No. 8 Houston wraps up nonconference play against Middle Tennessee on Monday night and coach Kelvin Sampson isn’t much interested in dissecting his team’s early season performance.
The Cougars (11-1) have one blemish and bring a five-game winning streak into the contest but Sampson wants no part of any look-back or look-ahead to Big 12 play.
“I don’t reflect or figure out what I’m reflecting on until the season’s over,” Sampson told reporters. “There ain’t no reflecting during the season.”
When the topic turns to big man JoJo Tugler, Sampson gets much more chatty.
The defensive force leads Houston with 23 blocked shots and ranks second with 23 steals. Tugler averages 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds but his value is on the defensive end.
“Just his activity,” Sampson said of why Tugler is so productive. “Jo’s wingspan and reach and length on the ball with deflections, steals, knocking the ball loose.
“JoJo was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year last season. That wasn’t a popularity vote.”
Tugler had 77 blocked shots and 38 steals in 40 games last season, which ended with the Cougars losing to Florida in the national championship game.
This season, Houston has wins over then No. 22 Auburn and No. 14 Arkansas, the latter being a 94-85 victory on Dec. 20 in Newark, N.J. The setback came against then-No. 17 Tennessee in the Players Era tournament.
Against Arkansas, Emanuel Sharp scored 22 points and Kingston Flemings added 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Sharp leads the Cougars with a 17.6 scoring average, while Flemings is contributing 15.3 points.
Sharp moved into 22nd place with 1,341 career points, passing legendary Hakeem Olajuwon (1,332 from 1981-84).
Middle Tennessee (7-4) has won its past two games.
The Blue Raiders played one ranked team in then-No. 7 Michigan and lost 86-61 on Nov. 19. Middle Tennessee’s other losses are to George Washington, McNeese and Belmont.
The Blue Raiders last played on Dec. 21 when it recorded a 74-58 victory over NAIA program Cumberland.
Jahvin Carter scored a career-best 20 points and matched his career high of five rebounds for the Blue Raiders. He has scored in double digits in five straight games.
“Early, we just didn’t play to our standard, especially defensively,” Carter said. “We regrouped at halftime and got back to being us. It all goes back to my teammates and coaches pushing me to be better. When I wasn’t playing as well, they were in my ear telling me to keep going and it helped me get back to being who I am.”
Carter is averaging a team-best 13.0 points per game. Kamari Lands and Torey Alston both average 12.5 per outing. Alston is the team’s leading rebounder (8.3).
Alston had 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots against Cumberland for his second double-double of the season.
“It’s easy to get distracted with other stuff,” Blue Raiders coach Nick McDevitt said of the Cumberland win. “In the first half, our minds were elsewhere. Coming back out, we needed every bit of what Torey did.”
