Quentin Grimes vs Davion Mitchell a key storyline for Houston against Baylor

While some may say that the other Final Four matchup between Gonzaga and UCLA could end up being a blowout, this game between Baylor and Houston could end up being a thriller. The Bears have been a shortlist national title frontrunner all season, while the Cougars have flown under the radar all season.

Houston has been a top-10 caliber team all season long but due to cancelled games and being in the American Athletic Conference, didn’t have many showcase matchups to garner national attention. Outside of the Texas Tech game and losing to Wichita State, the Cougars have essentially beaten everyone they were supposed to, getting a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Cougars path to the Final Four may have been easy on paper, having faced only double-digit seeds (Cleveland State, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Oregon State) but they were in serious trouble in the Round of 32 game against the Scarlet Knights and allowed the Beavers to come back and make it a game in the Elite 8.

But Houston survived all four games to make the Final Four for the first time since 1984, where the “Phi Slama Jama” Cougars made it to back-to-back national title games. This year’s team hopes to do the same but will have to get past Baylor, who outside of dealing with covid issues has been nearly unbeatable.

The Bears’ path to the Final Four includes victories over Hartford, Wisconsin, Villanova, and Arkansas. They were tested a bit against both the Wildcats and Razorbacks in the second weekend but overall, looked like the clear better team in the final minutes.

This game will be a treat for those who love great guard play. That’s one of the many storylines to watch for this matchup. Here are five specific keys to keep in mind.