No. 10 Houston is about to find out how sturdy its perimeter defense really is.
After opening the season with a 94-55 home win over La Salle on Monday, the Cougars head to Stateline, Nev., on Sunday for a matchup with Cal that should offer a very different kind of exam. Houston already got a taste of what preseason tuneups can do for a team, and coach Kelvin Sampson said the work against Ole Miss and Michigan paid off before the regular season even started.
"We got a lot out of the Ole Miss scrimmage. I think we got a lot out of the Michigan exhibition game because they played all their main guys," Sampson said. "So did we.
"The game (against La Salle), they played hard. They were scrapping, fighting. That was good for us."
Against La Salle, Dedan Thomas Jr. paced five Houston players in double figures with 16 points. He also shared the team lead in assists with Mercy Miller and Corey Hadnot II, each finishing with five. Hadnot added 14 points.
Cal arrives with a different identity and a hot hand from deep. The Golden Bears are 2-0 after beating Radford 84-70 on Wednesday, a game they handled without head coach Mark Madsen, who was away dealing with an emergency. Associate head coach Adam Mazarei ran the team in his place and said Madsen is expected back on the bench against Houston.
"Absolutely. Absolutely," Mazarei said.
The Bears made program history against Radford, knocking down 17 3-pointers. They actually finished with more made baskets from beyond the arc than from inside it, going 12 of 24 on two-point attempts.
That kind of shot profile is no accident. Cal has stressed shot selection since its exhibition slate ended, pushing players to let it fly from outside without getting rattled if the jumper goes cold for a stretch.
"I say we get a lot of reps up," forward Jake Wilkins said. "We're always shooting after practice, before practice.
We know that we can all shoot. We rep it out so much that if nothing is going for us, we know that we can shoot the ball."
Through two games, Cal is shooting 48.3% from 3-point range and has already launched 58 shots from beyond the arc. By contrast, La Salle took 39 threes against Houston and made only eight.
Sampson knows exactly what Cal wants to do.
"It's who they are," Sampson said of the Golden Bears. "Every team has a way they want to win the game. If you're shooting that many 3s, it means you've got a lot of guys that can make it, and that's what makes them dangerous.
"We've played against a lot of teams over the years that are 3-point driven. We'll see if we can get these kids ready to see that.
We're still learning. It'll be a good challenge for us."
Cal, for its part, sounds eager for the test. Houston’s defensive reputation is no secret, and it’s the kind of challenge that gets attention in the opposing locker room.
"That's one of the hardest-playing teams in the country," said guard Nojus Indrusaitis, who scored 30 points and made six 3-pointers against Radford. "Great coach, great system, so I'm super excited for the opportunity. Let's get after it.
"They're going to play hard. We've got to match that intensity. Yeah, we'll see."
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