https://www.nbadraft.net/players/chris-cenac/ Harwell 6’6 and 6’10 wing span https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...arwell-picks-houston-cool-dude-kelvin-sampson
Harwell is going to be a stud. Scored 11 points in the 3rd quarter. 3 3’s and a putback slam. His release and form are textbook. That was fun to watch. Now back to the final four. Can’t wait for Saturday
The more I think about it, the more I'm concerned about Kon Knueppel. He plays physical on offense and UH's perimeter players will have a tough time handling him. In fact, I think he could draw more fouls and have a better game than Flagg. They also must stay glued to Proctor. Guarded and contested, he can definitely be controlled. But leaving him open is an automatic bucket and he has a knack for finding open areas off the ball.
The more I think about it, the more I realize how incredibly hard it is to get where the Coogs are now. They have been "fighting and fighting" all season long. This is an amazing opportunity. They are either up to the moment or not. If the trio of guards are all hot, and the defense and the interior bigs hold their own, then UH has a chance. If the Coogs choke, they will get the "Baylor treatment" from a few years ago. Give me more of that "smother the Vols" defense and some hot shooting to shock Duke. It can happen.
Pondering the game in the middle of the night in early April ain't great for my health, but it's better to be doing it this time of year than not. These are rare experiences to cherish. It's going to be hard to slow Duke down. I really hope plan A or plan B work some. Tennessee was plan A, standard UH tough blitz, trap, and rotate. While I hope it works, it's probably not going to be as effective as it was against Tennessee in the first half. Plan B, switching, worked decently enough with a lead. When to mix it up will be key in this game. On the other end, Duke will most likely switch everything except for their center. So our guards have to be willing to take and make big shots the times Duke goes under the screen. And when everyone starts switching, it might have to be whoever has the mismatch going fast and hard. Can Roberts score efficiently against a big Duke guard? Coogs will love to run the clock down, but can these mismatches be found in time?
It might just be that i've become so spoiled that i dont fear duke and their talent. Really just feels like just another team, and truthfully, im expecting a win. All i can think is about what that street poet said "it concerns me a little, but i pack that thang too so he come around this way you will get clapped" Words to live by.
I think we beat Duke as well. We have a lot more experience than they do with close hard fought games. The only way they win is if we get bad group of refs that don't call it both ways, or if our guards namely Cryer, Uzan, and Sharp all have off shooting nights.
Looking at the data....Duke seems inflated. They haven't played a single defense anywhere close to UH's level unless you go back to the game vs Auburn at the beginning of December. Their best players are all freshmen. They've been gassed up most of the week. The defensive ratings of the teams they've beaten this tourney are: 27, 37, 64. The offensive ratings of the teams UH has beaten: 6, 7, 17. I think Duke's offense is closer to what UH has seen than what UH's defense is to what Duke has seen.
The initial "shock" factor is why I believe UH will get off to a good start. Keeping their nerve, continuing to be aggressive on offense and weathering the storm when it happens are the big question marks for me.
UH will put a lot of pressure on the refs to call it tight. If they call it loose then UH should be favored. The other issue working against Duke is that Vegas will not be on their side either. And it's a home game for UH.
