Houston Game

[slu72]

Would think this will be a real good test and measuring stick for what we are. Houston program seems to be at a similar stage in that they feel they are an NCAA bubble team as well. They play in a similar watered down major conference. And picked to come in 2nd or 3rd, like us. Don't know anything about their talent or style but given the pre season talk they must be above average. Any thoughts on Houston? What type of game to expect? How do we match up?

[Billikan]

CHN had them ranked 49th in the preseason analysis and they have some votes for the top 25. From what I have read they are athletic and can shoot the 3 ball as in the past. I think this will be a very tough game and it will be a test of our mental state after the A and M fiasco. If we can come back and win I will have a lot of respect for out team. If not, I fear a slide with the tough games coming up--at SIUC, at Loyola, MSU, at Pacific and North Carolina and Old Miss--now that is a tough stretch of games with only WI and Tenn Martin as lesser teams. This team will have to really step up and be mentally and physically tough!

[BillikenTX]

Expect them to play an up-tempo game, lots of athletes, led by McKiver a juco transfer averaging 25+ ppg. I believe 3 of their starters are JUCOs. Other starting back court mate chips in 23-24/ppg as well. Their biggest player who contributes is a 6-8 freshman. I would assume a starting lineup of DP, KL, TL, LM, and IV. Houston beat Rhode Island at URI 101-99. They have exlosive athletes and like to get out and run. Bills need to get IV going early and pound the ball inside and dominate the rebounding margin and points in the paint. Isn't JJ about ready to come back? If not we might see BH log serious minutes if LM or IV gets in foul trouble with the mismatches on the defensive side.

[courtside]

Tom Penders and uptempo, that is quite the understatement. Houston will want to run SLU out of the gym and SLU will want to play half court ball. Houston is not quite there yet in ability, so this would be a nice game to play uptempo for SLU and see what they can do against a similar level team. But Houston is definitely getting better and on the rise.

[CougarRed]

We are an NIT team the last 2 years who, quite frankly, would be a little disappointed going back to the NIT.

We get Grambling tonight in what hopefully will be a tune up.

We are averaging 95 points per game in two outings. Not a great rebounding team, we usually get more shots off than our foes because of a ridiculous turnover margin. Last year, we led the nation in steals. This year, the defense is not quite up to par, but we are still forcing ~25 turnovers a game.

We are playing these first 6 games without 2 starters: 1) Dion Dowell, a 6-7 F who transferred in from Texas last December, and 2) Lanny Smith, a 6-3 PG who has started three years for us but is out recovering from toe surgery. Dowell was a National Top 50 recruit, and Smith was presason all-conference. We'll be a different team for our second meeting in Houston later in the year.

In the rotation, we have 3 holdovers from last year, and several newcomers. The holdovers are:

Oliver Lafayette 6-3 Sr. - had a great season last year coming in from juco. Preseason all-conference. Averaging 24 ppg this year. One of the nation's leaders in steals. Streaky three point shooter who hit three at the buzzer to win at Rhode Island.

Jahmar Thorpe 6-6 Sr - averaged a solid 9 points and 5 rebounds per game last year coming in from juco. Has 3 point range. Expected to contribute 12-15 points and 6-8 rebounds per game this year.

Sam Anderson 6-5 Jr. - 24 year old burly walk on played football at Eastern Michigan before joining the Army. Hustle player who apparently has been making three pointers in practice because he jacked 7 of them up in the first game (without much success).

The newcomers are:

Rob McKiver 6-3 Jr. - Played at Providence as a frosh. Transferred to San Jac last year where he was All-Region. Off to a hot start averaging 29 ppg, 5 rpg and 5 apg. Excellent long range shooter. McKiver was named C-USA POW, and DeCourcy named him Sporting News National POW.

http://conferenceusa.cstv.com/sports/m-bas.../112006aac.html

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=151076

Marcus Maline 6-5 Jr. - Played at DePaul as a frosh. Transferred in from Lee JC. Scored 25 at Rhode Island in game 1, making 6 threes.

Robert Lee 6-2 Jr. - Juco A-A last year at Seminole State. Nearly had a double double in game 2. Made a clutch put back in game 1 to send it into overtime. First guard off the bench. Excellent getting to the hole.

Tafari Toney 6-8 Jr. - played with McKiver at San Jac where he averaged 9 points and 9 rebounds in JC ball last year. Off to a slow start so far.

Nick Mosely 6-8 Fr. - surprisingly seeing some time early. Came from a small HS. Ahtletic and active but skinny.

There are 2 other newcomers (JC PG Charlie Jones and JC F Chip Jones) as well as 1 other holdover (F Richard Young), but they likely won't see much time unless we get in foul trouble.

[Taj79]

What CougarRed is spewing sounds about as true as it gets. In the preseason USA Today blurbs, it was noted that Penders has Houston thinking they are closer to the glory days than ever before. They reported he has them there because of his recruitment of unconscionable shooters. Sound like the same thing Red is talking about .... they shoot, and then shoot somemore. I did not get the impression that they were any sort of defensive team at all. Sounds like another irrestible force meeting unmovable offense thing. If the game has us up by ten with less than a minute to go, I don't know if I'd feel all that comfortable.

Smith was contemplating redshirting at the time I read the report because of the injury but Lafayette was voted first team all CUSA to start the year and Thorpe was second. Houston was a bubble team and picked for third behind Memphis and UAB (I believe) in the conference. It was noted that it would be interesting to say the least to see if Penders could blend an entire new roster with three returning starters. Sounds like he has although I don't know who else they have beat to date. Winning on the road is always nice, even though we're talking Rhode Island here.

Second game might be tougher as Red says but this one will be tough just as well. Technically in my mind, the home season opener, Quincy notwithstanding.

[slu72]

This is going to be a very difficult game. Sounds to me like they got some real athletes who like to go up and down the court.

[CougarRed]

Knowledgeable Houston fans know that going to Saint Louis will be one of our toughest games of the year, perhaps behind only @ Memphis, @ Arizona and @ Kentucky.

You draw well (8,000+ last year) and return 4 starters from a team that barely missed the NIT.

Idiot Houston fans look at the A&M score and think we should roll.

For me, I look for a 100 point shootout if you guys push the tempo like you did to open the year.

[CougarRed]

>We get Grambling tonight in what hopefully will be a tune

>up.

Coogs win 96-61.

Starting guard Marcus Malone was held out because he is sick. Don't know if he will be ready on Saturday. JC A-A G Robert Lee, normally 6th man, filled in nicely for Malone with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

McKiver scored 26 and made 5 more 3s.

Looking forward to Saturday's match up.

[Taj79]

.... and right now I am measuring this game in two ways: #1) how do we bounce back from the fiasco that was Texas A&M and #2) as I have said in the past, a decent team must defend the home court. This game, along with all home games against the A10 teams must be wins for this team to have a date in the dance come March. A good team wins all its home games and beats mediocre on the road along with an upset or two. This will be a nice early season test.

Is it over if we lose? Heck no. It won't look good later on down the line on Selection Sunday but we can recover. Right now, I don't think Butler is a lock nor do I think Tennessee or Indiana are on the outside looking in. But while Tennessee and Indiana have cachet with which to recover, we sadly do not. That's why we must win on Saturday for the overall benefit of the program.

Gonna be tough nonetheless.