart. Exactly the type of athlete who can inspire a team through the early rounds of the Madness and become a national story by the time the second week of the Tournament approaches.

“He’s a winner. He’ll do anything that he can to win,” UH senior forward Devin Davis said. “He meets with coach. He does anything possible. I really look up to Rob because of how determined he is. He has a high resiliency.”

Shock and awe

The Cougars were Danceready during last weekend’s American Athletic Conference tournament, downing then-No. 11 ranked Wichita State in a thriller — the 77-74 victory was set up by a gritty Gray steal near midcourt with 1 minute, 30 seconds to go — and coming within two points of an automatic bid.

Gray put up 33 points against the Shockers, averaged 22.3 during the tournament and is the leading scorer (18.5 points) on a relentless team that has won 12 of its last 15 games.

He’s not the typical modern college guard. Which is also one of his biggest strengths.

You can’t measure mental toughness. But you always know it when you are seeing it in real life on the hardwood.

“I’ve never been the most athletic, the tallest,” Gray said. “Like a rapper (Lil Wayne) says, ‘I never had height but, boy, I got heart.’ … That just goes handto-hand with my game. I’ve just got to outcompete folks. Just be relentless, be fearless and never be scared to just take it to ’em.”

Gray takes games over. He dropped at least 30 points five times this season, averaging almost 14 field-goal attempts and 3-point attempts per game. In the AAC tournament against Wichita State, he was a James Hardenlike 13-of-15 from the line.

But jumping from a firstround National Invitation Tournament loss last season to being a first-round favorite in the NCAA Tournament this year also required the senior guard to defer more in 2017-18. Gray’s average scoring dropped 2.1 points this season, yet his assists rose by 1.6 to a 4.5 per-game average, as he focused on setting up his teammates and leading the Coogs in things other than scoring.

“That’s hard. That takes a large focus and a lot of determination,” Davis said. “He’s just a winner, and I applaud Rob for doing that.”

Hard-nosed attitude

Gray was never the strongest, biggest or fastest growing up. But he also never followed others, instead pursuing his own personal path. If you doubted him, the ball would start bouncing again and he would soon prove you wrong.

“I had that ‘I’m going to show you’ mentality,” Gray said. “I got that at a really young age.”

Three years after becoming a Coog, Gray has lifted UH to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.

The new foundation has already been built. But this also could just be the beginning for a guard who was made for March Madness.

“It’s all right in front of us, in arm’s reach,” Gray said. “We’ve just got to stay hungry and humble, and really understand and appreciate the value. This doesn’t come along real often.”

Neither does a guard like Gray.