Hughey: "We have much bigger goals than being third."

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October 15, 2018 -- 2:53 p.m.

The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball team was picked third in the annual American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the league office announced Monday at American Athletic Conference Basketball Media Day. Additionally, junior guards Jasmyne Harris and Angela Harris were named to Preseason All-Conference teams.

At last season's Media Day, the Coogs were picked to finish 11th; but, the Coogs finished with a 20-12 record and tied for fifth place in the American Athletic Conference.

However, Ronald Hughey, Coogs Head Coach, isn't satisfied with this year's third place prediction. Hughey has higher aspirations.

"No. We're 11th now. Everybody sees the 3. We see the 11th," Hughey said referencing last year's conference preseason prediction. "It's still not number one. I don't know why everybody is celebrating."

Hughey continued, "That's the thing for us. If you're not number one, you're last. It's simple. We're not going to fall for "we're third". They already know that. They already know that. Right now. So, again, that work for us is like we're in last place every single day. They know when we go in the gym every single day is we're in last place. Nobody respected us. So, now we're picked third; and, it's okay?"

The Cougars are slotted behind UConn, who received 10 first place-votes and 121 points, and USF who received one first-place vote and 111 points.

Houston won 20 games for the first time in seven years and returns all five starters and 96.9 percent of its scoring from a team that finished fifth in the league in 2017-18.

"You earned a little bit of respect. You're supposed to be okay with that? No. Like the old Eddie Murphy movie (Beverly Hills Cop), we're not going to fall for the banana in the tailpipe. We're not going to do that. We're not going to drop our guard. We're not going to think that we've arrived. We're not going to ease up with what we do; and, they're not going to ease up either. We have much bigger goals than being third."

And, one of those goals is to reach the Sweet 16. So, once again, discuss the goal to reach the Sweet 16 this season.

"One of our destination goals is the Sweet 16," Hughey said with confidence. "Now, I said that because we have enough power; enough athleticism; enough basketball knowledge to be able to make it there. We have to do the small things. Stay injury free. We have to stay together as a team. Stay selfless. We have to challenge and continue to compete. Listen to the coaches. Do what you need to do. Take care of your body. So, all these different things that go into reaching the Sweet 16, we have to continue to do those things. That's why I said those things because we have enough to get there.

"The thing is I love that this team is competing everyday to get to that point. They didn't relinquish or jump back when I said that. They all agreed because this happened in a team meeting. Because when we lost in the WNIT, I said, 'Next year, we're going to the Sweet 16. If you don't believe that, go ahead and walk out of that door.' Nobody flinched. That's when I knew, right then, before we even got the other kids to create some depth, that I knew we had a chance because of the look in their eye. So, that's why I said what I said; and, I really believe that."

The Coogs open the 2018-'19 season at Cal, November 6, before beginning the home portion of the season by welcoming Georgia Tech for a 7 p.m. CT, tipoff November 9. The Coogs will play their first three home games on the campus of TSU before moving into the Fertitta Center with a matchup against Texas A&M on December 6.

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