When guards L.J. Cryer and Milos Uzan combined for 30 points in Houston’s 60-47 road victory over Oklahoma State on Monday, it showed the potency of the Cougars’ backcourt and the gradual progress the pair continue to make in their respective careers.
No. 14 Houston (9-3, 1-0 Big 12) will host BYU in its conference home opener on Saturday, and Cryer and Uzan are sure to be front and center.
Similar to how teammate Jamal Shead (now with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors) helped ease the transition for Cryer when he transferred from Baylor before last season, Cryer has been a positive influence for Uzan, who is in his first season with Houston after transferring from Oklahoma.
“They learn from each other,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “All of our guys do a good job of welcoming these guys into the brotherhood but also putting their arms around them and helping them through their tough days.
“I’ve always had an appreciation for the culture that we’ve built here and how the players embrace it.”
The foundation of that culture is defense, and the Cougars have allowed only 48 points per contest during their current five-game winning streak. Houston limited Oklahoma State to 25.9 percent shooting, including a stretch in the first half in which the Cowboys missed 10 consecutive shots.
Houston appears to have found its footing after a rocky spell during the nonconference slate.
“I think our team is progressing,” Sampson said. “I do think our team has a chance to get a lot better. I don’t think we’re anywhere close to being as good as I think we can be. And we just have to keep working.
“Your improvement comes from your work. It may not be today or tomorrow or the next day or this game. You’ve just got to stay with it. That’s been my experience over the years.”
BYU (10-2, 1-0) rode a 30-point performance from junior guard Richie Saunders to a wire-to-wire, 76-56 victory over Arizona State in its conference home opener on Tuesday. Saunders shot 11-for-18, made 6 of 11 3-pointers and added six rebounds in his first game back from a concussion sustained on Dec. 14 against Wyoming.
BYU presents problems both with its length and offensive balance, with five Cougars averaging double figures in scoring: Saunders (13.9 points per game), Egor Demin (12.2), Kanon Catchings (11.2), Fousseyni Traore (11.1) and Trevin Knell (10.3). Traore has logged just one start this season in 12 games.
When BYU clicks, its offense can overwhelm the opposition. The Cougars average 84.8 points and yield 64.0. That fact has resulted in BYU coach Kevin Young pressing his team to understand its vast potential and to live up to it.
“We have a good basketball team,” Young said. “We have a lot of talent. We’ve got guys that play the right way, and I think our chemistry is really growing. Because of all those factors, I think our guys should play with an extreme level of confidence. I challenged them in the locker room to do just that.”
–Field Level Media
