Fatal flaw that will doom Houston basketball in 2025 Final Four
04/01/2025 05:52 PM
Houston basketball is in the Final Four for the second time in the tenure of Kelvin Sampson. The Big 12 conference champions rolled through their league, going 19-1 in regular season play. The club also won their conference tournament. Houston then entered March Madness as a no. 1 seed, and has remained standing.
Houston basketball boasts the top scoring defense of any power 4 team in the country, per NCAA stats. Only the Drake Bulldogs were better this regular season in college basketball, when it comes to stopping teams from scoring. Houston allows just 58.3 points per game, which is now no. 1 in the country.
There’s a cause of concern for the Cougars, though, as the team rolls into San Antonio. Before that fatal flaw is revealed, it is important to look at how Houston got to the Final Four.
Houston basketball struggled in one March Madness matchup
To get to San Antonio, Houston defeated SIUE, Gonzaga, Purdue and Tennessee in the NCAA tournament. Houston rolled through most of those teams, but struggled mightily with Purdue.
The Boilermakers looked poised to force overtime with Houston, before a beautiful in-bounds play saved the Cougars. Houston basketball player Milos Uzan passed the ball to Joseph Tugler to get the ball in play. Tugler immediately passed it back to Uzan who was unguarded near the basket. Uzan scored the game-winning goal.
“That was beautiful,” Uzan said of the play afterward, per ESPN. “Especially in a moment like this, Sweet 16 to go to the Elite Eight.”
That basket may have been the difference for the team in this NCAA Tournament. It also points though to the fatal flaw this Houston team faces.
Houston basketball’s offense is not as explosive as their defense
The Cougars do have a glaring problem, and that lies with their offense. Houston’s offense is not as strong as their defense.
This season in Big 12 play, the club averaged 74 points per game. That was good for 10th in the Big 12 conference, among 16 teams. That was not very efficient, especially considering who is still in this tournament. Houston’s next opponent, Duke, is top 10 nationally in scoring. Duke averages 83.7 points a contest.
What has helped Houston score is getting more opportunities to score. The Cougars led the Big 12 in forcing turnovers, per league stats. That of course was as a result of the tenacious defense. In order to stay alive in March Madness, Houston will have to find ways to force turnovers again.
Houston scored only 62 points in its win over Purdue. It scored 69 in its win over Tennessee. The Cougars will have to score a lot more to defeat a Duke team loaded with explosive freshmen. Those freshmen include Cooper Flagg, who might be the no. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is impressed by his next opponent.
“The first thing that jumps out to me is what a great job Jon (Scheyer) did at putting his team together,” Sampson said on the Herd with Colin Cowherd. “Cooper Flagg was going to be the centerpiece. How they fit everybody around him is what’s so impressive.”
This matchup with Duke is very difficult for Houston. Duke is so well-balanced. The Blue Devils are top 10 nationally in scoring offense, as well as scoring defense. The Blue Devils are seventh nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 62.6 points a contest.
Houston and Duke play Saturday for a chance to go to the national championship. The winner faces either Auburn or Florida in the title contest.
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