College basketball area roundup
Houston, Texas Tech and Texas shining in early conference action
Jan 8, 2019, 4:55 pm
Shaka Smart and UT picked up a big win. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
TEXAS LONGHORNS (10-4) 2-0 Big XII
Last week (2-0): W- @ Kansas State 67-47, W- West Virginia 61-54
This week: Tuesday @ Oklahoma State, Saturday vs. Texas Tech, Monday @ Kansas
Texas couldn't have asked for a better start to Big XII play, winning in a rout at Kansas State against a Wildcat team that was without a couple of key players due to injury. You'd be hard-pressed to convince me that it would have mattered. Texas shot 52% from 3-point range and held Kansas State under 33% shooting from the field. The Horns had just a 3-point lead at halftime, but Jace Febres scored 15 of his team-leading 23 points in the second half, and Texas ran away with the win. Febres was 7-9 from 3-point range. Texas then defended their home court in their second conference game, defeating West Virginia 61-54. Matt Coleman had 17 points to lead the Horns. The Texas point guard also had 0 turnovers in his 35 minutes of play. Dylan Osetkowski had 14 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Texas plays at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, then get the top two teams in the conference in Texas Tech and Kansas.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (6-6) 0-1 SEC
Last week (0-1): L- Arkansas 73-71
This week: Tuesday @ Kentucky, Saturday @ Alabama
The Aggies can't be pleased with their start to the season in non-conference play, and Arkansas made sure that SEC play didn't make them feel any better. The Hogs knocked off the Aggies 73-71 in the conference opener. The poor shooting for A&M from long range did them in, with the Aggies hitting just 5 of their 24 3-point attempts. TJ Starks and Sauvion Flagg provided the only offense for the Aggies, scoring 43 of their 71 points. The future schedule won't get easier this week, with road games on tap against Kentucky and Alabama.
HOUSTON COUGARS (15-0) 2-0 American
Last week (2-0): W- Tulsa 74-56, W- Memphis 90-77
This week: Wednesday @ Temple, Saturday vs. Wichita State
Houston has placed themselves in the argument for the best team in the state with another 2-0 week. The Cougars started with a 74-56 win over Tulsa. Corey Davis, Jr., as he has done much of the year, led the way for UH, scoring 21 points and hitting 6 3-pointers. A +12 rebounding edge helped the Cougars overcome a poor shooting night (36% from the field). Houston continued their best-ever start with a 90-77 win over Memphis, extending the nation's-best 28 game home winning streak. A major factor for the Cougars was their 18 offensive rebounds, allowing them to have 21 more shot attempts than Memphis. Armani Brooks paced UH with 22 points on 8-14 shooting. The Cougars will look to continue the best start in school history, taking on Temple and Wichita State this week.
RICE OWLS (7-9) 2-1 CUSA
Last week (2-0): W- Southern Miss 73-65, W- Louisiana Tech 78-66
This week: Thursday @ UTSA, Saturday @ UTEP
Rice used a strong second half performance to pick up their first of two conference wins this week. The Owls trailed by 9 at the half, but Ako Adams and Jack Williams combined for 22 points in the 2nd half en route to a 73-65 win over Southern Miss. The Owls were +10 in rebounding and hit 17 of their 20 free throw attempts. Rice kept it rolling against Louisiana Tech, with a 78-66 win. Rice again trailed at halftime, but rallied behind Williams and Adams to get the victory. The duo combined for 31 points in the victory. Rebounding was again a deciding factor for Rice, as they had a +13 edge in boards, including 13 offensive rebounds. The back to back wins was a first for the Owls since February/March of 2017. The Owls travel to UTSA and UTEP this week.
BAYLOR BEARS (8-5) 0-1 Big XII
Last week (0-1): L- @ TCU 85-81
This week: Tuesday vs. Iowa State, Saturday vs. Kansas
Baylor dropped their conference opener against TCU, 85-81. Baylor led 2-0, then TCU went on to lead by as many as 17. Baylor clawed back to cut the Frog lead to two with 30 seconds left, but TCU was able to hang on for the win. Tristan Clark led the Bears with 18, and freshman Matthew Mayer added 17 off the bench. Baylor shot just 25% from distance in the loss. Baylor has 2 matchups with ranked teams this week, as Iowa State and Kansas come to town.
TCU HORNED FROGS (12-1) 1-0 Big XII
Last week (1-0): W- Baylor 85-81
This week: Wednesday @ Kansas, Saturday @ Oklahoma
The Horned Frogs had just one game this week, taking an 85-81 win over Baylor. They dominated for most of the first half, but had to fight off a strong push by the Bears late in the game. Desmond Bane led the charge with 22 points on an efficient 8 of 11 shooting. The Frogs as a team shot 57% from the field and 43% from long range. TCU has two road trips coming up this week, to face Kansas and Oklahoma.
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (13-1) 2-0 Big XII
Last week (2-0): W- @ West Virginia 62-59, W- Kansas State 63-57
This week: Tuesday vs. Oklahoma, Saturday @ Texas
A rough start for Texas Tech had them trailing at halftime, but a late push brought them back for a 62-59 road win over West Virginia. Jarrett Culver led the comeback, scoring all of his team-leading 18 points in the 2nd half. Tech shot 38% from the field and 17% from 3-point range in the win. They were also -10 in rebounds. Defense ruled the day, though, and Tech forced 22 Mountaineer turnovers in the game. The Red Raiders then took a 73-67 win over Kansas State to move to 2-0 in conference play. This time it was Tech holding the Wildcats to 33% shooting for the game. Davide Moretti led Texas Tech offensively with 19 points. Tech gets Oklahoma and a trip to Texas this week.
SMU MUSTANGS (10-4) 2-0 American
Last week (1-0): W- East Carolina 82-54, W- @ Tulane 74-65
This week: Thursday @ UConn, Saturday vs. Tulsa
SMU started 2-0 in American Conference play. They led off with an 82-54 drubbing of East Carolina, in a game that was competitive until about the 6:30 mark of the 1st half. Jahmal McMurray led the way for the Mustangs with 20 points in the win. SMU shot 49% from the field and held the Pirates to a feeble 34%. They followed it up with a 74-65 win at Tulane. McMurray continued to be the top contributor, pouring in 25 more points. Defense was key again, as they held their opponent to 34% for the 2nd straight game. The Ponies get a road trip to UConn and a home tilt with Tulsa this week.
LSU TIGERS (10-3) 0-0 SEC
Last week (0-0):
This week: Tuesday vs. Alabama, Saturday @ Arkansas
LSU hasn't played since handing UL Monroe an 81-69 defeat on December 28th. The Tigers open conference play this week, with a home game against Alabama and a road trip to Arkansas.
When: Thursday, 8 p.m. EST
Where: Houston, TX
BetMGM Line: Rockets -10; Over/Under 219
BOTTOM LINE:
The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to end a four-game skid as they take on the Houston Rockets, who have established themselves as a force in the Western Conference this season.
The Rockets (17-9) currently sit third in the West and boast one of the league's best rebounding units, led by Alperen Sengun. Houston has dominated within the division, posting a 4-1 record against Southwest Division opponents. Meanwhile, the Pelicans (5-22) have struggled mightily, especially within their division, where they remain winless at 0-3.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
- Houston’s Rebounding Edge
The Rockets lead the Western Conference in rebounding, averaging 49.3 boards per game. Alperen Sengun has been a standout, contributing 10.6 rebounds along with 18.6 points and 5.2 assists per contest. This could spell trouble for a Pelicans squad that has been outmuscled on the glass in recent outings. - Pelicans’ Scoring Woes
New Orleans ranks last in the Western Conference in scoring, putting up just 105.1 points per game on 43.7% shooting. Their offense will be further hampered by injuries to key players like Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Zion Williamson (hamstring), leaving the team with limited options to generate points. - Defensive Disparities
While the Rockets aren’t elite defensively, allowing 106.1 points per game, they should benefit from the Pelicans' offensive struggles. Houston's opponents are shooting just 42.5% in the Rockets' last 10 games, a figure that contrasts with the 48.3% shooting New Orleans allows to opposing teams over the season.
RECENT FORM:
- Rockets: Houston is 6-4 over its last 10 games, averaging 108.0 points and 47.3 rebounds while holding opponents to 106.0 points. The Rockets have been solid on both ends, particularly in forcing turnovers, as they average 8.3 steals and 6.1 blocks per game.
- Pelicans: New Orleans has dropped nine of its last 10 games, scoring 107.3 points on 43.9% shooting while giving up a whopping 118.9 points per game to opponents. Injuries have ravaged the Pelicans’ lineup, leaving them vulnerable in both scoring and defense.
INJURY REPORT:
- Rockets: No injuries reported.
- Pelicans: Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Zion Williamson (hamstring) are out, while Jose Alvarado (hamstring) is also sidelined. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Karlo Matkovic, and Jordan Hawkins are listed as day-to-day.
KEY MATCHUP:
Alperen Sengun vs. the Pelicans' Interior Defense
Sengun’s ability to dominate the paint with his rebounding and passing could be a deciding factor. Without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans’ defense will be shorthanded and at risk of being overpowered by Houston’s size and depth.
PREDICTION:
The Rockets are heavy favorites for a reason. With no major injuries and a strong rebounding game, Houston should control the tempo and exploit the Pelicans’ lack of offensive firepower. Expect Houston to extend New Orleans’ losing streak in convincing fashion.
Final Score Prediction: Rockets 114, Pelicans 98
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