Coach Kelvin Sampson recently noticed something different about his usually composed senior guard Milos Uzan.
Following No. 5 Houston’s Saturday-to-Monday turnaround from hosting No. 4 Arizona, to visiting No. 8 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, he saw Uzan “starting to drift” from his normal self.
Sampson had a one-on-one conversation with the veteran to “get him back centered.”
“Remind him how good he is. How special he is,” said Sampson, who wanted to see more aggression from Uzan offensively.
Uzan gave his own reminder, matching a career-high 26 points alongside six assists in Houston’s 102-62 decimation of Colorado on Saturday.
Sampson never expressed a modicum of concern over Uzan’s shooting percentages, knowing he’d still be able to deliver when needed.
He shot 9-for-13 from the floor against Colorado, one of his most efficient outings of the season. Uzan’s five 3-pointers also matched a season-high.
Entering Saturday’s matchup, Uzan and Houston knew what they needed to correct.
Better offensive efficiency.
More transition points.
Bigger emphasis on paint production.
Uzan was responsible for roughly a quarter of Houston’s 102, the second time the Cougars reached the century mark this season.
Behind the triple-digit total was improved transition play.
“We scored 102 points,” Sampson said. “And that’s a big reason why. Every time Kingston (Flemings) got a defensive rebound, that was a big emphasis this week, our guards getting defensive rebounds.”
The freshman Flemings finished with six rebounds to lead all of Houston’s starting guards.
Houston scored 17 total points on the fastbreak, more than it recorded in its previous three matchups.
And yet, the biggest catalyst for that wasn’t in the Cougars’ starting lineup.
Sophomore guard Mercy Miller hauled in a team-high eight rebounds after tallying five at No. 8 Kansas.
The way Miller and fellow reserves performed in the closing minutes of Monday’s 69-56 loss to Kansas—trimming a lead as large as 20 to 13–stood out to Sampson.
“I liked the way Mercy and Chase (McCarty) finished that thing,” Sampson said. “And I thought it was important that they followed it up with a prove-it practice.”
He added that the pair delivered strong showings in practice on both Thursday and Friday, which he rewarded.
Houston reaped the rewards, as both Miller and redshirt freshman forward McCarty finished with 10 points apiece in 23 minutes, with all of McCarty’s points coming in the first half.
“I think every time Mercy steps on the floor, he’s just super high-motor,” Uzan said. “And it helps us too. He’s another guard that can rebound… he’s instant offense.”
Oftentimes, generating consistent offense from Houston’s frontcourt has proved to be an issue the team is still trying to tackle.
On Saturday, its big men had one of their strongest showings, totaling 37 points between junior forward JoJo Tugler, freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. and graduate forward Kalifa Sakho.
Sakho delivered the energy Tugler often emanates, with Tugler mired to the bench with two early fouls.
“We’re not taking a step back with Kalifa now. He’s a good player,” Sampson said of Sakho, who finished a season-high nine points alongside four rebounds.
Tugler would come into his own in the second half, scoring a team-high 12 points in the second half and making six of his seven free throw attempts.
Houston outrebounded Colorado 34-22 overall, including four more rebounds on the offensive glass.
Every Colorado starter turned the ball over twice, with the Cougars forcing 15 total turnovers, leading to 21 points off them.
Uzan and Flemings combined for 14 assists to just one turnover. It’s something that wouldn’t have been possible days ago given the injuries Uzan was battling.
He had suffered two ankle sprains and an injury to the outside of his foot that left him a game-time decision at Kansas.
Sampson said he pulled Uzan and redshirt senior guard Emanuel Sharp, who was dealing with hip issues to “save them from themselves.” The pair will be two of the four seniors celebrated during Houston’s senior night against Baylor on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
The team took Tuesday and Wednesday off from practice, giving them time to recover after the tough stretch.
It wasn’t just saving them from a game that was getting out of hand, but for the games that still lay ahead.
“I said when we get back, we’re going to get Milos right. We’re going to get Emanuel right. We’re going to get this team right,” Sampson said.
“And that’s why I don’t overreact to stuff. Because I know how to fix it.”
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