Houston vs Miami: 2023 NCAA Tournament game preview, TV schedule, prediction
It’s a battle of two of the best backcourts in the NCAA Tournament, as Miami looks to upset the Houston Cougars. Do the Hurricanes have what it takes?
TV schedule: Friday, March 24th, 7:15 pm ET, CBS
Arena: T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
In the NCAA Tournament, it’s said that “guard play” is the key to teams making a potential run to the Final Four. Looking at the teams remaining in the Sweet 16 and a good case can be made that it’s true. And there might not be two teams that rings true more than Miami and Houston.
The Cougars (33-3) entered the Big Dance as the odds-on favorite to win it all. And the added benefit of being the host city at this year’s Final Four has given them a great chance at getting a national title. Of course, they have to get there and Houston actually had some struggles in the first weekend.
They beat 16-seed Northern Kentucky, 63-52 but the game was much closer in the second half than the final score suggests. That’s because Marcus Sasser, the team’s leading scorer, was out with an injury. He was back for the next game against Auburn, with he and the team needing a comeback effort to get the 81-64 win after trailing by 10 points at halftime. Tramon Mark led all scorers in the game with 26 points.
Usually, Houston has the backcourt advantage every time they step out on the court. But this time, it could be their opponents, Miami (27-7). The Hurricanes are led by ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong, along with double-digit scoring guard, Nijel Pack. In the team’s first round win over Drake, Pack led all scorers with 21 points. And Wong was the star in Miami’s 85-69 win over Indiana, scoring 27 points total.
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The matchup on the perimeter will be the headline attracting but don’t forget the frontcourt, as freshman Jarace Walker of Houston will have to help deal with double-double machine, Norchad Omier of Miami. There’s plenty of offensive firepower to watch on both sides but one advantage that could come into play is the Cougars having a more consistent defense than Miami. If that holds up in this game, look for the 1 seed to get even closer to the Final Four.
Prediction: Houston 80, Miami 71