If UH head coach Tom Penders and associate head coach Melvin Haralson put the Cougars’ 2008-09 non-conference schedule together based on how strong they felt their squad would be come November, then Houston fans should be in for some exciting basketball.
Depending on how things pan out in the 2K Sports College Classic basketball tournament in November, the Cougars will have an opportunity to face at least six teams that finished with 20 wins or more last season.
"I think it’s a good schedule. I think it’s a tough schedule," Haralson said. "When you look at it as a whole, it’s one of the toughest schedules that we’ve had."
Three of those teams, Duke (Nov. 11), Western Kentucky (Nov. 15 at Hofheinz) and Mississippi State (Jan. 3), made noise in the NCAA Tournament, while Massachusetts (Dec. 30) lost to Ohio State in the NIT Championship game.
Haralson said the team is equipped to handle the pressure of playing such a tough schedule before heading into conference play.
"I still feel confident," Haralson said. "I think the guys that we’ve got, once they come together and mesh together, (will be) an outstanding team."
Haralson said that he felt like this team would be better at doing the intangibles and running Penders’ read-and-react defense the way the 2005-06 team, which could be considered the best team to play under Penders, did.
"We’re going to be a better defensive team," Haralson said. "I think we’re going to be a better passing team. I think we’re going to be a better rebounding team."
UH will need to have the system running smoothly if it plans to start its season off with a scratch in the win column. The Cougars tip off the 2K Sports College Classic and their season Nov. 10 against Georgia Southern in Durham, N.C. The Eagles finished second behind 2008 NCAA Tournament Cinderella Davidson in the Southern Conference by going 20-12.
"In early-season tournaments, you’re going to go against good competition because they’re not going to invite bad teams," Haralson said. "Trust me. Georgia Southern is a good team when you look at them on film…. We know we’ve got a lot of work to do. The first game is going to be tough."
Haralson said he is an advocate for playing in early tournaments because it can have tremendous benefits for a team looking for post-season action.
"The more games you have, it gives you a better chance of getting into the NCAA Tournament because it gives you better opportunities," Haralson said. "Your team has an opportunity to play other good teams.
"With what we’ve got, what we lost and considering how competitive this league is going to be this season, we’ve got our work cut out for us. But, I think that we can get it done."
The Cougars may have lost three starters in Robert McKiver, Tafari Toney and Dion Dowell, but Haralson said the retention of starters junior guard Kelvin Lewis and late-bloomer senior guard DaShaun Williams will go a long way.
"We’ve got two proven guys that played a lot last year. We have two veteran wing players," Haralson said. "And I think if Desmond Wade and Aubrey Coleman can do their thing at the point guard and run the show with Zamal Nixon, we’re going to have a pretty good back court."
Looking at last season’s statistics, some might assume the Cougars will miss leading scorer and long-range threat McKiver in games that may go down to the wire. However, if the team’s guards gel the way Penders and Haralson are banking on, putting points on the board won’t pose a major concern.
"Those guys are capable of playing great team ball. With that type of setting, you can make for one individual scoring a lot of points like we had Robert McKiver doing last year," Haralson said. "I think they can do a fairly good job of sharing the ball and letting everybody get a piece of the pie."
