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The No. 6 Houston Cougars will host their conference foe, the SMU Mustangs, in an AAC showdown on Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars have been one of the nation's hottest teams after defeating the Mustangs in their first matchup this season, 74-60. That victory was the start of Houston's current seven-game unbeaten streak.
Meanwhile, the SMU Mustangs have not had the same success and have gone 3-2 during that same time-frame. However, they bounced back and earned a narrow win in their previous outing over the Memphis Tigers to move to 9-3 on the year.
Match Details
Fixture: SMU Mustangs vs Houston Cougars - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Sunday, January 31st, 2021, 1 PM ET
Venue: Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas
Houston Cougars Preview
The Houston Cougars earned their 14th victory on Thursday as they blew out the Tulane Green Wave, 83-60.
The Cougars got out to their normally fast start, jumping out to a 20 point lead just over 10 minutes into the game. Over the last four games, Houston has a +97 point margin over their opponents in the first half.
On top of the Houston Cougars' ability to score from the opening whistle, they have one of the best defenses in the nation. The Cougars held the Green Wave to 31.7%, and according to that advanced analytics site of kenpom.com, they rank third for defensive efficiency, allowing just 87.6 points per 100 possessions.
If the Houston Cougars can come out with their normal high-energy during the first half and maintain their discipline during defensive sets, they will trounce the SMU Mustangs on Sunday afternoon and move to 10-1 in the AAC.
Key Player - Quentin Grimes
The leading scorer for the Houston Cougars is Quentin Grimes, who is averaging 17.6 points per game. The junior guard was forced to miss the Cougars' latest game due to an ankle injury.
However, Houstons head coach, Kelvin Sampson, said that Grimes would "for sure" be taking the court in Sunday's game against the SMU Mustangs.
Quentin Grimes' play this season has him currently projected to be drafted in the first round of the NBA 2021 draft, via NBAdraft.net.
If Grimes can put up his normal scoring average in his return to the Houston Cougars starting lineup, that will be enough to defeat the SMU Mustangs.
Houston Cougars Predicted Lineup
F Brison Gresham, F Justin Gorham, G DeJon Jarreau, G Quentin Grimes, G Marcus Sasser
SMU Mustangs Preview
The SMU Mustangs were able to edge out the Memphis Tigers 67-65 to avoid back-to-back conference losses.
The key to getting back on track was the team's defensive gameplan. The Mustangs held the Tigers to their season-low 23 points in the first half.
The SMU Mustangs will need to maintain their defensive efficiency against the Houston Cougars, who have built up a reputation for their first-half play, to come away with the upset win on Sunday afternoon.
Key Player - Kendric Davis
Kendric Davis has been the SMU Mustangs' most constant player this season. He is leading the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game on 47.1% shooting. In addition to Davis' ability to score he is getting the rest of his teammates involved. He is ranked third in the nation with 7.7 assists per game, via teamrankings.com.
The junior guard had success against the Houston Cougars in their first battle this season. He scored 23 points on 66.7% shooting.
If the SMU Mustangs are to come away with a victory on Sunday over the ranked Houston Cougars, Davis will need another 20 point game and win his matchup over Quentin Grimes.
SMU Mustangs Predicted Lineup
F Ethan Chargois, F Isiah Jasey, F Feron Hunt, G Kendric Davis, G Emmanuel Bandoumel
SMU vs Houston Prediction
The Houston Cougars and the SMU Mustangs have shown they can lock down a team with their half-court defense.
However, the Cougars have too much talent for the Mustangs and will pull away late to earn their 15th victory of the season.
Expect Quentin Grimes to have a big game in his return and win his matchup over Kendric Davis.
Where to watch SMU vs Houston
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
