Cincinnati vs. Houston: 2018-19 college basketball preview, TV schedule

Cincinnati and Houston are the two top teams in the AAC. By the time Sunday ends, one will reign supreme in the conference.

TV Schedule: Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 4:00 PM ET, ESPN

Location: Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas

When the story of the 2018-19 AAC is written – that’s a bestseller in the making, by the way – the Cincinnati Bearcats and Houston Cougars will both get prominent space on the cover.

In a year where the most prominent programs in the conference are taking a backseat for rebuilds and new coaches, the Bearcats and Cougars have risen to the top of the league.

Entering Sunday’s game, neither team has lost more than a single game in AAC play. For Houston, that single defeat serves as their only loss for the entire year.

The Cougars (a projected 3-seed) have ascended to the No. 12 ranking in the AP poll with one of college basketball’s most surprising seasons. After school legend Rob Gray departed, many thought Houston would sneak back into relative obscurity.

But this is the same team that would’ve made the Sweet Sixteen last year if eventual title game runner-up Michigan didn’t hit a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer; it’s easy to forget that.

Corey Davis Jr. has emerged as the leader of this team, averaging 15.5 points per game. The Cougars are at their best on the defensive end, though, where they’re surrendering just 60.8 points per game, one of the top marks in the country.

Cincinnati knows a thing or two about shining on the less-heralded side of the court.

The Bearcats (a projected 7-seed) are giving up 61.7 points per game, within a point of the Cougars. Despite their strong roster and cohesive defensive, conference play has been a slog for Cincinnati, with all but two of their nine wins coming by single digits.

Their conference loss is also uglier than Houston’s defeat. Cincinnati lost at East Carolina, handing the Pirates one of just two conference wins to date. Houston, on the other hand, tripped up at Temple, the AAC’s best shot at a third NCAA Tournament bid.

Houston also has the backing of the brand new Fertitta Center. Reopened just two months ago, the Cougars have regularly packed around 7000 fans for their home games. In 12 games there this season, the Cougars have yet to drop a game.

These two squads haven’t met yet this season, but they’ll play in Cincinnati on the final day of the regular season. They’ll probably find their way to each other again in Memphis during the AAC Tournament.

Chock this low-scoring, defensive slugfest to the home team.

Prediction: Houston 65 – 60 Cincinnati