How Houston Cougars' defense fuels success by embracing the ugly
This speaks volumes
01 April
This speaks volumes
The Houston Cougars like mixing it up.
They enjoy seeing opponents colliding, sprawled across the floor. They thrive on rebounding and have used the relentlessly hard-nosed defense that has become their trademark during coach Kelvin Sampson’s 11-year career to take them places once considered unthinkable.
It's why they're now considered one of the country's most successful, consistent teams annually — and why they're one of four teams still playing Saturday in March Madness.
“That’s what we do,” Midwest Region Most Outstanding Player Emanuel Sharp said after Sunday's 69-50 win over Tennessee. “We’re a great defensive team and that’s how we like to set the tone of the game, on the defensive end. I think when we come out with the right intensity, we’re a hard team to beat.”
The Cougars (34-4) certainly haven't lost much this season.
Their 17-game winning streak is the longest in Division I, they swept the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament titles and now they've reached the Final Four for the first time since losing to 2021 national champion Baylor in a March Madness that will always be remembered as the tournament played in the Indiana COVID-19 bubble.
That loss came in a national semifinal, where the Cougars are 2-4 all-time. They'll face five-time national champion Duke in San Antonio, a 3 1/2-hour drive from their campus, as they try to reach their first title game since back-to-back runner-up finishes in 1983 and 1984.
“We didn’t get good the last 36 hours,” Sampson said when asked about Houston's quick turnaround between the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. “We just went through the Big 12 Tournament, played three games there. The thing I like about this team, I don’t think they overreact to anything, good or bad. Kind of keep an even keel.”
Perhaps that explains why the Cougars didn't even flinch after the 62-60 late-night, last-second win over Purdue in the Sweet 16 and facing the Vols in the Elite Eight.
How stingy have the Cougars been?
After allowing a Division I low 58.3 points during the regular season, Houston has allowed just 56.5 points in four NCAA Tournament games while allowing just one team, Gonzaga, to top 60 points. They also allowed the lowest scoring totals last weekend — twice.
Tennessee missed its first 14 3-pointers, shot a dismal 28.8% from the field and despite playing well defensively against Kentucky simply couldn't match the Cougars toughness.
“They do what they do,” deflated Vols coach Rick Barnes said in his opening statement after the loss. “That’s why they’re where they are, that’s the standard of their program.”
Yet in a college basketball era where faster, higher-scoring games seem to be all the rage, this Final Four seems to be all about the defense.
Duke swarmed Alabama's 3-point shooters, holding the Crimson Tide nearly 40 points below their previous game's scoring total to win the East Region title. Florida's defense spurred a late run to get past Texas Tech in the West Region and South Region champ Auburn is allowing just 65 points per game in the tourney.
But nobody has done it better than Houston, and that's by design.
Sharp, who is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, and LJ Cryer, at 6-1, 200, may not look like the most imposing backcourt but they revel in getting physical. Plus, Cryer comes with a championship pedigree, part of Baylor's title team.
Houston forwards Ja'Vier Francis, J'Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler stand 6-8, not nearly as big as some of the other frontline beasts in San Antonio, but they are experienced, tough and muscle bound.
The inside-out defensive combination has made Houston almost unbeatable. Since starting the season at 3-4, they've gone 30-1 and broken the school's single-season victory record.
“We’re able to do some things that may be outside the box, whether it’s spending extra time on baseline out of bounds plays, we spend a lot of time on that, offensively and defensively,” Sampson said. “We take pride on not being scored on in baseline out of bounds. If you watch (Tennessee) when they beat Auburn or beat Alabama, they played a certain way. But we play the way we play and our kids are very confident in our approach and our defense.”
And now Sampson will find out if that defense is good enough to carry him to his first championship game in three Final Four trips — or bring Houston its elusive first title.
Don't miss the video below as ESPN Houston's John Granato and Lance Zierlein react to the Coogs reaching the Final Four and much more!
Jalen Green scored 22 points, Dillon Brooks added 21 and the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 143-105 on Wednesday night for their 50th win of the season.
Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, Tari Eason had 15 points and nine rebounds and Alperen Sengun had 15 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists for Houston, which shot 54% and was 19 of 45 on 3-pointers.
ALPI TO THE 🔝 FLOOR pic.twitter.com/kJ83aaNcSV
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 3, 2025
Isaiah Collier had 22 points and 10 assists, Collin Sexton finished with 18 points and Keyonte George had 14 points, for the Jazz, who lost their seventh straight game. Walker Kessler added 11 points and 12 rebounds. Utah shot 43% and were 10 of 40 on 3-pointers.
Brooks was issued a technical foul with seven minutes left in the first quarter after appearing to kick Sexton in the groin on a loose ball. If the technical is not rescinded, it would be Brooks’ 16th of the season, and he would be suspended for the Rockets’ game Friday night against Oklahoma City.
Houston's Fred VanVleet missed the game with soreness in his knee and right ankle.
Jazz: Utah dropped to 1-17 since the end of February.
5️⃣0️⃣ WINS.
Your Houston Rockets are the NBA’s Southwest Division Champs!#Rockets | #Liftoff pic.twitter.com/ll4wKitpgX
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 3, 2025
Rockets: Houston, which last won 50 games in the 2018-19 season, clinched a top six seed in the Western Conference.
4 years together. Headed to the playoffs for the very first time.
On this journey together 🤝@alperennsengun | @JalenGreen pic.twitter.com/SLBnYygGkN
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 3, 2025
Trailing 20-16, Green made a layup with four minutes left in the first quarter to begin a 17-6 Houston run to end the quarter. The Rockets built a 70-46 lead at halftime.
Houston outrebounded Utah 63-39 and had a 23-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Utah travels to Indiana to face the Pacers on Friday night, while Houston hosts the Thunder that same night.