← Eye On College Basketball
Eye On College Basketball
'25 Summer Shootaround: The Houston Cougars remain elite heading into the 25-26 CBB season
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- [01:45]
Gary Parrish
Hey there Gary Parrish. Welcome back to the CBS Sports Eye on College Basketball podcast where we sometimes discuss Camel fighting Dodo birds. Leaky Black Matt Norlander is here with me. If you're watching on YouTube, you know what to do to that. Like button shouts to Brandon Davies. And if you haven't yet subscribed to the CBS Sports college basketball YouTube channel, please also do that while you're here. Let's get into it. Today we are continuing our Summer Shoot around series that we're going to be doing over the span of a few weeks. We've already published an episode on St John's the team I've got number one in the top 25 and one. Now we're turning our attention to the team that I have number two in the top 25 and one and that is the University of of Houston. The Cougars went 35 and 5 last season, including 19 and 1 in the Big 12. Won the league title outright by four games, beat Colorado, BYU and Arizona to win the Big 12 tournament, then got a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and then they beat S I U E, Gonzaga, Purdue, Tennessee and Duke to advance to the title game where The Cougars lost Florida 6563 after leading by as many as 12 points with less than 16 minutes left in regulation. Three of the top six scores from that team are gone, most notably leading scorer L.J. crier. But three starters are back, specifically Milo Suzan, Emmanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler. And Houston is adding five star freshman Chris Cenac, who is expected to start alongside Tugler in the front court. Again, I've got Houston ranked second in the top 25 and one going to get Norlander's thoughts on that next. But first, let's get a word from.
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- [05:32]
Gary Parrish
Okay, Norlander. Houston is a top two team in the country. Do you love it or do you loathe it?
- [05:40]
Matt Norlander
I love it. I love it. We're not doing this with every episode. Did you do this? That. And in full transparency for our audience. Okay. The Fanta episode might have been taped in relatively close quarters to. To this one. Did you do the. Did you do the Lover loaded the Fanta. Did you drop that on him?
- [05:57]
Gary Parrish
I didn't want to startle him.
- [05:58]
Matt Norlander
Exactly.
- [05:59]
Gary Parrish
I didn't want to startle him. He's. He's from the field of 68. I didn't know if he'd. If he'd understand how to handle a love it or loathe it situation, so I just kept that. I felt that's something between us. I. If I'd have asked him if he loved or lo. Something, I'd have felt like I was cheating on you.
- [06:13]
Matt Norlander
It's fair. I do hope our audience appreciates we're just sprinkling in a few different voices. We normally don't do this, but in all honesty, our boss has said, hey, if you guys want to not have to do every single summer shoot around, you don't have to do every single one. And we'll mix it up there. So fantas. Fantas in the can. And we've got more coming here, but here.
- [06:32]
Gary Parrish
Yep. I bet you this is exactly what Wally Pip's boss said once upon a time here. I know how this works.
- [06:40]
Matt Norlander
Here we are, you and me. Houston, we got plenty more.
- [06:42]
Gary Parrish
We're gonna look up in February, and Jay Wright and Gene Steritour are gonna be hosting this thing, and we're gonna be like, well, they told us we didn't have to do everything. We. I know where this is going.
- [06:52]
Matt Norlander
I think we're clear. I think we're. I think we're clear. All right, number two, Houston Cougars. I have not done my rankings yet. Obviously, I don't do them until we get to. Frankly, like, late September, early October for my top 101 teams. 25 and 1 ain't good enough for me, but I do it. I'm one and done. I do believe that I will have Houston number one But I'm not, I'm not there yet. I'm not convinced yet. I'll definitely have Houston top three. That's, that's an arguable before we look at what they're going to be. Just a quick dial back because I was sitting, no exaggeration, Parrish, within 15ft of Emmanuel Sharp when he unintentionally provided one of the weirdest hiccup endings in American sports history. I mean, it's so weird for a one possession game to end without even a shot attempt, right? And that non play will set the stage for Houston this season. Houston's got an interesting thing going on because the way that they were able to beat Duke in the final four is so memorable for Duke, but then for Houston you get that and you live in it for 48 hours and then you lose 65, 63 to Florida in the national championship. And the way the Houston loss is atypical of what their personality had been. So yeah, just Sharp's reaction, I just, that's gonna stick with me for a while. Crouch down on the floor. You know, Walter Clayton Jr. Came over and, and consoled him for a second before going and celebrate, which was just an awesome move by Clayton, obviously. And it took Sharp, I really think it took him in real time, 30, 40, maybe 50 seconds to walk off the floor. It's tough. And so you know, how that sets the stage for Houston this season will be interesting in some ways. They want to put it behind him, but you can't deny that that is going to be the motivating factor. And not to suggest that it's going to loom over the entire season because I don't necessarily think it should or has to. But I know it hasn't been easy on Sharp and certainly would hope by now he's turned the cor. But you know, the ball was in your hands with the potential to hit the shot to win it all for Houston. And he got deked out. You know, he double clutched, he faked himself out, never got the shot off and the game just ends with a bit of a whimper there. So I Parrish, I'm, I'm interested to see a Houston team that has finished number two at Ken Palm four consecutive years. This has been the number two team. And so in that regard this has been, you know, one of the two best programs. Maybe you want to make the case it's been the best program over a four year span. You can make that case stands a national championship. How does last season's ending affect next Season's, you know, progress and what Houston will be.
- [09:40]
Gary Parrish
I think Houston's going to be good regardless of how last season ended because Houston is consistently elite under Kelvin Sampson and there's like no reason to think that's going to change. But I, I, you know, the players can change, but that coaching staff, you know, Kelvin Kellen, like, they, they live through that. And that will, I think, forever be my main mem from that Monday night title game was with the, just the abruptness with which it was all over. It was like we, you're exactly right. Basketball games can end anyway, but they usually do end in that setting shot, clock off, team is down, or the game is tied. It usually ends with something going at the rim or a whistle that, that blows a play dead because of a foul. It doesn't just end like that. It was such a weird, abrupt, almost like, I imagine if you're Todd golden, you're like standing there wondering, like, and it's like, whoa, it's, it's over. Like, we just, we. I'm a national championship coach. I bet it startled him a little bit. So there's no doubt in my mind. Kelvin carries that around with them. Emmanuel Sharp as well. But broadly speaking, I think it'll be a, it'll, it'll be a different team and it'll look different, but I think it'll be similarly excellent. I mentioned three of the top six scores are gone, but you know, there's some really high level players back us on Yuzan, Sharp and Tugler. Then you add in the two freshmen. Let me just, before we start talking about this team specifically, okay, just run through some numbers connected to Houston over the past few years. Because even though we live through it and talk about it, I don't know that people have a great appreciation for what's been happening there.
- [11:31]
Matt Norlander
They should. And this should be the, this should be the podcast that ends it once and for all. Because I feel like we've been beating this drum consistently. But it is insanely impressive what Samson has done laid out for our folks.
- [11:41]
Gary Parrish
I don't want to spend much time on where it was when he inherited what it is, what it had become. We've done all that. But just know over the past five seasons, they're 160 and 24. They've won 87 of their games the past five years. That's better than Coach K's winning percentage at Duke, which was.785, by the way. Kelvin Sampson's at, you know, 87 win rate last five years at Houston 34, four in Big 12 games since joining that league. So the two years prior to joining the Big 12, they went 32 and four in the American. And in the two years since they've left the American and been in the Big 12, they've gone 34 and four in the Big 12. They have dominated that league the same way they dominated the aac. They went from a bad league that ranked, I think, number 11 in 2024. No, they went from a bad league that's ranked like it's gotten worse, but it's never. It's been bad lately. They went from that to a league that was ranked number one in 2024 and number three in 2025, according to Ken Palm. And they just dominated it like it didn't even matter. Big change in competition, but really no change in the results. Now, you bring back that. That core that was, you know, possibly seconds away from winning a national championship. You add what is, according to 247 Sports, the second best freshman recruiting class in the country behind only Duke. So there's real talent in place, some. Some roster continuity. Do you think the loss of Pop Isaacs and or Terrence Arsenal matter in any real way? Because there was a point in this off season where both of them were projected on the roster. Then we weren't surprised when Arsenal left because, you know, there's. Once you go use in Sharp Isaacs, Arsenal is probably coming off the bench again, and I can understand why he might not want to do that at this point in his career. So no surprise when he transfers. He ends up at NC State, but then Isaacs transfers to A M, and that theoretically, since Kingston Flemings, a 63 freshman, into the starting lineup. So do you think one of those offseason developments to the negative will matter in any real way?
- [14:11]
Matt Norlander
Okay, I'm inclined to say no, but with a couple of caveats here. One, let's just @ least acknowledge and not take for granted just how hard it will be again for Houston to be one of the, let's not even say top two. Let's just say five best teams in the country. They're going to be in the preseason top five. They may well be the preseason AP number one or two or three. And that's going to be deserved and earned. But then you actually have to go out and do it, and there's no assurances because of injuries and all the other factors. So just, I. I try and never lose sight of that, particularly when we do these shoot arounds. It's not. It's Not God, given that they're going to do it. Although it seems at this point with the way Samson runs this program that they're going to do it. They're not assured of anything. So just don't lose too far. Aside of that, with that being said, I think they really benefited here from a couple of plot twists that they weren't anticipating. Arsenal was. Yeah, he was rumored to be leaving. I, I remember even hearing that before we got to the tournament and then understandably. So why he just, he's, he's off to, to, to a different spot and, and maybe he'll, he'll be better off for it. They lose LJ Cryer and Juwan Roberts, those are just big time players and losing them is going to really mean something major. However, getting sharp back expected Tugler back. Tugler might, might, might be the best defender in the country next season and if he's not, you know, we don't do a first team all defense, although maybe we should. He seems a lock for that. So getting him back is obviously critical.
- [15:35]
Gary Parrish
He's the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the year.
- [15:37]
Matt Norlander
He's awesome, awesome, awesome player and, and looking forward to seeing if he, if he can become an even better defender then genuinely look the hell out use. And coming back is the plot twist though because he was set on going into the. I think we talked about this and I brought it up on the pod back during draft season but he wanted to go, he wanted to be gone, he wanted to get drafted. But the reality was he was not getting the kind of feedback that was assuring him that he would be a top 40 pick. And clearly, clearly he was set then as a result to make more money at Houston. And at a certain point, although it's not like he had anything against Houston, he just wanted to say I can make that jump and he wasn't going to be able to make the jump at the level he was hoping at in this year's draft cycle. So he comes on back to Houston, gets himself some nice, some nice money as a result. But by doing that Pop Isaacs who had committed there with the understanding that Yuzan was going to be gone because a lot of people expected us and to be gone then. This is just based off a few conversations some weeks back. I, I think the Houston staff realized that if you've got sharp Yuzan Isaacs, those three, in addition to Isaiah Harwell coming in now he's a 6, 6 freshman wing but he's going to factor in in Kingston Flemings who's a four star point guard. It was. There were just. There was going to be too much overlap and they needed to avoid that. And frankly, Pop Isaacs is the kind of player that needs to get, you know, close to 20 shots a game. He's going to want to get his. And they use an and Isaacs couldn't both be on so they figure out a way to get him elsewhere. And frankly Isaac's landing at A M might if it won't surprise me if even if A M isn't a huge factor if Isaacs winds up being one of the premier scorers in the league and he's at a spot where he's doing well for himself. So I do think they're going to be bad. I would. If you told me you could have Houston with Usanne or Houston with Isaacs, I would say use in the whole way. You can combo the returning core with that number two class and cnac who I think like once we round into league play he's probably going to look the part. Maybe he looks the part immediately but sometimes he's, you know, he's. He's the number seven player 247Sports. He's a 610big. You've got this blend at Houston next season that Sampson hasn't really had before. It's enough proven players coming back. There's enough of a core there with sharp use. And Tugler, keep an eye on Mercy Miller. He should make a jump but we'll see. And then you've got the highest rated class that Sampson's ever had. And I think the use and Fleming's combo, how they use them, if they're both on the ball, how they interchange, I think that'll be pretty intriguing as well. But I do think they are for the better for having us and back. And now the question becomes does use it? Does every player that's returning that had a role on last season seem. Do they. Do they. Do they take that next step? Because if they do, I mean look the hell if they do, look the hell out. Houston was. Went 35 and five last season was a clear cut number one team, number one seed I should say went into the tournament 30 and four overall. And if they can, if they can level up again, then yeah, this team's going to be. It's going to be dynamite and I won't be surprised if it happens but just never lose sight of the fact of how hard it is to actually achieve that. All the more when Houston at this point this is, this is facts from the perspective of the coaches in that league. Houston has just as much if not more of a target now than Kansas, Arizona, anyone in the Big 12. They are the big dog in that league and when you are living that existence it becomes that much harder to build 30 win type seasons. It's going to be a fascinating team to watch next year.
- [19:09]
Gary Parrish
GP as noted, I have Houston number two in the top 25 and one but you said you might have them number one. They are number one at Torvik right now and I if I were guessing I would guess they will be number one in the preseason AP poll. I bet you AP voters, broadly speaking, lean that direction and I won't argue with them because just take the names out of it. Here's some descriptions of of what their starting lineup could look like. Two returning guards, both of whom played in a National championship game, both of whom shot above 40% from three last season, also return in your front court the reigning Defensive Big 12 Player of the Year. And then you add to that a dynamic lead guard, top 20 recruit and a five star freshman big who can rim, protect, serve as a lob threat and also has like, you know, some touch to where there's some thought he can shoot it and maybe create space in a non traditional way as well. He's a projected lottery Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Like I just described Houston's likely starting lineup and sounds pretty good. Sounds good on paper it does.
- [20:19]
Matt Norlander
And I and do we have, you know, do we have a North Carolina 2016-17 situation? A team that loses the national championship in the closing seconds in heartbreaking and literally unprecedented fashion? That was true of UNC in 16 and it was true of Houston in 25. And then can they come back the next year with many of those same pieces and make a National championship run? It's on the table. It's obviously not a common thing to see a team make the national championship and then the next year win it all, but we have seen it ever so often in college basketball or college football and it's right there for Houston before Any other thoughts on the Cougars before we get to I know you didn't touch on this with Fanta, but I got, I got the notable non con games we're doing regular season win total, we're doing all that stuff. But before we get to the schedule part, any lingering thoughts from you on what Sampson has with this team and the carryover from last season?
- [21:08]
Gary Parrish
Well, I literally have it in my notes. Carolina loses to the 2016 title game to Villanova then they win it the next year. Can Houston be that? Obviously they can. Don't know that they will, but certainly they can. And I never want to say things like and that's what I'm wishing for because it implies you're wishing for that and against everything else. Like I would love to see Purdue and Matt Painter win a national championship. I would love to see Mark Few at Gonzaga win a national championship. There are a lot of things that I wouldn't mind seeing. But I really like the idea of, of Calvin bouncing back and getting it done a year after his team, you know, for a variety of reasons, you know, let a double digit lead get away from him in the second half. I thought it was awesome the way Tony Bennett could have to endure that, that 1 versus 16 loss and go down in the history books and then a year later bounce back and win the whole thing. I don't like people walking around with regrets or you know, like God I was so close and I'll never have that again. And I, I because I know that does eat it. People like I have friends who are coaches who are retired and they will tell you there are losses that, that are with them every day. They still think about it every day. I don't think that's true with every coach. Some can really detach and let it go. But there are men, and I assume women as well in that profession who that can be a hard thing to carry around with them. And so anytime it can get undone or trumped by something positive. I like that. So if you told me right now the story next year in Indianapolis, oh back in the state of Indiana is Kelvin Sampson cutting nets and winning a national championship? Fine with me. That's a story I, that's a story I wouldn't mind watching.
- [23:01]
Matt Norlander
There's some heavy lore attached here because obviously the only, you know, there have been Houston teams previously that have made it this far and then not gotten it done. And we wait and see if, if that spell can be broken this upcoming season. Let's get to the schedule. I've got the notable non conference games and, and the rundown in league play here and we'll, we'll play some season win total number 31 games for one more season next year it will be a 32 game schedule but we worry about that in the summer of 26. So Houston will have in the players era tournament, we know it will play Syracuse and Tennessee and then their third game is to be determined based on the results of the first two. But an Orange and Then an orange situation, then another team with orange Auburn in its color scheme. That game will be in Birmingham. Remember that's a return game. Last year it was Auburn flying to Houston as players got into a scuffle on the plane. We'll see if Houston can avoid having a repeat of that when they have to fly east to Birmingham. They will play Florida State will the Cougars at the Toyota center in Houston. Florida State will be in year one under its new coach Luke Laux and then Arkansas and Houston will play each other in mid December at Barclays center. So those are 6 high major non conference games and then here is the Big 12. We don't have the order of the schedule but we know the opponents. So home and road for Houston is Baylor. We'll see what Baylor's got. A year after Scott Drew lost his entire roster. Cincinnati, big year for West Miller and then Texas Tech obviously a preseason ranked team with arguably maybe the preseason player of the year in J.T. toppin. So those are home and road for Houston. They get the benefit of not having to travel but playing at home only Arizona so don't have to go to Arizona. Arizona comes to Houston, Arizona State comes to Houston. Colorado, Kansas State, ucf, West Virginia and then road only they don't get to host these games are BYU so debance in Utah, not the Houston. Iowa State clearly a good team. That's going to be a road only situation. Kansas, they didn't do a two play with Kansas. I don't quite get that. But it's just at Kansas this upcoming season only at Oklahoma State, only at TCU and only at Utah. Overall you know you're going to play every team in the league but you only get three home and homes and what is an 18 game schedule. So that is six high majors, 18 league games and seven by games for the Houston Cougars. I'll go first year GP MM Last season Houston went 274 heading into the Big 12 tournament and was a 1 seed. It can do this again but it's just, it's tough I think with this freshman class I do think you know the newbies, maybe they cost him one or two games. I will go 26 and five 26 wins for Kelvin Sampson team going into the Big 12 tournament. And my prediction is in that scenario with this schedule the non conference again that third game at players era it really might matter if we've got some really good teams next season and you've got a 265 record and that third players era team is a quad one high level high seed opponent. Well maybe that gets you over the line of a one seed. Maybe it's just the line between a one and a two. So we wait and see on that. But I'll go not knowing what the third team will be. I'll say 26 and 5. What about you?
- [26:07]
Gary Parrish
I swear to you I had the number in my head before you said it. But I also I only think through losses and then let the wins count themselves. Yes, I had five losses, two non league losses, three conference losses like 19 and one in the big is outrageous.
- [26:22]
Matt Norlander
Like that is just a joke and I and it has to be noted and we'll probably say this again on a future Big 12 the Big 12 was solid last season. It was down I think it I think an objective scan of the league upcoming this season and I talked about a couple coaches on the recruiting trail down in North Augusta GP I think the league has to be better next season. It will surprise me if the league is at the level it was this past season or worse. And so you take that into account. We could look like idiots. We often do. But there's no way Houston can go 19 and one again.
- [26:51]
Gary Parrish
191 I'm not going to be quoted as saying there's no way but I this is the best compliment I can get Kelvin in his program. I don't think any college basketball team should ever go 19 and one in the Big 12. Even if you've got the best team in the country I don't think it should go 19 and one in the Big 12. So it is bananas that that team went 19 and one in the Big 12. And so I don't think they'll do that again if only because I don't think anybody should ever do that again. You should never go 19 and one in that league.
- [27:20]
Matt Norlander
It was really 22 and one because they didn't lose in the tournament. So they went 221 against Big 12 opponents last season and the one loss was by one point in overtime.
- [27:28]
Gary Parrish
Here's what I mean you that should never happen. It is absurd that that happened. And and I do agree with you. I think the league will be better. Texas Tech is going to be a preseason top 10 team. Arizona probably preseason top 15 to 20. BYU. I've got top five Iowa State safely going to be top 15 everywhere. Kansas is Kansas. Baylor is Baylor.
- [27:52]
Matt Norlander
The league is going Utah is Utah. Obviously Utah.
- [27:55]
Gary Parrish
I think that's actually true. Utah's. Utah's still Utah. Best I can tell Utah's still going to be Utah. I'm not why you want to bring Utah into this.
- [28:03]
Matt Norlander
You were just. You were saying baylor is Baylor, so I said Utah is Utah.
- [28:07]
Gary Parrish
Utah. Gotta catch a stray. Why is you. They ain't supposed to be. The Utah fans are like, hold on, we ain't supposed to be a part of the summer shoot around. We didn't even make any bids.
- [28:16]
Matt Norlander
Hey, Utah fans. Yeah, well, hey, you got plenty of time. You got plenty of time to make those auction bits. You want us to talk utes, we'll do it. You just gotta. You gotta go to the links and those will be viewable on all socials and all that good stuff. And we'll talk you if need be. No worries.
- [28:30]
Gary Parrish
Don't do that.
- [28:32]
Matt Norlander
So now you're act. You're actively lobbying. Hey, listen, we've got a BYU shoot around episode. Do not underestimate the Utah fan base, which is absolutely capable. You realize how intense that rivalry is? We might have just talked Utah summer shoot around, bonus auction episode into existence, my friend.
- [28:49]
Gary Parrish
Hey, byu, we talking about you for free. All right. Because you paid so much money for your basketball players. We will talk about you for free. Utah. You didn't pay nearly as much money for your basketball players, so you're gonna have to pay us to talk about you. That's where we're at on this, right? I think that's where we're at on this. So five losses heading into the Big 12 tournament. That's where I'm at. Two in the non league, three in the Big 12. But Houston is your for the third straight year. They will remain nothing but champions of the Big 12 every year they're in it. Keep in mind, this is elite. Kansas used to win every year and now Houston wins it every year. And Kansas still has the same hall of Fame coach and it's still Kansas. This is crazy. I think Houston is big 12 chance for the third straight year 17 and three record. And I assume that's good enough for.
- [29:39]
Matt Norlander
Outright over under Tuesday after the national championship game. 2.5 Ken Palm rating for Houston again. It has been number two four seasons in a row. So over means one or two. Under means three or worse. Over under Houston.
- [29:54]
Gary Parrish
I think even.
- [29:55]
Matt Norlander
Let's go.
- [29:56]
Gary Parrish
I think even Ken would tell me the smart play there is go under. Whatever. Whatever equates to worse.
- [30:02]
Matt Norlander
Under is. Is worse than two and a half. Yeah.
- [30:05]
Gary Parrish
Okay. Well, like, yeah, that's like, that's very difficult that you have to be one of the two best teams in the country and we have no idea what's going to happen. Between now and that day. I mean, all it takes is a, you know, a, a pulled hamstring, a torn acl, and the makeup of your team. Although if there's any team out there that could endure that kind of thing and be fine, it's probably these guys. So I will reluctantly take the under. But this is again, just the best comment you can give Calvin's program. You have to think about it. You should think about whether or not you want to take under two and a half or not. And that's, that's why I, you said this earlier, some version of it. I know they, they don't have the trophy, but that's the best basketball program that's been run over, you know, four or five years. Yeah, I don't think any program's been.
- [30:53]
Matt Norlander
Top five five years in a row. Paris, if you go back to 2021, when they made the Final Four, they finished Ken Palm this year. So if you want to take a five year sample size, even without a national championship trophy, I think it is objectively fair to say Kelvin Sampson has run the best program in the sport in the past half decade.
- [31:08]
Gary Parrish
I agree with that and I do not expect it to change this upcoming year. If you're curious, in the top 25 and 1, I've got Houston at 2, BYU at 3, Texas Tech at 7, Arizona at 11, Iowa State at 13, and Kansas at 18. If you care about Bart Torvik's preseason stuff, Houston is number one, followed by BYU at six, Arizona at 12, Iowa State at 15, so on and so forth. At Torvik, the Big 12 has five in the top 17, nine in the top 50, and zero outside of the top 98. So the league should be really strong. Very few places to just go and automatically assume you're going to win this game without sweating. And that's why I assume even if Houston wins a conference title for the third straight year, that that that loss total in the league be a little different, my friends.
- [31:59]
Matt Norlander
That's a show.
- [32:00]
Gary Parrish
How about that? Shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to Chester, S.C. shouts to Terry Teagle legend Huck Larnell. Thank you guys once again for listening to and watching the Island College Basketball Podcast. If you're not subscribed, please go subscribe to any the Island College Basketball Podcast anywhere you subscribe to podcast. Apple, Apple, Spotify, more of us than there are of them. That should be reflected in the comments. So do that. We'll talk to you again real soon. Till then, take care.
- [33:02]
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