What Lessons Could the Rockets Take from Houston's Collegiate Team?

The Houston Rockets have a few more weeks of the regular season, and college basketball is weeks away from the end of its postseason. Can the Rockets learn from the Houston Cougars' run in March?

Mar 27, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) dunks against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are nearing the end of the regular season as they look to maintain their position as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. At the same time, the Houston Cougars are marching their way through the NCAA tournament. Both teams define their styles with high-pressure defense, consistent effort on the offensive glass, and overall mental and physical toughness.

Head coaches Kelvin Sampson and Ime Udoka have molded their game plans around these principles when leading their squads. While there's a significant gulf of separation between the level of competition both teams face, the Rockets are watching elements of their core philosophy in practice when the stakes are highest.

The Cougars won in the Sweet Sixteen round against the Purdue Boilermakers. While there are limited takeaways defensively due to the significantly lesser talent in the collegiate game, the Rockets learned a few philosophical lessons based on concepts they employ in the NBA.

The Rockets and the Cougars agree that offensive rebounding is a potent scoring option. This is especially true for the Rockets because of their lack of shooting.

Tari Eason, Steven Adams, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun constantly hunt after offensive boards to immediately follow with a quick put-back. They jockey for position before shots even go up and are physical when boxing out. The Cougars showed the importance of offensive rebounding with their victory. They had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from deep and still found enough offense to win over a tough opponent.

The Cougars also showed the importance of effort on the boards, even when it doesn't result in a rebound. Their game-winning play was set up by a contested rebound attempt that led to an extra possession. Effort by the Cougars prevented an easy defensive rebound by Purdue, disturbing the players' ability to secure the ball before causing him to send the ball out of bounds.

The Rockets rely on dominating the boards on both sides of the court. They'll look to create that kind of havoc on the glass in the postseason. It's one of their main advantages over other teams, and it's a quality supplement for scoring when shots aren't falling.

The Cougars' shots were not falling against Purdue, and they showed the Rockets how dangerous it is when a team isn't making shots. No matter how good a defense is, a poor offensive night can undermine any effort done defensively.

Eventually, teams either have to create easy baskets or make tough baskets to win in the clutch. The Rockets have players capable of making tough shots, but they'll have to finish those opportunities consistently to prove themselves as a real threat.

If the Cougars advance past the Tennessee Volunteers in the Elite Eight round, the Rockets may get a few more games of collegiate film to study. The data might be more transferable since it's more likely to find future NBA talent in the final rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Rockets have a different challenge ahead, but they still can translate elements of their culture that have helped the Cougars win tough games.

•

Views From the Game: The Houston Rockets Defeat the Thunder 125-111

•

Rockets Should Hope to Draw One Specific Playoff Opponent

•

Three Things Rockets Need to Make Deep NBA Playoffs Run

•

Timberwolves Pose Tough Playoff Matchup For Rockets

•

The Rockets’ Formula for Success Is Clear