UH knows better what to expect in opener
Returnees learn from last year what to expect
TULSA, Okla. — Galen Robinson Jr. remembers the unknown, all the questions, some more trivial than others, when the University of Houston stepped onto the March Madness stage last season.
It was a learn-on-the-fly experience for a men’s basketball program that had not made the NCAA Tournament in nearly a decade.
Now a veteran team making backto-back appearances and among the favorites to reach the second weekend of the Tournament, and possibly beyond, Robinson took questions again this week from the younger players and newcomers on the roster.
This time, he said, “we had all the answers” as the third-seeded Cougars (31-3) prepare to play No. 14 seed Georgia State (24-9) on Friday night in the opening round of the Midwest Regional at the BOK Center.
“We just know what to expect,” the Cougars’ senior point guard said. “We definitely have experience, and we’re definitely a pretty poised veteran
group. That plays into our favor regarding any kind of scenario or environment that might be in front of us.”
UH beat San Diego State in its opener last season — the program’s first NCAA win since 1984 — and came within a buzzer-beater by Michigan of advancing to the Sweet 16. That memory remains fresh and has been the motivation behind a historic season that few, even those inside the program, saw coming.
Even coach Kelvin Sampson admits surprise at the 31-win season ( just one shy of matching Phi Slama Jama in 1983-84 for most in school history) and outright American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
“Nobody did,” Robinson said. “You don’t really predict 30-win seasons, let alone 31-win seasons. I think we knew we were going to be good, but I know for a fact we exceeded his expectations. We exceeded mine, and I’m the one in the fire.”
All three losses came in AAC play to Temple, Central Florida and Cincinnati. Along the way, the Cougars knocked off seven teams that made the NCAA Tournament field — LSU, Oregon, Cincinnati (twice), Utah State, Saint Louis, Temple and UCF — and climbed into the top 10 in the national polls for the first time in 35 years.
UH had a 33-game home winning streak, at one point the longest in the nation. And the Cougars did so with typical Sampson team traits: defense, rebounding, a deep bench and offense featuring sharpshooters Corey Davis Jr. and Armoni Brooks.
Not to mention, the Cougars had to replace stars Damyean Dotson and Rob Gray Jr. in consecutive seasons.
“Last year we were a good team, but people weren’t sure,” Robinson said. “I feel like the success we had this year solidified us as a good team and good program.”
Six players were part of last year’s NCAA Tournament qualifier, including all five current starters. Two freshmen (Nate Hinton and Cedrick Alley Jr.) and two sophomores (transfers DeJon Jarreau and Brison Gresham) are making their NCAA debuts.
“Anytime you make the Tournament it’s a reward,” Sampson said. “I’m always thrilled to see our young kids and how they react to being in the Tournament for the first time.”
Sampson will lean on his veterans, especially if the Cougars plan to make a deep run in a tough Midwest Regional that also includes No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Kentucky. A win over Georgia State, the Sun Belt champion, would set up a Sunday meeting against Iowa State or Ohio State.
“With the returners, there’s a little more focus and a little more calmness going on,” Davis said. “We have a lot of veterans here that know what this experience is like, what this feeling is like going into the Tournament. We have this certain swagger about us that we are very confident in ourselves going into Friday.”
Some of the questions from younger players: What type of crowd can the Cougars expect? What is the format for the practice sessions? How is the NCAA Tournament atmosphere?
“I’m just following their lead, taking it in and embracing it,” Hinton said.
Breaon Brady, a senior center, expects some early nerves when the Cougars take the court Friday, but nothing compared to last season.
“We were so jittery. This is the Tournament, we’re nervous,” Brady said. “I just remember being in awe throughout the whole process, going in and out of the locker room and seeing March Madness stickers everywhere and the media all around us. We had never gotten that type of exposure before. To be in a situation like that in my first year at UH, and to make the Tournament, was a shock and blessing all in one.”
Brady told younger teammates to enjoy the moment.
“They are just happy to be here, as they should,” he said. “We worked hard all summer to get to this point.”
Can UHs make a deep run? “How hard we play, how disciplined we are, how gritty we are on defense and all the weapons we have on the team, I feel like that can really help us make a big push in March,” Davis said.