There is a generation of middle -aged American men who will always believe that there is no better brotherhood in the world than Phi Slama Jama. They are still waiting for Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and the rest of Houston’s dominant thumps to be rewarded with their rightful NCAA title.
The generation before that? They are happy with the view of Elvin Hayes and Houston who challenged Kareem Abdul Jabs (then Lew Alcindor) and Ucla before massive crowds at AstroDome and elsewhere.
Unfortunately, Phi Slama Jama came up cards in back-to-back NCAA title games (1983–84) and “Big E” came up cards against UCLA in Back-to-back Final Fours (1968-69).
On Monday in San Antonio, with Hayes sitting at the court as Houston’s radio Analyst and Olajuwon, Courtside sits as Basket Royalty, Houston Cougars will finally take home the school’s first NCAA championship after six missed four possibilities.
It is not meaningful. Oddmakers say Florida is a favorite of 1.5 points. If you look back at the last nine NCAA masters at Kenpom.com, all nine were ranked better than defense.
Florida has the country’s ninth most effective defense and the second most effective crime (128.8 points per 100 possessions), which is also ranked as the third most effective crime under the Kenpom era, which extends to 1996–97.
Meanwhile, Houston has the country’s No. 10 crime and defense no. 1 (87.3 points per 100 possessions). As we just said above, defense usually does not win championships – but Cougars only solved the most effective crime in Kenpom history.
If they can do enough to slow down the All-American Cooper Flag and two other NBA lottery selection, they can do enough to slow down all American Walter Clayton Jr. and Florida’s other high pilot.
Now we know what you are thinking: Saturday Night deserves to be known as a collapse from Duke Duke-not a Houston comeback all the time. But take a look at this:
Duke’s first 30 minutes: 58 points, 20-of-44 from the field (45.5%), two turnover.
Duke’s last 10 minutes: Nine points, 1-of-9 from the field, five turnover.
It is Houston who locks himself defensively. Now look at this:
Duke’s first 30 minutes: Nine offensive returns of 25 misses.
Duke’s last 10 minutes: An offensive recovery of nine misses.
It is Houston who locks down the boards – and that is before we mention Cougar’s five offensive returns in the final 5:10 that turned into six points. Now look at this:
@Optastats tweeted this overnight:
In the last 25 seasons, there have been 7,859 cases of a division I team that dragged 5+ points at half -time at least five times during a single season. Only one of these 7,859 has come back to win every one of these games.
The one team is Houston – 2024–25 (5–0).
Look, this is exactly what Houston does.
On January 25 at Allen Fieldhouse, Cougars beat 79-73 with 18 seconds left during the first overtime – and Kansas was on the line for two free throw. Jayhawks had a 99.6% chance of winning. But Emanuel Sharp met a 3-pointer (sounds familiar?), Houston forced a steal on the press (sounds familiar?) For another 3-pointer and continued to win in double overtime.
So when Cougars were down sex with 1:14 to go against Duke – and Blue Devils had the ball and a fresh shooting watch – it was practically that Houston already won. Everyone expected Houston coach Kelvin Sampson to order a foul and extend the game for as long as possible. But he trusted his guys – and they trusted him.
“All year I have tried to stay out of social media and such,” said fifth year’s senior guard LJ Cryer, who led Houston with 26 points Saturday. “I’m just trying to listen to Coach Sampson, and he thought we were the best team in the tournament, so that’s the only person I listened to.”
“Coach always tells us to just keep playing, fighting, never quit,” said sixth -year senior forward J’wan Roberts, who hit two freeasts with 19.6 seconds to give Houston his first lead in the second half. “If you lose the game and didn’t stop, you didn’t really lose. To go into games like this, you never want to go down, but it happens. But when you don’t stop and you think something can happen.”
Florida will go on runs Monday night. Like flags on Saturday night, Clayton can prove to be the best player on the floor. But if cougars check the tempo – and they come – they will cut down the nets. In their home state. With Hayes, Olajuwon and a whole fraternity of previous Coogs that has finally done a job.
