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Sports

Fighting Words

The issue: Where do you see the UH Cougar Men's Basketball team finishing in Conference USA?

brandon white 'hard in the paint' ***Hard in the Paint

Houston should have C-USA on lock

The Cougars are coming off of an unsatisfying season. After beating powerhouses Louisiana State and Arizona, Houston was still not able to make it to the NCAA tournament. The Cougars have a chip on their shoulders.

This chip can only be brushed off by a Conference USA championship and I for one believe that this is the year. 

The Cougars are loaded this season. With stars like Jahmar Thorpe and, one of the best defenders in the country and Oliver Lafayette, Houston is destined to take the conference title this season. And as good as they are at the moment, they will be even more dangerous down the road when floor general Lanny Smith gets back to 100 percent and when UT transfer Dion Dowell steps onto the court.

Also, I have been hearing some good things about JuCo transfer Robert McKiver. And it doesn't hurt to have star freshman Nick Mosley out there either. With the depth, and most importantly, the experience the Cougars bring to the table this season, don't be surprised to not only see them take the Conference championship, but to see them make a nice little run in the NCAA tournament come March. 

I know Memphis is always tough, but they took a big hit this year losing star players Rod Carney and Darius Washington Jr. to the NBA last year. So look for the Cougars to take it back to the Phi Slamma Jamma days this season. Year of the Cat begins November 13.

Mark Suarez 'Nectarine'**Nectarine

I mix with sugar and water

Judge Dredd, I've heard from a very reliable source that you were spotted carrying an umbrella last month. This only proves my point that you are nothing more than a hypocrite.

The Cougars have so many new players this year I don't see how anybody can say they are a lock to win the C-USA championship. I hope this year's squad can shoot free throws because last year UH was atrocious in that department. Brandon does a good job hyping up the Cougar basketball team like he works for the UH sports information department, but right now I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid. 

Junior transfer Tafari Toney and freshman Nick Mosley, who both have never played against Division I caliber competition, will man the center position. I'm not saying they won't know what they're doing, because these guys can play. What I am saying is with a team loaded with guards the center position will play a key role for Houston this year. Let's just hope that they don't get trigger-happy and put up 43 three-point attempts like last year's team did in the conference tournament loss to Memphis. The time point guard Lanny Smith will miss due to injury will be a huge factor early in the season since the team will feature ten new players. Guard/ Forward Dion Dowell is a versatile player, but he will sit out the fall semester and has a lot to prove after overcoming a few injuries during his career at Texas. 

At this point, I'd say the Cougars will finish a close second in conference behind a well-coached John Calipari Memphis team.

Ronnie Turner 'Silent Assassin'****Silent Assassin

I silently opened up a can

Brandon, the Cougars may have been unsatisfied with last season's performance, but does this mean they have a chip on their shoulders? I don't know if you remember how Houston performed in the years before Tom Penders took over the helm, but it was nowhere near as successful as the Cougars have been over the last two years. The pre-Tom Penders Cougars were terrible. 

This team has made vast strides with back-to-back appearances in the NIT Tournament and appear to be on the helm of a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2006-07. 

Brandon, I'll also disagree with you that this "chip" you mentioned can only be brushed off with a conference title. Houston doesn't have to prove it worth by winning the C-USA title; the respect has already been earned. 

No one team in C-USA can be considered a lock to win the championship this year, not even preseason favorite and defending champion Memphis. The Tigers lost three starters to the NBA, but the Cougars lost two of their starters, as well as other key players. In addition, Alabama-Birmingham and UTEP also bring some competitive flavor to the mix. Rice has the league's best player returning in senior guard Morris Almond. 

Houston has a load of talented players on its roster this year, and should be considered a threat to win the title. At this moment, I would pick the Cougars to finish as a runner-up to Memphis, but I could be wrong. 

JUDGE DREDD

‘Your new friends, they're cannibals'

Judge Dredd says Houston has the most athletic team in C-USA, or possibly the country, and the guys Penders has added will bring more offense than this city has seen in about 20 years. 

Their success, however, will all depend on how quick the Cougars can pick up the defense and apply it in their games. If they can play the same style of defense as last season's team with the same type of intensity then the Cougars can be a powerful force. That's not to say that they are unbeatable. 

Mark you've gone soft. Your weak attempt to call Judge Dredd out on the issue of umbrella carrying deserves little response. So he will only give one statement. PeeDee the Purple Pirate, East Carolina's mascot and your life partner came by the office to drop off your stuff, once again. 

He said, its over for good this time, and if you keep bringing that kind of weak stuff in Fighting Words you could be alone for a long time.

Dredd's verdict: Ronnie wins. Cougars have a nice chance of winning C-USA, but so do two other teams.

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu