Opposition Report: Houston Cougars | CollegeLayup.com — Real and sincere college basketball analysis By Eldon Khorshidi

UConn vs. Houston: Thursday, January 30, 2014

Opposition Report: Houston Cougars

Record: 11-9 (3-4)

Offense: 1.04 points per possession (210th)
Defense: 1.02 points allowed per possession (148th)

Keys to the Game:

1. Be aware of backside screens set for TaShawn Thomas (Houston’s best player, legitimate inside-outside threat — Thomas runs off quick, sneaky screens in the post to create easy opportunities)

Video: Thomas Screen Slip

2. Rebound every possession (Thomas’ 8.8 RPG ranks second in AAC; 15% of attempts on put-backs; excellent box-out technique)

3. Pressure LJ Rose (6-4 point guard, averaging 5 assists per game; solid court vision; Can penetrate, draw defense and get shooters open looks)

4. Close out on Jherrod Stiggers’ jump shot (only shooting 31% from deep, but Stiggers averages 6.4 three-point attempts per game. He can knock down shots — uses 40% of Houston’s 3-point attempts)

5. Keep a body on Danrad Knowles (6-9 athletic forward—high energy, agile, long. Knowles lurks around for put-backs, and runs ahead in transition for easy dunks)

Quick Thoughts

TaShawn Thomas is Houston’s most dangerous, most productive, and most important player.
— How do you approach defending TaShawn Thomas? That’s been the question for every Houston opponent this season. The 6-8 forward, who had 23 points and 8 rebounds in the first matchup vs. UConn, is extremely productive and efficient. He averages 17 points and 8 rebounds on 61% shooting. Powerful, fluid and nimble on his feet, he has the ability to create offense anywhere inside the arc. Facing up or against the basket, slashing or finishing a put-back.

Thomas is extremely important to Houston — his 3.3 win shares rank 5th in the AAC (only Smith, Harrell, Napier and Kilpatrick are as important to their team), and Thomas is Houston’s only player in the top 40 of win shares.

All that said, despite shooting 61%, Thomas creates much of his own offense. If you can stop him from slashing/cutting to the hoop for easy baskets, and if UConn’s frontline is in position to provide help defense and contest shots, you can make it difficult for Thomas. It won’t be easy, though.

For Houston to win, it will need success from 3-point range

3-point shooting (conference games):

Wins:
7-14 (50%)
6-14 (42%)
11-25 (44%)
9-19 (47%) – one point loss vs. Cincinnati

Losses:
5-20 (25%)
2-14 (14%)
8-18 (44%)

— Wing players Danuel House (4.5 attempts; 34%) and Jherrod Stiggers (6.4 attempts; 31%) are Houston’s best 3-point shooters. Inconsistent, but certainly capable of knocking down shots. However, they both excel with their feet set—”catch and shoot”—and they struggle “shooting off the dribble.”

More on this below, but the point is: Make sure you contest House and Stiggers.

Pressure LJ Rose
— 6-4 point guard, good court vision. 37.5% assist rate ranks 13th nationally. Effective setting teammates up in transition. Top-75 high school recruit, gifted player.

Only 5.5% of Houston’s offense is in pick-and-roll (UConn — 14.3% of offense in pick-and-roll)

–

Connecticut

Point Distribution: 48% 2-Pointers | 30% 3-Pointers | 22% Free Throws

Shot Attempt Distribution: 55% Jump Shots | 34% Around Basket | 6% Post-Ups | 5% Runner

83% Half Court; 17% Transition

Houston

Point Distribution: 54% 2-Pointers | 25% 3-Pointers | 21% Free Throws

Shot Attempt Distribution: 48% Jump Shots | 35% Around Basket | 8% Post-Ups | 9% Runner

22% Transition; 78% Half-Court

Key Players:

TaShawn Thomas — 16.5 PPG, 8 RPG
Junior, SF, 6-8, 240

Strengths
— Gifted scorer (61% shooting; creates much of his own offense; strong frame to finish through contact, can face up or post up)
— Rebounding (8.8 RPG; excellent boxing-out)
— Cutting/Slashing (22% of offense; converting 75% of cuts)
— Shot blocking (9.8% block percentage ranks 39th nationally)

Vulnerable
— Average Jump Shooter (Only 11% of attempts; not very comfortable from perimeter)
— Interior Defense (lacks strength and foot speed)

Strengths

Video: Screen Slip

Slashing to the hoop

Interior Scoring
—Thomas is shooting 70% “around the basket”, and specifically 48% with his back to the basket. He has NBA moves in the paint.

Isolation / Spot-Up Points

Video: Post Up Misses

Offensive Rebounding

— Nearly 9 boards per game. Not the most athletic player, but Thomas has terrific technique and a wide frame to box-out and secure rebounds.

Vulnerable

Average jump shooting

— Thomas is capable of knocking down jumpers, but not his strong suit.

Interior Defense

— Allowing 1.2 points per “around the basket” attempt, and 1.1 points per “post up” attempt. Both rank in bottom 70th percentile. Stronger, taller, quicker players can expose Thomas.

Danuel House — 13 PPG, 5.7 RPG
Sophomore, SF, 6-7, 195

Strengths
— Tall wing player who can shoot with his feet set (catch and shoot)
— Long arms defensively. Versatile defender.

Vulnerable
— Jacks up 3′s (34% on 4.5 attempts)
— No isolation game
— Struggles to finish around the basket

Strengths

3-Point Shooting (sometimes)
— As the film shows, almost all attempts are catch-and-shoot

Perimeter Defense
— Holding opponents to 22% on jump shots. Good perimeter defender.

Vulnerable

Missed Jump Shots

Poor Isolation

Finishing Struggles

Jherrod Stiggers — 10.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG
Sophomore, SG, 6-5, 210

Strengths
— Good Spot-Up Shooter (sometimes; 31% three-pointers on 6.4 attempts)

Video: catch-and-shoot

Vulnerable

— Struggles shooting off the dribble/off screens

LJ Rose — 8.6 PPG, 5.5 APG
Sophomore, PG, 6-4, 190

Strengths
— Court Vision (6-4 point guard, 37.5% assist rate ranks 13th nationally. Effective setting teammates up in transition)
— Capable scorer (45% in spot-up attempts; developing perimeter skill set, becoming increasingly reliable)

Vulnerable
— Struggles to score on pick-and-roll (0.6 points per attempt – not a good mark. slow turning the corner on screens)

Court Vision

Spot-Up Scoring

Pick-and-Roll Struggles

Danrad Knowles — 8 PPG, 5 RPG
Freshman, PF, 6-10, 190

Strengths
— Freak athlete. High Energy. Lurks around for tip-ins and put-backs.
— Long arms defensively
— Playing well recently (13 and 9 vs. UConn, 12 and 5 vs. USF, 9 and 10 vs. Cincy, 16 and 8 vs. Rutgers)

Vulnerable
— Raw offensively
— Bites on pump fakes

Strengths

Rebounding Pursuit