By Eddie PELLS National writer AP
San Antonio – Almost all basketball fans have heard of Cooper Flagg from Duke. Nowhere have many have heard of Joseph Tugler of Houston.
If the cougars will take an upheaval for the Blue Devils in the Final Four of all the seeds on Saturday evening, it will be almost surely because one of the best defenders in the country, Tugler, played a big role in the limitation of the best global player in the country, Flagg.
“Remove his right hand, do not let him enter his spin turn, make him win his shot,” said Tugler, checking the Houston version of a screening report similar to what was tried by the 38 previous opponents of Duke, with a minimum of success.
And this: “I can keep anyone if I put my mind.”
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson has a grainy team full of players like that.
A team formed around the stifling defense may not put a ton of clips on the weekly highlighting plans, as Flagg and the Blue Devils (35-3).
But a better illustration of what makes Houston (34-4) could come from a viral video that shows a bulk exercise that the team performs, generally at the start of the season or, as the coach said, whenever someone needs it.
It starts with a ball pushed on the field – or by a frank brick throw – and turns into chaos, with players plunging on the ground, jumping on each other while trying to take possession. The platform, it appears from the video, is authorized.
Tugler suggested that “the team” losing should run. Sampson was less concrete on the rules of exercise as its objective.
“Everything is a competition,” said the coach. “But as our children say, it’s not for everyone. But it’s for those who are there.”
Invited to analyze the Flagg game, Sampson – in his 36th year coach and in his third final Four and second with Houston – started to mention the players that his teams have been confronted over the years: Carmelo Anthony, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce.
“This guy is there with them,” said the coach. “It is difficult to say in which it is not good.”
Flagg, the 18 -year -old recruit which has an average of 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, won the national player’s price of the year AP Friday, as well as the Oscar Robertson price to add to his case of filling trophy quickly.
It is practically certain to be the first choice of the NBA draft later this spring.
Last weekend, Flagg undoubtedly played the best game of his short university career-a 30-point masterpiece, six reimburses and seven assistants in a sweet victory over Arizona. Two nights later, he was out of Target but always ended up with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a 20 -point victory against Alabama.
Honors of Tugler: defensive player of the year Big 12 and winner of the Lefty Driesell Award awarded by College Insider Inc. to the best defensive player in the country. Since he joined the departure training in December, he has an average of 1.9 shots blocked per game.
Some other Houston statistics say a lot. Cougars are first evaluated in Kenpom’s defensive efficiency category. In attack, they are classified 360th out of 364 teams in possessions by 40 minutes, a figure that plays for defense because long goods shorten the games and bring the teams to spend the energy by defending them.
The cougars lead the country as a percentage of goals on the authorized field (38.2%) and the authorized points (58.3).
Duke’s coach Jon Scheyer, who saw Houston in a scrum two years ago and in a 54-51 Sweet 16 victory last season – before the arrival of Flagg – says that the figures do not fully do him justice.
“They have good individual defenders,” said Scheyer. “But I think that, by far, the best thing they do is how they always have five guys who always move together.”
Tugler also described it this way. Always help. Always moving together. The great defenders may not have as much love as the guys going up the 3 points, but Tugler does not bother him. He says that the Houston version of “3” comes when it stops one team in three consecutive goods.
“We call it the” Kill Stop “,” said Tugler. “After getting this third, we always have the impression:” Let’s go back. “”
Heathcoate coach calls
Sampson remembered his first job as a head coach in Montana Tech. He left Jud Heathcoate staff in Michigan State and went 7-20 without winning a conference match in his first season.
“Jud calls and said,” Hey, kel, I just want to congratulate you. You are the only coach … who might have had the Montana technology from darkness “,” said Sampson.
Ink for victory
Scheyer was surprised to learn that the mother of Flagg, Kelly, entered a pact with other mothers of the team to obtain tattoos to commemorate a national title of Duke if there is one. Will the coach participate?
“I do tattooing with my wife if that’s what will happen,” said Scheyer. “I would even plan to get one if we win.”
Duke (35-3) vs. Houston (34-4)
What: Semi-final of the NCAA tournament
When: Saturday, approx. 5:49 p.m.
Or: Alamodome, San Antonio
TV: CBS (ch. 2)
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
