UH’s Stealth Force — Mylik Wilson Looks to Build on The Block, Help No. 1 Houston’s Depleted Bench Stand Tall in March

ORLANDO, Fla. — Mylik Wilson plays all the angles, understanding the art of the fake out. So as Oklahoma guard Javian McCollum starts his move, the game having entered winning time, Houston’s surprise sixth man makes an instant calculus. And decides to play possum.

“I knew he was going to make a move,” Wilson tells PaperCity. “So I kind of let him get by me. Just timed it and went up and got it.”

Yes, Wilson let the Oklahoma guard get to the rim, confident he could block the shot and get the ball back for Kelvin Sampson’s defensively driven University of Houston team. Wilson gets the block too — a spectacular rejection at the rim that channels the best of JoJo Tugler, the 6-foot-8 Quetzalcoatlus dinosaur worthy wingspan terror who is out for the season with bone fractures in his right foot.

“That was sweet,” Tugler says with reverence of appreciation one master craftsman shows for another.

It is as big a play as any in Houston’s win at Oklahoma, a W that puts the Cougars in position to wrap up a monster statement of a Big 12 regular season championship this week.

The sequence also shows how much more comfortable Wilson has become in his role on this beaten up and battered No. 1 Houston team that just refuses to lose. Essentially playing dead, conning an Oklahoma guard into thinking he had an easy basket is a heck of a flex. Wilson can be bold like that. Now that he’s found his role on a a UH team that started the season unsure what to do with him and now can’t survive without him.

Wilson began this season as a ninth man, searching for consistent minutes on a guard gifted squad. Now, he is the first guy off the bench for a 26-3 (13-3 Big 12) team that can clinch the outright regular season title for the best basketball conference in America as early as Wednesday night in Orlando. (UH needs to beat UCF in a 6 pm game and BYU must upset Iowa State in Hilton in an 8 pm game to make it happen.)

The roll call of injuries that have crippled Kelvin Sampson’s rotation — uber talented wing Terrance Arceneaux and JoJo Tugler (as first reported by PaperCity) both out for the season and Ramon Walker Jr. (knee) only holding a slim chance of returning in the NCAA Tournament — has something to do with Mylik Wilson’s ascension.

But so does his own improvement. Wilson’s own relentless work to make sure everyone could see the cold blooded baller in him shouldn’t be discounted.

“He’s playing better,” UH point guard Jamal Shead tells PaperCity. “It shows. Mylik’s been playing good. He’s been helping us a lot. He took up a lot of slack for me (against Oklahoma). For LJ (Cryer), Emanuel (Sharp). He’s been that fourth guard we’ve been needing all year.

“He’s been awesome.”

Mylik Wilson stands 6-foot-2, but his own long arms can make him appear bigger. Especially to guys who are trying to score on him. He’s regularly guarded Jamal Shead, arguably the best point guard in America, in practice for months now, with some of their battles having been must-see viewing according to their Houston teammates.

Now Wilson is using those long arms, his underrated athleticism and a hard earned determination to do more and more for a Houston team that needs everything he can give.

“In every area,” Sharp tells PaperCity when I ask where this new version of Mylik Wilson’s impacted Houston the most. “He was scoring the ball down the stretch (against Oklahoma). He made some good hustle plays with the rebounds and blocks. He’s just that kind of player.

“He does all the little stuff.”

No. 1 Houston’s New Bench Reality

Now Wilson is getting the chance to do that stuff in larger and larger moments. Running out of big men with starting center Ja’Vier Francis in foul trouble, Kelvin Sampson played a four guard lineup extensively against Oklahoma. This is a scenario that’s bound to come up in the NCAA Tournament too.

“He’s playing better. It shows. Mylik’s been playing good. He’s been helping us a lot. He took up a lot of slack for me (against Oklahoma). For LJ (Cryer), Emanuel (Sharp). He’s been that fourth guard we’ve been needing all year. He’s been awesome.” — UH point guard Jamal Shead

Mylik Wilson has gone from wondering how much he’s going to get to play to often being out there in winning time. Wilson’s always had the talent. This is the former No. 1 ranked player in the state of Louisiana coming out of high school. Wilson had two very productive seasons at Louisiana. Transferred to Texas Tech. Then transferred to Houston. And seriously thought about transferring again this offseason.

Instead, he stayed and now will play a crucial part in trying to keep No. 1 Houston’s national championship hopes alive. Wilson put up a 10 point, five rebound, one block, one steal and one assist line while playing a season-high 24 minutes against Oklahoma.

“Just playing hard with a motor,” Wilson says. “That’s how my best came out. Just playing hard. That’s how you’re able to show all you can. Just competing and playing hard.”

Wilson, fellow guard Damian Dunn and raw freshman center Cedric Lath now make up the entirety of Houston’s bench. At least one or two of this trio will need to step up every game for Kelvin Sampson’s team to keep winning.

“We’ve just got to have each other’s backs out there,” Wilson says. “We’re down right now. We’ve really just got to lock in even more. Especially me. And really not have any mistakes like I did (against Oklahoma) and we’ll be fine.”

Mylik Wilson knows. You just have to find the right angle. Wait for the chance to pounce.