The Houston Cougars will, for the first time in the tournament, will face a non-double-digit seed team in the form of the No. 1 Baylor Bears. Will the Cougars be just as effective and score a win to advance to the National Championship Game? Or will Baylor take down the Cougars and represent the Big 12 in the big game? Check out our preview of this game below.
Kelvin Sampson is doing something great in Houston. For the first time in decades, the Cougars are back in the Final Four after scoring a 67-61 win over the Oregon State Beavers in the Elite Eight last Monday. The Cougars are a relentless team. They are just shooting 43.2 percent from the field this season, but manage to compensate for that with a tenacious mentality on the offensive glass. In fact, Houston is second nationally with a 39.8 offensive rebounding percentage. Houston deflates opposing defenses with a ton of extra possessions just like it did in the Oregon State game in which the Cougars had 19 offensive boards to just seven by the Beavers. Baylor could be put on the ropes by these Cougars primarily because of Houston’s rebounding, but the team also has quick defenders and athletic players who could keep up with the Bears’ primary offensive options.
After shooting poorly from behind the arc in the win over the Villanova Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen, Baylor showed why it’s the No. 1 3-point shooting team in the nation when it hit 8 of 15 shots from deep in its 81-72 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks last Monday in the Elite Eight round. Baylor’s 3-point shooting could be too much for the Cougars, who allowed Oregon State to threaten them with a 38.8 percent shooting from downtown. Baylor is making 9.9 threes on a 41.1 3-point shooting percentage. The trio of Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, and Davion Mitchell spread the floor well. They confound defenses largely because each of them shoots 39.6 percent from long distance — or better. Baylor also rebounds well. The Bears are seventh in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, so the Bears also know how to keep possessions alive. Plus, Baylor has a more efficient offense than Houston. The Bears are seventh overall with a 56.5 effective field goal percentage
