No. 8 Houston men’s basketball leans into its strengths in rout of Jacksonville State

Coach Kelvin Sampson can think back to every team he’s had at Houston.

In his eyes, he has never had one that did not play to its ability level or its strengths.

“Every team we’ve had, I think, has maximized their abilities,” Sampson said. “Some just have a bit more than others.”

One of the abilities No. 8 Houston possesses revealed itself again Wednesday night.

Houston attempted 32 free throws, making 27 of them, en route to a 92-46 walloping of Jacksonville State at Fertitta Center.

It was the second time in three games that the Cougars attempted 30 or more free throws, after having shot 37 in the season-opener against La Salle.

“Last year’s team couldn’t play like this,” Sampson said. “And this year’s team couldn’t play like last year’s team.”

Junior guard Mercy Miller and fifth-year guard Chendall Weaver combined for 16 free-throw attempts, shooting eight apiece.

Miller’s came as part of his first double-figure scoring performance of the season, while Weaver’s came in his home debut and second game as a Cougar.

By the time Weaver attempted his first field goal midway through the second half, he’d already shot 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

“Chendall is going to manufacture baskets, points,” Sampson said. “You don’t have to call plays for him; he’ll go make plays for himself.”

Describing a play that was drawn up for Miller to score a layup, Sampson acknowledged how it was designed to cater to Miller and Houston’s strengths.

“I would never have run that play for this guy, or that guy, off past teams,” Sampson said. “Because that wasn’t their strength.”

Houston’s efforts in generating paint points and free throw attempts have led to nearly eight fewer 3-point attempts per game than last season.

Sampson said last week that getting to the free-throw line was an emphasis for this iteration of the Cougars.

“We’ll get to the free-throw line more; we’ll shoot more 2s. Probably not as many 3s,” he said.

Senior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. has embodied the philosophy this season.

Thomas, Houston’s leading scorer in all three games, has done so by averaging seven free-throw attempts and shooting 57% on two-point field goal attempts. 23 of Thomas’ 30 field goal attempts so far this season have come inside the 3-point line.

Through three games, the Las Vegas native is averaging nearly seven assists for every turnover surrendered.

He finished Wednesday with 17 points, seven assists, while shooting 6-for-6 on free throws.

Miller, who caught rhythm in the second half, totaled 15 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field, to pair with five assists and four rebounds.

As Houston continues to establish its offensive identity, freshman center Arafan Diané is another player Sampson wants to involve more.

Diané tallied nine points and four rebounds while shooting 3-for-3 on field goals in 16 minutes Wednesday.

“The guy that’s got to get the ball more is Arafan,” Sampson said. “We’ve got to get him involved.”

“He’s 18; he’s only going to get better. How many minutes did he play tonight? 16? He’s probably about where he should be now. Maybe a month from now, get him up closer to 20.”

Matters never got better for Jacksonville State.

Houston held Jacksonville State to 26.8% from the field and 26.9% from beyond the arc, while outrebounding the Gamecocks 46-26.

Fourteen turnovers by the Gamecocks turned into 20 points for Houston, while they could only muster two from the Cougars’ 10 giveaways.

Up next, Houston will travel to Las Vegas to face Rutgers on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m. CT for the first of three games in consecutive days as part of the Players Era 8 tournament.