Sampson dismisses worries about scheduling pitfalls
As the University of Houston enters its final stretch of play, coach Kelvin Sampson isn’t worried about rest, trap games or anything really.
Speaking on a conference call with other American Athletic Conference coaches on Monday, Sampson was asked about a variety of topics, including his concern with team fatigue, as four of the team’s final seven games are on the road. The coach, while cordial, also was blunt.
“No. It’s not like these kids are on buses. They get to hop on a plane for a couple of hours. I’ve had teams where we’ve had to get on a bus for 200 miles, play a game, and then drive 200 miles back,” said Sampson. “If anyone is tired from the travel, I’m more likely to question that player than the travel schedule or accommodations.”
The Cougars (23-1, 10-1 AAC) will make the rounds over the next month, visiting Conneticut, Tulane, East Carolina and Cincinnati in the regular-season finale.
Sampson also was asked about the potential for one or more of the team’s final regularseason games to be a “trap game.” He dismissed the notion entirely.
“In basketball, there are no trap games,” Sampson said. “If you walk out on that court and lose a game, it’s because the other team beat you. You played poorly. But there’s no trap game.”
With only one loss on the Cougars’ record so far, Sampson made it clear it’s the job of the coaching staff and the players to be fully prepared for each game.
The Cougars have won 32 straight games on their home court, the longest current streak in the nation. A large part of that success is the environment of the Fertitta Center, but Sampson said it goes beyond that.
“You guys need to remember we won 19 straight games when we were playing at Texas Southern. Now we’ve won eight or nine at the Fertitta Center. We owe our home-court advantage to the fans,” said Sampson. “They have really developed into a community and become invested in the players and the university.”
The Cougars’ regular season will conclude on March 10. The AAC tournament begins March 14. UH is currently projected as the top seed for the AAC tournament and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Top-10 ranking first since 1984
Houston’s convincing win over fellow Top 25 team Cincinnati on Sunday gave the Cougars the push they needed to move into the Top 10 in the Associated Press college basketball poll.
UH moved up three spots to No. 9 for its first top-10 ranking since the end of the 1984 season. That season ended with the
Hakeem Olajuwon-led Cougars making it all the way to the national title game before losing to Georgetown.
UH plays its next two games on the road, going to Connecticut on Thursday and Tulane on Sunday. The Cougars have three home games remaining, against South Florida on Feb. 23, UCF on March 2, and SMU on March 7. The Cougars are also No. 9 in the USA Today coaches poll.
Davis, Alley receive honors
Senior guard Corey Davis Jr. and redshirt freshman forward
Cedrick Alley Jr. swept the American Athletic Conference weekly awards.
Davis was named the league’s Player of the Week for the first time this season, while Alley was recognized as its Freshman of the Week for the second time in 2018-19.
Davis averaged a team-best 21 points per game while hitting 56.6 percent of his shots from the field with 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the wins over Central Florida and Cincinnati.
Alley drained three 3-pointers on the way to nine points with four rebounds and a steal in the road win at UCF and posted six points off a pair of treys with two rebounds and a blocked shot against No. 25 Cincinnati on Sunday.