Tramon Mark (12) of the UH Cougars shoots the ball over Paul Mulcahy #4 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. | Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Freshman guard Ryan Elvin had his welcome to the team moment when he first participated in the infamous bubble drill that Houston has made a signature in its program.
The drill involves putting a lid on the rim and forces players to box each other to secure the rebounds. Coaches don’t call any fouls, and it is a demolition derby to see who comes out on top.
“This is intense,” Elvin thought to himself when he got his first taste of it. “ … At that point, I knew I was at Houston.”
Several months later, the Cougars find themselves at 26-3, and with a spot secured in the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in as many attempts.
UH had to claw its way out of a double-digit deficit in the second half over its game against Rutgers to advance to this point.
It was fitting, that after months of putting their bodies through the wringer in the offseason and early-season practices with the bubble drill, that the Cougars advanced mainly in part due to an offensive rebound tip-in by freshman guard Tramon Mark.
While the freshmen on the team are still first years in the program, they are at a point in the season where they have a good grasp of the expectations with the Cougars.
As this season eventually ends, whenever that point is reached, and into the offseason, this year’s group of seniors – DeJon Jarreau, Justin Gorham and Brison Gresham – will move on to a different chapter in their lives, but their lessons will stay with the new corps of players.
For Mark, those lessons have paid off this season. During road games, the freshman has gotten to room with Jarreau on many occasions, which has helped Mark look at things in different ways.
“I learned a lot from DeJon. Just countless things,” Mark told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “He’s a real point guard. He has helped me open my brain more when I am out there on the floor.”
For others, like freshman center Kiyron Powell, who has seen limited action in 2020-21, he will get a chance to show his experience off in the coming seasons.
“I’ve (learned) a lot,” Powell said on the impact the Gresham, Gorham and Fabian White Jr. have had on him. “Coming in, I thought I was going to be able to do something automatically, but it was a whole different experience.
“They took me under their wing and showed me like, ‘hey, this is something like you’ve never seen before. This is what you got to do to play at this level.’ Those three have been unbelievable for me and my game.”
The way the upperclassmen teach the new guys the program’s values could be described in various ways.
Some of it is tough love, while other times it can be seen as leading by example, but the end result is always clear. The expectation at UH will always be high.
“They’re not going to hold nothing out against you,” Powell said. “They’re going at you like they’re going to go against everybody else, so when you’re coming to practice, you better bring it.”
Through the bruises, experiences and battles that UH puts itself through during practices, the team strengthens its identity and sears it into the minds of the younger players.
“Toughness, togetherness,” Powell said. “You got to bring it every day. The Houston culture is the culture. They’re going to emphasize it every day until it is implemented into your brain and your gameplay. You got to get on the floor for loose balls. We go for every offensive rebound. We play in toughness. Toughness is the biggest key.”
For more on The Cougar’s coverage of UH’s run in the NCAA Tournament, click here.
