Houston vs UCF: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Houston and UCF meet on Thursday night in a game of two top-tier AAC teams. Will the Cougars continue their dominance or can the Knights score a solid home victory?
TV schedule: Thursday, February 7, 7:00 pm ET. CBSSN
Arena: CFE Arena in Orlando, Florida
After a heartbreaking buzzer beater loss in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Houston (21-1) has had an impressive start to their season. Last week, they beat Temple and avenged their only loss on the season. The Cougars have wins over solid teams like Oregon and LSU and have avoided mistakes for the most part this season. Even with Rob Gray gone, Kelvin Sampson has this team exceeding expectations.
The Cougars are led by a group of proficient upperclassmen guards. Senior Corey Davis Jr. (15.0 ppg) and junior Armoni Brooks (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) are the team’s hottest shooters, with Davis really solid from both the free throw line. Senior forward Breaon Brady (7.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg) is the player to watch down low, and this team is pretty solid on the boards; a joint effort among a wide group of players.
Houston currently sits at 20th in KenPom’s rankings, buoyed by a defense that’s 11th in defensive efficiency. The Cougars are the AAC’s best rebounding team and are second in the nation in defending 3-pointers. A knock on Houston is their weak schedule, though they have handled the teams they’ve faced, and their 21-1 mark is indicative of that.
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On the home side, UCF (16-4) sits in third place in the AAC, having another solid season under head coach Johnny Dawkins. They won the Myrtle Beach Invitational and have wins over teams like Alabama and Temple, though a home win would finally give them a top-notch victory on their resume.
The player that immediately stands out on the notch is 7-6 center Tacko Fall (9.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg), who has grown as a player in the last few seasons. He currently leads the nation in field goal percentage and is a force down low. On the outside, the Knights are paced by a pair of talented shooters. Senior guard B. J. Taylor (16.9 ppg) and junior guard Aubrey Dawkins (15.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) have taken turns leading the Knights on offense, with Taylor’s 21 leading the way last week against UConn.
UCF sits at a respectable 51st in KenPom, but this is the kind of win they’ll need to make at-large talk a possibility. The Knights do rank second in the nation at the free throw line, something they’ll need to take advantage if this is a close game late. They’re also highly ranked in opponent’s 2-point percentage, helped mightily by Fall; one of the nation’s best shot blockers.
For the Cougars, they’ll need their defense to step up, especially if Fall gets going early in this game. Defending the other shooters will be the key, while Davis and Brooks both have the ability to take over this game. For the Knights, they do need a big game out of Fall, while getting the crowd involved early is ideal. This Cougars team can in on the road, but they might struggle if Taylor and/or Dawkins start hitting shots outside.
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The AAC hasn’t been the strongest conference this year, but these are certainly two of their best teams matching up. Houston not only has a hot start on their side, but also last season’s postseason experience. Regardless, neither of those things matter, and UCF should come out well-motivated in front of their home crowd. The Cougars have won a lot of games, but I expect them to drop a close contest at home.