The Coogs face UAB on Friday. Photo by David Becker/Getty Images.
After defeating Memphis on Sunday to win a second consecutive American Athletic Conference championship title, the Houston Cougars earned their fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament as a 5 seed.
The first team they will matchup with is UAB, who won their conference tournament as well.
The No. 12 seed Blazers are led by second-year head coach Andy Kennedy and Conference USA Player of the Year Jordan Walker (20.4 points per game) who made the second most 3-pointers (115) in Division 1 this season.
UAB ranked sixth in the nation in points per game (80.7), and outrebounded their opponents in the majority of their contests as well.
To counter this explosive offense, Houston boasts one of the nation’s best defenses, with guys like Taze Moore and Kyler Edwards securing the perimeter and Josh Carlton locking down opponents in the paint.
Fabian White Jr. and Jamal Shed are no slouches when it comes to guarding opposing players as well, giving the Cougars one of the most dominate defensive starting lineups in college basketball.
Houston on average allowed 58.9 points per game and held opponents to a 43.5 field goal percentage this season, fourth-fewest among Division I teams.
The keys to a Cougar’s victory will be their ability to limit UAB’s offensive possessions, opportunities and contain their aforementioned leading scorer Walker.
The Blazers’ offense runs almost exclusively through the junior guard’s hands when he is on the court. So much so that UAB is undefeated when he scores more than 23 points in a game.
With the exception of their loss against Wisconsin earlier this season in which Johnny Davis scored 30 points, Houston’s defense has done a good job at limiting guards from having breakout performances.
Head coach Kelvin Sampson will have Moore, Edwards and Shed most likely share defensive responsibilities on UAB's Walker to try and limit his offensive production.
On paper, the Cougars are the better team defensively and have an underrated offense that can compete with any team in the country.
Although from a numbers perspective both teams may have similar stats across the board, Houston has far more experience playing in big games which will benefit them throughout the dance.
Coach Sampson has taken the Cougars to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and has built a winning culture here at the University of Houston that his players showcase game after game.
This team went from a mindset of grateful to make the tournament a few years ago to now expecting to go far in the dance year in and year out. That's what a good coach and a culture change can do to a program.
As it currently stands, Houston is an 8.5 point favorite to win this game and has proven they can make a deep run.
As long as Houston doesn’t overlook UAB and can play their elite level of defense consistently, they should advance to the round of 32 to face either Illinois or Chattanooga.
Houston and UAB will tip off on Friday at 8:20 CT.
The game will air on TNT and will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
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Former major-leaguers are rising to prominent front office roles throughout MLB. Composite Getty Image.
Shortly after his playing career ended, Jerry Dipoto took in a game at Wrigley Field with former big league manager Jim Fregosi. After a particularly nasty strikeout by Eric Gagne, Dipoto laughed.
Fregosi promptly slapped Dipoto on the back of his head.
“He said, ‘I’m just going to remind you today. ... Don’t ever forget how hard that it is to play,’” Dipoto recalled. “And that’s what I think is the thing I remember most, and I think the benefit of the guys who have gone through it, is that they recognize that it is a really hard game.”
That lesson stayed with Dipoto as he made his way to his current job with the Seattle Mariners — and membership in an exclusive club. Dipoto is one of five former major leaguers serving as the top baseball executive for a big league franchise at the moment.
Dipoto, 56, has been the president of baseball operations for Seattle since Sept. 1, 2021. Like Dipoto, Chris Young, 45, was promoted from general manager to president of baseball operations for the Texas Rangers on Sept. 13. Craig Breslow was hired as the chief baseball officer for the Boston Red Sox on Oct. 25, 2023, and Chris Getz was promoted to GM of the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 31, 2023.
Buster Posey, 37, joined the list when the former All-Star catcher was hired as president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants in September.
“There are a ton of incredibly successful executives who didn’t play baseball,” said Breslow, 44. “I don’t think it’s a prerequisite, but I do think it provides a level of credibility and empathy given I’ve kind of been on every side of a transaction, or every side of a conversation I’ve had to have with a player or coach. And credibility in terms of really being able to understand what players are thinking about, what they’re going through.”
Under Breslow's leadership, Boston used a complicated contract structure to add Alex Bregman in free agency. Bregman also was being pursued by the Cubs and Tigers before he agreed to a $120 million, three-year deal with the Red Sox.
San Francisco had been struggling to land a major free agent before shortstop Willy Adames agreed to a $182 million, seven-year contract with the Giants in December. Adames said Posey played a major role in his decision.
“My meeting with the team, it was me and him, basically. No agent. Nobody,” Adames said. “So we had a really, really good conversation, and I bought into his plan for this organization, for what he wants to build here in the near future.”
Breslow has a degree from Yale and Young graduated from Princeton, so the five players in charge of major league teams doesn't exactly represent some sort of counterrevolution when it comes to Ivy League grads in baseball.
But today's major-leaguers are increasingly savvy when it comes to the business side of the game, and they have firsthand experience with the data used by front offices as part of their decision-making process.
“Where we were a decade ago to where we are now, there's just so much opportunity to make better decisions nowadays based on the information that we have,” said Getz, 41. “But being well-versed in it now, you know having a former playing background is only going to position you, your résumé is just stronger.”
While that big league career is an asset in a variety of ways, it also creates a unique set of blind spots. Building out a front office that complements one another is key, Dipoto said.
“I learned to adapt along the way to things I didn’t know and to trust people who are smarter than I am to fill in those gaps,” he said, “and to recognize when I’m allowing my want to be a good teammate and my want to love the good teammate, sometimes, you have be able to discern when that doesn’t equal best player fit for this situation.”
There are several more people in position to join the club one day. Brandon Gomes helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series last year, serving as the team's GM under Andrew Friedman. Ryan Garko was promoted to assistant GM with the Detroit Tigers in May. Cole Figueroa is an assistant GM for the Rangers.
Kevin Reese and Tim Naehring work for longtime New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and Josh Barfield is part of Getz's front office with the White Sox.
When it comes to his discussions with players interested in working in baseball operations, Breslow said the conversations provide an indication of the potential for success.
“It becomes pretty clear, generally who has the curiosity, who asks a lot of questions,” he said. "Who wants to learn why we make decisions not just what decisions are being made. Those are the people (that could make the transition).”