COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UH men's basketball releases complete schedule for the 2019-20 season
Sep 21, 2019, 5:19 pm
The University of Houston men's basketball team announced the release of their 2019-2020 schedule on Friday. The Cougars will play a total of 32 games beginning with a home exhibition match against Angelo State on Nov. 9.
UH will tip-off their new season on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in a non-conference game against Alabama State inside the Fertitta Center in Houston. Highlighted by Oklahoma State making a trip to Houston on Sunday, Dec. 15, the Cougars' 10-game non-conference schedule will end against UTEP on Dec. 19, before taking part in the three-day invitational Diamond Head Classic from Dec. 22 - 25 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The start of the American Athletic Conference 18-game schedule begins on Friday, Jan. 3 with UFC at home, which follows a two-game road trip against Temple (Jan. 7) and Tulsa (Jan. 11). The Cougars will welcome in-state rival SMU to the Fertitta Center on Wednesday, Jan.15 and a trip to Cincinnati on Feb. 1 -- a rematch of the 2019 AAC championship game last spring. Houston will end their conference schedule on March 8 in an AAC home showdown against Memphis.
Last year, the University of Houston men's basketball team had one of their most successful seasons in school history. They finished the year with a 33-4 record and appeared in their second consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Cougars advanced to the Sweet-16 before falling to the Kentucky Wildcats in a 62-58 loss.
UH Men's Basketball program enters the 2019-20 college season looking to defend their American Athletic Conference title with two-time defending Conference Coach of the Year winner Kelvin Sampson leading the way.
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The Houston Astros are looking to avoid an unexpected sweep Wednesday night as they wrap up their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park.
Winners of six of their last ten despite back-to-back losses, the Astros (55-37) turn to left-hander Brandon Walter (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to steady the ship and salvage the finale. Walter has been reliable in his recent outings, and he’ll face a Guardians lineup that has struggled to string together hits, batting just .204 over their last 10 games.
Cleveland (42-48) entered the series on a 10-game losing streak, but now has a chance to sweep the AL West leaders and take the season series. Slade Cecconi (3-4, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians. The 26-year-old righty has kept his ERA under 4.00 this year and will look to neutralize a Houston offense that leads the American League in batting average at .260 and is hitting .295 over the last 10 games.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has driven in 16 runs and slugged four homers over his last 10 games. He’s been the heartbeat of the Houston offense, while Isaac Paredes continues to deliver steady power at the top of the lineup. The Astros have scored five or more runs in eight of their last ten games, but the bullpen faltered late in both of the first two games of this series.
Cleveland counters with the steady presence of Carlos Santana and the always-dangerous Jose Ramirez. Though Ramirez is just 6-for-38 in his last 10 games, he’s delivered key home runs in the series and remains the Guardians’ biggest threat.
With the season series now 3-2 in favor of Cleveland, Wednesday’s matchup carries added weight for the Astros as they look to regroup and avoid letting momentum slip further. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -144, Guardians +121; over/under is 8 runs
Astros lineup for the finale
What stands out? First off, Jake Meyers returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a calf issue. With Meyers back in the two-spot, Cam Smith returns to hitting cleanup. Caratini is playing first base again and hitting fifth, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Cooper Hummel (DH), Taylor Trammell (LF), and Mauricio Dubon (SS).
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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