The first 8* pick of my Superstar Triple Play is on Houston (7:00 EST).
Cincinnati is poised for a bit of a letdown here in my opinion after starting AAC play 12-0 and coming into this contest having won 16 straight.
Houston is 9-3 in league action and tied with Wichita State for second in the American Athletic Conference.
The Bearcats come in off a 76-51 win over SMU on Sunday, while the Cougars enter off three straight wins, most recently smashing Tulane at home 73-42 over the weekend.
Note that this is a revenge game for Houston after it fell 80-70 at Cincinnati on January 31st.
Cincy averages 76.5 PPG and it concedes 55.9. Kyle Washington had 17 points and 18 boards in his team’s latest win (note that SMU had just six scholarship players and dressed eight and it clearly showed.)
The Cougars have won five of their last six, with the only loss in that time coming on the road in Cincinnati. Houston has proven that it can be competitive with the best in the conference, beating Wichita State on January 20th and it’s going to be risking life and limb tonight in trying to score the upset, to avenge the earlier loss and to protect home floor. Keep your eyes on Rob Gray, who leads the team with 17.7 points, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per night.
In a contest which I envision being decided by whichever team has its hands on the ball last, I’m going to grab the points.
Good luck…Larry