Kelvin Sampson sees growth as Houston routs West Virginia

In No. 7 Houston men’s basketball’s 77-48 win over West Virginia Tuesday night at Fertitta Center, the Cougars did more than put another stranglehold defensively.

It looked like a team whose return on investment had begun to pay off.

Houston held West Virginia to a meager five points nearly 15 minutes into the game.

For the majority of the contest, the Mountaineers had more giveaways than they had made field goals, finishing with 15 turnovers to 17 field goals.

The performance was a clear snapshot of how far Houston’s youthful rotation had come.

During early portions of the season, coach Kelvin Sampson and Houston “paid the severance” of playing a roster younger and more inexperienced than any other he has had in his 12 years with the program.

Miscommunications, missed rotations and lessons that are only learned as the games go on.

It’s a roster featuring two true freshmen in the starting lineup: guard Kingston Flemings and forward Chris Cenac Jr. The other two, reserve guard Isiah Harwell and forward Chase McCarty, are usually among the first few to check in off Houston’s bench.

“We hung in there with them, let them make their mistakes,” Sampson said. 

He attributes their growth to the physically demanding and competitive practices they engage in on a constant basis, alongside accountability from the staff.

“When they can get through those practices, they put themselves in a position to get through games,” Sampson said. “And I do think character matters; you have to be a good person to handle adversity.”

Few on Houston’s roster have had to face a steeper learning curve than Cenac.

Up until his initial practices with the program in June, Cenac had never played anything other than the center position, and would have to learn to command the frontcourt alongside junior big man JoJo Tugler.

The change was foreign to Cenac, who would always be the premier frontcourt player on his team, rarely tasked with defending in space and playing with a constant motor.

With Houston, he’s called upon on a nightly basis to guard those smaller and more nimble, out beyond the 3-point line, while trying to be an anchor on one of the nation’s top defensive programs.

Even as he adjusted to life at a different position, Cenac’s impact on the glass translated immediately. 

He began the regular season with back-to-back 10+ rebound games and has already recorded seven double-digit rebound performances, providing a consistent presence on the glass even as he continued to adjust to the demands of the Cougars’ brand of basketball.

Against West Virginia, he once again led Houston in rebounding, finishing with exactly 10. It’s his second time in the Cougars’ first four conference games that he’s reached double digits on the glass.

His efforts limited WVU’s second-chance opportunities, helping hold them to 48 points behind one of Houston’s most cohesive defensive performances of the season.

That cohesion wouldn’t exist without Cenac’s commitment to that end of the floor.

“First of all, he never played any defense, and when he did it was at the five,” Sampson said. “His defense was an acronym. H-Y-M. You know what that means? Hope You Miss. That’s about how I would describe his defense, at least what I saw.”

During the recruiting process, Cenac made it clear that he wanted to play at the four. Sampson, never one to sugarcoat, let him know that opportunity would have to be earned.

“We’ll give you a chance. But if you can’t, you can’t,” Sampson said. “It’s more important that we win than him failing at the four. I’m not gonna put our team in jeopardy.”

Beyond the basketball traits and tools that kept Cenac on the floor throughout his learning curve, it was the trait that Sampson values most that always shines.

“I love that kid. I love him,” Sampson said. “He never has a bad day…He’s never, ever not looked me in the eye. He’s never had one ounce of bad body language.”

Cenac’s maturity was evident in other ways, never showing up late to practice, and in fact, often being one of the first ones to arrive. 

A “sponge” as Sampson called him, soaking in knowledge and lessons from the mistakes that are expected of any freshman to walk through the program. 

Cenac isn’t alone in his growth. 

Flemings has totaled 35 assists to just six turnovers over his last six games, while also showing the ability to close out teams, home and away.

“He’s got eyes behind his head,” senior guard Milos Uzan said. “He always knows where his teammates are, so any time he’s got the ball, I’m shot-ready.”

Harwell’s aggression continues to show, having attempted 22 field goals over his last two games.

“We ran a baseline out-of-bounds play, just for him,” Sampson said. “And he caught it and finished it.”

McCarty’s improved effort on the glass led to a career-high five offensive rebounds Saturday against Baylor. Tuesday was his second game of the last three with one block and a steal.

“Look at Chase tonight, look at Chase Saturday. Couldn’t do that a month ago,” Sampson said. “Look at how much better he’s getting.”

Sampson is often asked how he replaces the program’s star players when they move on. 

The answer lies in his philosophy of not trying to replace anybody, but looking at how to make his current team better.

“That’s always been my focus. How do we make our team better? And we’ve always been pretty good at that,” Sampson said.

The 16-1 Cougars will look to continue their undefeated conference record when they face Arizona State on Jan. 18 at Fertitta Center at 5:30 p.m.