Having concluded the nonconference portion of its schedule with four consecutive wins, No. 15 Houston will open Big 12 play with something of a clean slate.The Cougars (8-3) resemble the squad that claimed the regular-season Big 12 title in their first year in the league last season as they head to Stillwater, Okla., to face Oklahoma State on Monday.Their balanced offense was on full display in an 87-51 home victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 21, with Emanuel Sharp (18 points), L.J. Cryer (17), Terrance Arceneaux (13) and Milos Uzan (12) sharing the load as Houston made a season-high 14 3-pointers.The offensive display provided a complement to the Cougars’ usual brand of stifling defense and tenacious rebounding, and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson found it worth celebrating for a team whose shortcomings are too often overanalyzed.”You can’t always just focus on things you’ve got to get better at,” Sampson said. “You’ll never focus on the things you’re good at.”Oklahoma State will represent a step up in weight class, with the depth and athleticism to challenge the Cougars’ emerging offense. That comes as no surprise for the Cougars, who quickly became accustomed to the rigors of the Big 12, especially when the stakes are highest on the road.”Being able to get shots at the goal and taking care of the ball in the hostile environment is always going to be a challenge when you go on the road in this league,” Sampson said. “That’s what we’ll be challenged with.”The Cowboys (8-3) improved to 5-0 at home with their 86-74 victory over Oral Roberts on Dec. 22. Senior forward Abou Ousmane paired a season-high 19 points with a team-high seven rebounds in the victory, further validating the need for Oklahoma State to run more of its offense through its second-leading scorer.Ousmane averages 12.2 points per game for the Cowboys, second to Marchelus Avery (13.0).
