The Big 12 is arguably the most loaded conference in college basketball this season. One of the best teams in the conference is the Houston Cougars, thanks to its talent and great coach Kelvin Sampson. Their best player has been freshman point guard Kingston Flemings. He has been a superstar and came in clutch against BYU to advance in the Big 12 tournament.
In the postgame press conference, Houston basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson heaped all sorts of praise on Flemings after he came up clutch for the Cougars to beat BYU. He hit a late three, and it followed a late three by Chase McCarty, too. The press asked him about those two late shots, and Sampson said he doesn't think that Flemings or McCarty feel pressure, and that was evident in those two plays.
Flemings was the leading scorer for Houston for the 19th time this season with 17 points. He iced the game as he was being guarded by two defenders with the shot clock winding down in a 64-61 lead for the Cougars. With 1:27 left, Flemings calmly drained a massive three-pointer that made it 67-61 and put the game out of reach for good.
It is also worth noting that Flemings was not alone, and Chris Cenac Jr. showed up and played a great game for the Cougars as a freshman. He had 10 points and seven rebounds and was a presence around the rim the entire night.
It is also worth noting that junior forward Joseph Tugler showed up and played well, recording 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, following Sampson's recent defense of him. Houston also won the battle on the boards 37-30 and added 19 second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds. The Coogs only gave up 25 points in the second half.
As good as Flemings' shot was, Chase McCarty put them in that position. The 20-year-old, who averaged 3.9 points per game, got an open look from Milos Uzan and drained a three-pointer with Houston only clinging to a 61-58 lead. McCarty's emergence shows that Sampson knows he will need him in March.
