Sampson: 'There is not one part of the game we are not going to get better at'

The last time the University of Houston Cougars (UH) men’s basketball team were a heartbeat away from being the top-ranked team in the country, a tall upperclassman named Akeem Olajuwon was dazzling the crowds at what was then known as Hofheinz Pavilion. 

Just before the Cougars went on their Thanksgiving break, they learned that they landed on the No. 2 spots in both Associated Press and coaches' polls, per a report from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK. 

UH, which is currently riding a five-game winning streak to start its 2022-2023 campaign, previously occupied the No. 3 spot, KTRK reported.

According to the station, the Kelvin Sampson-led program also sits atop the latest Basketball Power Index (BPI), which presently projects UH to secure a top seed in next spring’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. 

The Cougars’ latest win came at the expense of the Oregon Ducks on the road on Sunday. 

"It is still early and there is not one part of the game we are not going to get better at,” Sampson said in the report. "We didn't play great, but this is not the time to play great, it's November.”

A press release from the team said that senior guard Marcus Sasser and freshman guard Terrance Arceneaux combined for 31 points to help deliver UH its fifth straight victory. 

For Arceneaux, his 15 points against the Ducks was a career-high, per the release. 

"It was very exciting," the Beaumont United product said, according to the team. “I am glad to be able to do it with these guys.”

UH announced on Monday that Sasser, who returned to the fold after an injury caused him to prematurely end his junior season, earned his fourth overall American Athletic Player of the Week accolade. 

He’s averaging 18.3 points per game (PPG) and 2.0 steals per game (SPG) to commence his comeback season. 

The Cougars will host the Kent State Golden Flashes in a home matinee matchup on Saturday.