MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Houston boys basketball will not play their marquee matchup at No. 9 Minnehaha.
The Mustangs flight to Minneapolis was cancelled because there is a little too much Minnesota here in Memphis.
The game that was supposed to be seen on ESPNU. Now, barring any last-minute schedule additions, the next time the nationally ranked Mustangs take the court will be in the postseason.
Houston's 2019-20 season ended with the first state tournament berth in school history. The pandemic cancelled the actual event, but from that solid foundation, the Mustangs are reaching new heights under new head coach Mike Miller. Miller came from Penny Hardaway's staff to lead Houston and his sons: Creighton bound senior Mason, and sophomore Maverick.
"As painful as it was to leave Memphis and Penny and the special things that they were doing there, I think it was just time for me," Miller said. "I played 17 years in the league, I jumped right into college coaching. I'm gone a lot. I think COVID hit the reset button for me like it did a lot of people. It put into perspective what's important. I turned around and I have a senior in high school, a sophomore in high school, and when this job kind of got put in front of me. I wasn't really searching for it, but when I sat back with the family, it just made sense."
Also bolstering Houston this season: the additions of Wooddale transfer and Oregon commit Jonathan Lawson, as well as 6-foot-9 LSU signee Jerrell Colbert.
"Hubie Brown told me a long time ago, screw X's and O's, give me Jimmies and Joes. A coach is only as good as his players, and I've got a lot of great players."
Their expectations are only dwarfed by their confidence.
"Ain't nobody gonna stop us," Colbert said. "We're just like that. They come, we're coming harder after them. I just know that for a fact."
The Mustangs next scheduled game is the district championship, Feb. 22 against Collierville.