THE MADNESS BEGINS

3 must-have ingredients for a Houston Cougars championship run

Houston Cougars Cryer, Kelvin Sampson
The Coogs square off with Southern Illinois this Thursday. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

For the third year in a row, the Houston Cougars men’s basketball team will enter the NCAA Tournament as a number one seed and will face off against another Cougar school in Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.

As it currently stands, Houston is a -28.5 favorite to win this game and should handle this team easily, so long as they can continue their defensive dominance and find ways to create consistent offense.

Trust the offense that got you here

In addition to having one of the best defenses in the nation, the Cougars are showcasing they have an elite offense as well thanks to multiple players who can take over a game with ease.

Senior guard LJ Cryer has been one of the most consistent scorers for Houston, averaging a team-high 15.2 points per game, but had some help recently carrying the offensive load from two of his fellow starters.

Forward Emanuel Sharp had two of his best games of the season during the Big 12 Tournament, and guard Milos Uzan scored a career-high 25 points in the conference championship game against Arizona.

Even if Cryer has an inefficient offensive game like he did against Arizona, Houston has either Sharp or Uzan to help maintain this offense when needed.

In addition to their offense, Houston has been successful this season thanks to their depth. They will also be getting a starter back just in time for the start of the NCAA Tournament.

J’Wan Roberts' health

During Houston’s first-round game against Colorado, senior forward J’Wan Roberts suffered an ankle injury and missed the remainder of the Big 12 Tournament.

X-rays on Roberts' ankle were negative, but Houston still wisely sat out their star forward for their final two games.
All signs indicate the 23-year-old will be ready to play once the NCAA Tournament starts on Thursday, even if it is on a limited basis.

Roberts returning to this rotation will only further bolster Houston’s offense and defense, as he is averaging 10.8 points per game and is the team's leading rebounder.

Defense wins championships

Houston boasts one of the best defenses in the nation and holds their opponents to a measly 58.5 points per game.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson instills a defensive-first mentality into his team year after year, and this season is no different.

This may be one of the best teams Houston has ever had, and when fully healthy, the Cougars can make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Houston’s game against SIU Edwardsville will be Thursday at 1 pm, and the winner will play either Georgia or Gonzaga in the next round.

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The injury bug bites again.Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros announced on Monday that additional imaging has revealed that Jeremy Peña is dealing with a small fracture in one of his ribs.

Peña left Friday's game after being hit by a pitch in the ribs. The club originally believed they had avoided any fractures or breaks, but new information has informed them otherwise.

Peña is heading to the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 28. This news comes at an unfortunate time, with Jeremy posting the best regular season numbers of his career. He's currently slashing .322, .378, .489 with an .867 OPS.

Peña will miss the Rockies and Dodgers series at a minimum.

Let's hope the team doesn't rush him back too soon and create an even bigger problem. These quotes above from Dana Brown have me concerned. Playing through injuries can create bad habits, and Jeremy has clearly found his swing this season.

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