Miami Basketball: 3 keys to beat Houston Cougars in Sweet 16 matchup

Get to the free throw line

I realize that I misspoke earlier when I said that no matter where on the court you shoot the ball, Houston will make your life difficult. There is one area where the hounding defense of Marcus Sasser, Jamal Shead, and company can’t touch you: the free throw line.

This plays right into Miami’s hands, especially if they can speed the game up, as mentioned above. Houston ranks in the bottom 25% of the country in defensive free throw rate. This is largely a byproduct of their high-pressure defense, but it can be exploited by Jim Larranaga’s crew.

The Hurricanes shoot 77.4% from the line, good for 18th in the nation. ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong, Miami’s highest volume free throw shooter and also their most important player, shoots 83.9%. Four of Miami’s players shoot 80% or better, and their top seven players all shoot over 72%.

Wong had one of his worst games of the season against Drake, but he bounced back in a big way against Indiana, scoring 27 and going 5-5 from the line. That’s the version Miami needs to pull the upset. He and his fellow guards can attack the basket to draw more fouls, especially given how well Houston defends the three.

Often when we look at three keys to the game, they don’t go hand in hand. It can be difficult for a team to successfully accomplish all three. In this case, though, Miami’s blueprint to take down Houston is a cohesive one. All three keys outlined above play to the Hurricanes’ strengths and the Cougars’ weaknesses. Miami should have one goal in mind: get more chances at the basket than Houston.

Speeding the game up serves dual purposes. It gives Miami a chance at easy baskets, something they’re unlikely to get the deeper each possession gets into the shot clock, because Houston’s half-court defense is just too good. It also raises the number of possessions, which will naturally make it easier to get into the bonus and get the Cougars into foul trouble. Miami’s superior free throw shooting can then give the Hurricanes an advantage.

Preventing Houston from dominating the offensive glass will take away their biggest offensive strength. Limiting second chances will expose the Cougars for being only a slightly above average shooting team. Norchad Omier, who looks to be 100% again, will need to hold his own against the Houston frontcourt, but a total team effort will be needed. Houston will be crashing the boards, so if Miami can grab those rebounds, there will be room to run.

Beating this Houston team is a tall order, but Miami is uniquely suited to the task. The Hurricanes have tournament experience and a backcourt full of weapons. Their defense is suspect, but by controlling the defensive glass, Houston may not be able to take advantage of that. Finally, Houston’s propensity for fouling can allow the Hurricanes’ excellent free throw shooting to shine. This may just be enough for “The U” to get a “W.”