Cougars need help to secure share of title
UH has shot for consecutive crowns for first time since Phi Slama Jama
As the University of Houston gathered in a circle at midcourt after Saturday’s practice, the Cougars wrapped up with two words: conference champs.
On the final day of the regular season, UH still has a shot for a share of the American Athletic Conference title.
Picked as league co-favorites in the preseason despite the loss of four starters, the No. 21 Cougars end the regular season at 11 a.m. Sunday against Memphis at Fertitta Center.
After losing to Connecticut on Thursday, the Cougars no longer control their own destiny and will need help to win conference championships in consecutive seasons for the first time since Phi Slama Jama in 1982-83 and 1983-84.
“Our goal is to win the conference championship. I’m proud of the fact that is our goal now,” UH coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Five years ago, we never thought about that. Up until Thursday night we controlled our destiny. We don’t control it anymore. But we can control how hard we play Sunday.
That’s our focus.”
To claim a share of the AAC title, the Cougars must beat Memphis — a 60-59 winner in the first meeting between the two schools on Feb. 22 — and have Tulsa lose at Wichita State about four hours later. A loss by UH will give the outright title to Tulsa, which was picked 10th in the preseason poll.
Wins by UH and Cincinnati — a 64-63 winner over Temple on Saturday — and a Tulsa loss will create a three-way tie for the title at 13-5.
While being in the race down to the wire with a roster that features only one senior and usually two freshmen on the floor, the Cougars also had missed chances to take control in recent weeks. UH enters the game with losses in three of the last five games, including a pair of one-point losses to SMU in overtime and Memphis. Before Thursday’s 77-71 loss to UConn, four of the league losses were by a combined six points.
“Right now, there is a lot more on the line, a lot more at stake,” said guard Quentin Grimes, who had 24 points against UConn and is almost recovered from a hip injury that sidelined him in the first meeting against Memphis. “We have to come in with a different mindset, a little hungrier, a little more desperate mindset.”
UH has two things in its favor: playing at home, where the Cougars are 13-2 this season, including 8-0 in AAC play, and 47-3 over the last three seasons. Secondly, UH has not lost back-toback games under Sampson since January 2017, going 17-0 during that span.
“This is a great homecourt conference,” Sampson said. “Everybody is good at home.”
Guard Nate Hinton said the road struggles “put us in this position,” but there is time to turn things around heading into the postseason.
“Coming off a loss, we definitely want to build some momentum,” Hinton said. “It’s the last home game, so everything else is going to be neutral court from here on out. We have to get that confidence and learn from our mistakes.”
Many of the miscues have been self-inflicted, not uncommon for a youthful roster but nonetheless frustrating for Sampson. Some of the same problems were evident against UConn — the lack of a ‘put them away’ mentality after leading 3730 at halftime, followed by turnovers, lapses in scoring and poor shooting that has plagued the team all season.
“It’s just experience. We have a young team,” said center Chris Harris Jr., the only senior on the roster. “It’s been small mistakes going down the stretch in each game. We’ve matured throughout the season. We’ve come a long way. To still be in it shows the fight of this team.
“I still feel we can go deep in the tournament.”
UH has already clinched a first-round bye in the AAC tournament, which begins Thursday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Depending on Sunday’s outcomes, the Cougars will either be a No. 2 or No. 3 seed.
For the entire AAC, the next week is a chance to enhance or build an argument for inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. In the latest bracket projections by ESPN and CBS Sports, UH is safely in the field as a No. 8 seed and Tulsa is a 12-seed. Two AAC teams, Wichita State and Cincinnati, are among the “first four out” in the ESPN projections, while Memphis is among the “next four out.”