Getty Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson
The No. 17 ranked Houston Cougars kick their 2020 campaign off against the Lamar Cardinals Wednesday at the Fertitta Center.
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The game (3 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on regular TV anywhere, but you can watch Lamar vs Houston on ESPN+ right here:
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Lamar vs Houston Preview
Lamar went 17-15 last year (10-10 in the Southland Conference), and they will be led by Davion Buster, who was the team’s top scorer in 2019, averaging 14.6 points per game. Senior forward Avery Sullivan will also be back, after averaging close to a double-double last year. Sullivan scored 12.3 points a game while also hauling in 8.2 rebounds. The Cardinals averaged 72.3 points a game last year, and they’ll face a very tough challenge out of the gate.
Lamar coach Tic Price said this week that his squad is embracing the underdog label.
“There is an old cliche in sports: us against the world. And that’s the attitude we’re going to have to take on this year,” Price said. “We’re going to have to be road warriors this season and have the mental toughness that goes along with that description. Obviously, we have to stay healthy, but I also believe the team that is the most disciplined off the court and can avoid some of the pitfalls that can occur during this time with COVID has a real chance of success.”
The Cougars (23-8, 13-5 in the American Athletic Conference last season) won the American Athletic Conference regular-season title last year, and they’re looking for more this season. Led by sophomore guard Caleb Mills, who has made several preseason watch lists for both the Naismith and Jerry West Awards, Houston promises to be a formidable unit once again. Mills, who was impressive as a freshman last year, said last week that he is only looking to ascend.
“What I’ve done so far, I don’t really think … last year wasn’t really that well in my own eyes,” Mills said, via the Houston Chronicle. “I don’t really look too much into preseason awards or that stuff,” Mills noted, adding he was more concerned with “Just playing better basketball as a whole group” than any potential individual accolades.
For their part, the Cougars, like the Cardinals, have been dealing with this unconventional offseason as best as they can.
“It was unusual, to say the least, but we were no different than anybody else,” Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson said. “You just kind of deal with it. That’s the new norm. To say that it’s unfair, it’s what it is. It’s just the way the country is. You adjust to what you have and the situations you have. That’s what we’re doing.”