The Houston Cougars are now finally in the Big 12, a place where they should’ve been already. The Cougars have proven over the years that a bigger conference will be zero challenge to them as a program. As they begin this season, I am picking them to finish second in the Big 12. Houston lost a lot of talent, but luckily plenty remains.
Previous teams in my rankings can be seen here.
Preseason College Basketball Rankings: #8 Houston Cougars
Jamal Shead leads the returners. The reigning AAC Defensive Player of the Year will now take on the role of the leader of this team. No longer playing second fiddle to Marcus Sasser, Shead has a chance to shine even more than he already has. Expect him to compete for All-Big 12 honors this season. Power forward J’Wan Roberts broke out last year after becoming a full-time starter for the first time. His efforts earned him the AAC’s Most Improved Player award. Along with Shead, he also earned All-Conference honors. Terrance Arceneaux, a former four-star top 40 recruit, could be poised to take a sophomore leap.
Head coach Kelvin Sampson brings in a pair of four-star big men. Joseph Tugler is a top 70 recruit from Houston, and Californian center Jacob McFarland is a center ranked just outside of the top 100. While Tugler is just six-foot-seven, which is fairly short for a power forward, he makes up for his lack of size with everything else. He is long, strong, and has huge hands. He’s also a high-energy player. His strength and toughness on defense are exactly the kind of stuff that Sampson loves. Tugler is a force in the post on both sides of the ball. Because of this team’s lack of size, both Tugler and McFarland will have a chance to play and contribute immediately.
LJ Cryer dominated last season for Baylor after becoming a starter for the first time. He scored 15 points per game and shot just a hair under 50% from inside the arc. He, of course, has Big 12 experience from Baylor and a national championship under his belt.
Damian Dunn is a shooting guard transfer from Temple. He earned All-Conference honors in the American Athletic Conference in each of the last two seasons playing for the Owls. His 15.3 points per game last year was 10th in the conference. The super senior brings plenty of experience along with the abundant talent with him to this team. The trio of Dunn, Cryer, and Shead in the backcourt for this Cougars team is one of the best groups of guards in the nation.
Projected Lineup
PF – J’Wan Roberts (10.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.7 APG, 1.3 BPG)
SF – Terrance Arceneaux (3.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.6 APG, 0.1 BPG)
SG – Damian Dunn (15.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.7 APG, 0.2 BPG at Temple)
PG – LJ Cryer (15.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.5 APG, 0.0 BPG at Baylor)
PG – Jamal Shead (10.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.7 APG, 0.2 BPG)
