The Connecticut Huskies (20-8) play the Houston Cougars (20-8) at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. The game gets underway at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and will air on CCS.
The Huskies had no trouble getting past South Florida 81-51 on Thursday. Rodney Purvis led all scorers on the team with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The Cougars, meanwhile, are coming off an 88-61 win against UCF on Wednesday. Damyean Dotson shot 7 for 9 and led in scoring with 17 points.
Over the last five games, Dotson has been on fire for the Cougars. During that stretch, he has averaged 17.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 2.6 three-pointers.
It will be a matchup of two heavyweights, as the high-octane offense of the Cougars (13th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 116.5) takes the court against the elite defense of the Huskies (seventh in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 93.3).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Huskies winning the first matchup 69-57. Sterling Gibbs was a standout player in the game, producing 20 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four three-pointers.
The Huskies are looking to build on their records of 20-8 Straight Up (SU) and 12-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Connecticut has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a stellar .775. Connecticut’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 72.2 during that span, compared to its 61.7 season average. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Huskies, ranking 36th in the country in blocks per game with 5.0. Connecticut is very careful and attentive with the ball, averaging the 37th-fewest turnovers per game at only 11.1.
On the other side, the Cougars head into the game with records of 13-9-1 ATS and 20-8 SU. The Cougars have been struggling of late. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 69.6 PPG, compared to 73.4 for the duration of the season. Houston is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in Division I. The Cougars average 13.4 offensive rebounds per game, making them the 23rd-best team in the country for that category. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Cougars on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 59.9 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 69.2. Houston’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents shooting only .298 from the three. Don’t expect Houston to give away the ball much on offense, where its 10.8 turnovers per game ranks 25th in the country.
The Huskies’ win over Houston in their last game took the head-to-head record to an even 2-2 SU. They are even ATS as well (2-2).
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, ATS Winner – Hou
Notes
Connecticut scores an average of just 73.4 points per game (ranked 139th). Houston ranks 99th in points allowed, giving up 69.2 points per game.
Connecticut scores just 76.4 points per home game (ranked 139th). Houston ranks 87th in points allowed on the road, giving up 72.0 points.
In its last game, Houston won by a margin of 27 points. Connecticut is 11-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Houston has a 7-0 record in blowouts.
The Houston Cougars rank 13th for their offensive rating of 116.5. The Connecticut Huskies have a defensive rating of 93.3 (ranked seventh).
The Houston Cougars average a field goal percentage of 46.8% this season. The Connecticut Huskies have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 46.8% or greater.
The Connecticut Huskies and the Houston Cougars both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Connecticut is 81st and 61st in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Houston ranks 77th and 51st in these categories.
Connecticut ranks 72nd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24, while Houston ranks 83rd with an A/TO of 1.22.
Houston, the 64th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.5 rebounds per game. Connecticut does worse, ranked 159th with 36.6.
The Connecticut Huskies make an average of 5.9 steals per game. When the Houston Cougars allow 5 or more steals, they are a solid 14-7.
