Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball had several ranked teams on the court on Sunday afternoon.
No. 1 Houston was in Birmingham, Ala., to face the Auburn Tigers on the men’s side. For the women, No. 7 Baylor, No. 16 Iowa State and No. 17 TCU were all in action, with the Horned Frogs taking on No. 10 NC State.
Here are three things we learned about Big 12 basketball on Sunday.
HOUSTON’S RISING TALENT
There is a bushel of talented freshmen in the Big 12. But Houston has a class of them.
The Cougars started two of those freshmen on Sunday in a 73-72 win over Auburn in a neutral site game in Birmingham, Ala. The No. 1 Couguars used 6-foot-11 forward Chris Cenac in the pivot and guard Kingston Flemings in the backcourt alongside Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan.
Both played well in the victory. Flemings looks like he’s going to emerge as a potential clutch player for the Cougars as he scored 22 points with five rebounds, seven assists and a blocked shot. Cenac has the potential to be one of the best rim protectors in the Big 12 after he scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and a blocked shot, which was key down the stretch.
Coach Kelvin Sampson has committed to playing both early this season because, well, he needs to. Sharp, Uzan and forward Joseph Tugler are the main contributors back from last season’s national finalist team. Houston lost guard LJ Cryer and forward J’Wan Roberts. Two starting spots were open and, for now, it’s Flemings and Cenac. They look like great fits alongside the returnees, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re the starters when Big 12 play begins in January.
This looked like a typical Houston team, albeit not as sharp as a year ago. But the Cougars controlled the game, leading for nearly 32 minutes, shooting 43% and outrebounding the Tigers, 40-37. Forward Kalifa Sakho, a transfer from Sam Houston, didn’t score but he gave Houston 16 critical minutes. If there is any one quibble this early in the season it’s that there isn’t much of a bench yet. Just five points, all from Isiah Harwell. Also, a freshman.
I was asked earlier this week on “Miller and Condon” on KNXO radio in Des Moines this week if I thought Houston would be all right and I said “absolutely.” I saw nothing on Sunday that leads me to believe otherwise. In my eyes, the Cougars remain the favorites in the Big 12.
TCU’S BIG WIN (AGAIN)
Last year the TCU women’s basketball team announced they were a Top 25 power with a home win over NC State. This year, they went to Raleigh a Top 25 team. But, last year’s Big 3 were gone — Hailey Van Lith, Madison Conner and Sedona Prince. Now, it’s Olivia Miles, Marta Suarez and Maddie Scherr.
The No. 17 Horned Frogs beat the No. 10 Wolfpack, 69-59, snapping their 24-game home winning streak. That’s a statement win for TCU.
Suarez, who transferred in after last season, had 26 points. She has clearly benefited being in the screen portion of the screen-and-roll game. Miles, who passed 1,500 points for her career, had 15 points and 14 rebounds. Clara Silva, another transfer, had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Scherr only had four points. That’s two players with double-doubles against a Top 10 team.
TCU only played seven and only two points came off the bench. But here’s the impressive part — the Horned Frogs led for nearly 32 minutes on one of the toughest home courts in women’s college basketball. It’s a building block win that has been sharp since the opener.
ANOTHER IOWA STATE MILESTONE
The Iowa State women just keep doing stuff. Audi Crooks went off with a masterful performance against Valparaiso earlier in the week, one that saw her set an Iowa State single game scoring record in 20 minutes, which also set an NCAA record. In the same game, Addy Brown passed 1,000 career points. She was recognized before the game on Sunday against Norfolk State.
Cool. Great. But apparently Brown wanted to one-up herself. With 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, she fashioned the fourth triple-double in Iowa State women’s basketball history.
It’s your move, Jada Williams. I mean, right? That’s how this works in Ames?
