The Coogs face UAB on Friday. Photo by David Becker/Getty Images.
After defeating Memphis on Sunday to win a second consecutive American Athletic Conference championship title, the Houston Cougars earned their fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament as a 5 seed.
The first team they will matchup with is UAB, who won their conference tournament as well.
The No. 12 seed Blazers are led by second-year head coach Andy Kennedy and Conference USA Player of the Year Jordan Walker (20.4 points per game) who made the second most 3-pointers (115) in Division 1 this season.
UAB ranked sixth in the nation in points per game (80.7), and outrebounded their opponents in the majority of their contests as well.
To counter this explosive offense, Houston boasts one of the nation’s best defenses, with guys like Taze Moore and Kyler Edwards securing the perimeter and Josh Carlton locking down opponents in the paint.
Fabian White Jr. and Jamal Shed are no slouches when it comes to guarding opposing players as well, giving the Cougars one of the most dominate defensive starting lineups in college basketball.
Houston on average allowed 58.9 points per game and held opponents to a 43.5 field goal percentage this season, fourth-fewest among Division I teams.
The keys to a Cougar’s victory will be their ability to limit UAB’s offensive possessions, opportunities and contain their aforementioned leading scorer Walker.
The Blazers’ offense runs almost exclusively through the junior guard’s hands when he is on the court. So much so that UAB is undefeated when he scores more than 23 points in a game.
With the exception of their loss against Wisconsin earlier this season in which Johnny Davis scored 30 points, Houston’s defense has done a good job at limiting guards from having breakout performances.
Head coach Kelvin Sampson will have Moore, Edwards and Shed most likely share defensive responsibilities on UAB's Walker to try and limit his offensive production.
On paper, the Cougars are the better team defensively and have an underrated offense that can compete with any team in the country.
Although from a numbers perspective both teams may have similar stats across the board, Houston has far more experience playing in big games which will benefit them throughout the dance.
Coach Sampson has taken the Cougars to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and has built a winning culture here at the University of Houston that his players showcase game after game.
This team went from a mindset of grateful to make the tournament a few years ago to now expecting to go far in the dance year in and year out. That's what a good coach and a culture change can do to a program.
As it currently stands, Houston is an 8.5 point favorite to win this game and has proven they can make a deep run.
As long as Houston doesn’t overlook UAB and can play their elite level of defense consistently, they should advance to the round of 32 to face either Illinois or Chattanooga.
Houston and UAB will tip off on Friday at 8:20 CT.
The game will air on TNT and will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
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Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points, capped by a layup that gave Houston the lead late, and the Rockets rallied for a 120-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
The Grizzlies were down by four before Jaylen Wells made a 3-pointer followed by a steal and layup from Brandon Clarke that put them up 115-114 with just under a minute left.
Green’s layup put the Rockets on top 116-115 before a turnover by Ja Morant gave Houston the ball back. Amen Thompson was fouled and made two free throws with 8.1 seconds left to make it 118-115.
Morant missed two free throws after that and Fred VanVleet added two free throws for Houston with 2.1 seconds left to make it 120-115 and secure the victory.
It was Houston’s fourth straight win overall and second in a row over Memphis after beating the Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night.
Morant swished a 38-footer to put the Grizzlies up by 12 with about eight minutes to go.
The Rockets went on a 16-2 run after that to take a 107-105 lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Green and VanVleet had 3-pointers during that stretch and Thompson added six points to help Houston erase the deficit.
Morant had 29 points for the Grizzlies, and Desmond Bane scored 25.
Takeaways
Grizzlies: They need to do a better job of finishing after leading by 12 in the fourth quarter.
Rockets: Green delivered the kind of dominant performance the Rockets need from him on occasion as they look to remain among the top teams in the Western Conference.
Key moment
Houston’s 16-2 run that erased the double-digit deficit.
Key stat
Houston had 15 offensive rebounds to just eight by Memphis.
Up next
Houston visits Denver on Wednesday night, and the Grizzlies play the first of consecutive games at San Antonio that night.