No. 6 Houston is seeking its 14th straight win on Saturday as it plays host to No. 22 Texas Tech.
Houston (17-3, 9-0 Big 12) hasn’t lost since a 73-70 overtime defeat to San Diego State in Las Vegas on Nov. 30. The Cougars managed to win their last four nonconference games and have taken advantage of a favorable start to their Big 12 campaign.
Houston has played just one ranked opponent in conference play so far, a 92-86 double-overtime win over then-No. 12 Kansas in Lawrence. That was also Houston’s first ranked win this season.
Houston is led by its veteran backcourt tandem of LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp. Cryer averages 13.7 points per game, while Sharp adds 12.9 points and three rebounds per game. J’wan Roberts averages 10.9 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game and Milos Uzan leads the team with 4.9 assists per game.
However, it’s once again been Houston’s stifling defense setting the pace for its 13-game win streak. The Cougars allow 55.3 points per game, the fewest in the country. Houston also holds their opponents to a 36.4 percent shooting percentage, No. 2 in Division I and another indicator that the Cougars’ defense is the national standard.
“We’re a defensive-minded team,” Cryer said. “We go to practice and we emphasize defense a lot. I mean, you achieve what you work on and what you emphasize. I feel like all (the stats are that way) because that’s how we practice every single day. When the ball’s not going in, you’ve got to rely on your defense. I feel like on the nights that the ball isn’t going in, we’re going to win because of that.”
Houston will get its second crack at a ranked conference opponent against Texas Tech (16-4, 7-2) on Saturday, as the Red Raiders enter on a five-game winning streak of their own after falling to then-No. 3 Iowa State in overtime on Jan. 11.
Texas Tech is led by JT Toppin — a New Mexico transfer and last year’s Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year — who is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder at 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams have also played a key role in Texas Tech’s offense. McMillian averages 15 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while Williams averages 14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Williams missed the game against TCU with an ankle injury, however, so his status remains unclear.
Texas Tech has had even less success against top-25 competition than Houston, falling to then-No. 22 Texas A&M 72-67 on Dec. 8 and then-No. 3 Iowa State on Jan. 11. The Red Raiders are coming off a 71-57 victory over TCU on Wednesday night, led by 18 points and 14 rebounds from Toppin.
Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland is confident in the next man up. That was Kerwin Walton on Wednesday, who scored seven points in 25 minutes despite seeing limited playing time recently.
“That’s what this team’s about,” McCasland said. “Kerwin Walton and his ability to stay in it and be ready. Our depth wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for him. People can say you’ve got a deep team, but it’s not if guys don’t care.
“I’ll tell you what it means. It means we’ve got great character on this team.”
–Field Level Media
