No Celebrity Hoopers — Master P and Mercy Miller Share a Houston Tough Guy Moment, Terrance Arceneaux Goes Potential City & J’Wan Roberts Cautious Chills

KANSAS CITY — Master P wraps his son Mercy Miller up in a hug in a back hallway of the T-Mobile Center, steps removed from all the hoopla of the Big 12 Tournament. It’s a fitting remove because the iconic music tycoon turned president of basketball for his struggling hometown University of New Orleans is proud that his son is not some celebrity hooper. Instead Mercy Miller is putting in the work to become a Kelvin Sampson University of Houston battler.

“He’s just following Coach Sampson’s lead,” Master P tells PaperCity. “And he’s going to turn out to be a tough player.”

Master P is wearing thick shades and a black sweatshirt with his son’s No. 25 on it in bedazzled glitter. But there is nothing flashy about the way his son plays in No. 2 Houston’s 77-68 lurch by Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. Appearing in a game for the first time since February 18th, Mercy Miller logs a hard-nosed nine minutes, grabbing three rebounds and blocking a shot.

That’s not celebrity hooping. But Miller’s little dash of grit is exactly what Sampson’s national championship contender needs in one of those early round conference tournament games that almost invites an NCAA Tournament seed secure favorite to sleep walk right through it. Consider the setting. A big arena that’s not close to packed. An afternoon tip. A noticeable lack of energy in the building — and certainly a comedown from the electric, crowd delirious showdown between BYU and Iowa State the game before.

Miller, Houston’s true freshman guard with the famous dad, pops off the bench with energy though when Sampson summons him without any notice. That and super sixth man Terrance Arceneaux’s own very active 18 minute stint on a tender Achilles that prevents him for playing much longer in a game helps get the other Coogs going. Especially with lifeline power forward J’Wan Roberts logging only 18 minutes himself due to a painful twisting of his ankle that isn’t considered a serious concern going forward. And starting point guard Milos Uzan limited to nine first half minutes due to early foul trouble.

Sometimes even the very best teams in America need a jolt. In UH’s first tournament game of March (albeit not the ultimate tournament), Mercy Miller helps provide it.

“A lot of energy,” J’Wan Roberts tells PaperCity of Miller’s impact. “Especially being ready for the moment. That’s the biggest thing. You know that the role he has right now, you never know when your name is going to get called. So his name being called (against Colorado), I feel like he was overly ready for the moment.

“And he played with a lot of heart. And he gave us a lift one hundred percent.”

One March forward. The backslaps from Mercy Miller’s Houston teammates, many who seem even more excited that he got a chance than he is, mean something. So does that hug with dad.

“That’s big time,” Mercy tells PaperCity. “I haven’t seen my dad in a couple of weeks. So just being able to give him a hug, give him a fist bump, have a little talk, that was major for me.”

He’s just following Coach Sampson’s lead. And he’s going to turn out to be a tough player.” — Master P on his son Mercy Miller

Terrance Arceneaux turning the first Big 12 Tournament game he’s ever played into a mini showcase of his skills is major too. Arceneaux starts with a strong move into the paint and quickly follows it with a baseline jumper, delivering his own jolt. Arceneaux isn’t the best player on the Big 12’s near NBA Cup worthy wild court. Not with newly crowned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JoJo Tugler racking up 10 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Not with Emanuel Sharp draining threes, including a deep one on a bank, on his way to 19 points and five rebounds. But Houston’s No. 23 often looks like the player with the most potential.

In truth, Arceneaux’s newly extra tender Achilles is more longterm March alarming than Roberts’ ankle, which he says he would have played on in a different regular season game. Sampson and the rest of the UH coaching staff have long understood that no one will see the real full Arceneaux until next season. When he’ll be two years removed from the surgery. But that does not mean he cannot impact this March of madness. In bursts.

“That’s big time. I haven’t seen my dad in a couple of weeks. So just being able to give him a hug, give him a fist bump, have a little talk, that was major for me.” — Houston guard Mercy Miller

The eight points Arceneaux posts against Colorado is definitely not insignificant to anyone on this now 28-4 Houston team. Especially Arceneaux himself.

“I think it’s been like two games since I made a shot,” he laughs. “I”m just happy I came out here and was able to shoot the ball well. I mean, Coach was getting on me. He’s like, ‘You haven’t made a shot in almost two games.’ ”

Master P Embraces His Son’s Journey

Arceneaux’s made a few now, Mercy Miller’s gotten a taste and Milos Uzan’s playing like a coffee-earning closer (14 points and a sweet allley-oop to center Ja’Vier Francis in the second half). Not an altogether bad first March tournament step. Even if UH recording twice as many turnovers (an uncharacteristic 12) as assists (six) leaves Kelvin Sampson anything but peachy heading into Friday night’s 6 pm Big 12 semifinal (ESPN) with BYU and its potent offense.

Sometimes you just need to manufacture the energy. Mercy Miller helps does that. One March forward.

“That’s what he’s built for,” Arcenaaux says. “We all believe in Mercy. I know I do. That’s my workout partner. So I know what he’s able to do.”

Mercy Miller, Houston tough? Dad sees it starting.

“He’s not worried about this,” Master P tells PaperCity after posing for photos with UH fans on his climb up the stands. “He’s got serious confidence. He know he put the work in. So he’s just being patient. And letting God lead him on the journey. Because it is a journey.”

One March forward. No celebrity hoopers in sight.