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The No. 11 Houston Cougars are back on their home court Sunday as they host the UCF Knights for an American Athletic Conference matchup. The Cougars have been nearly perfect this season, only losing once in a heartbreaking 1-point upset by the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. The Cougars have bounced back and won their last three games, however, upholding their spot among the top teams in college basketball.
Match Details
Fixture: UCF Knights vs. Houston Cougars - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Sunday, January 17th, 2021, 2 PM ET
Venue: Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas
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UCF Knights Preview
The UCF Knights have seen five of their first 12 games cancelled or postponed due to COVID protocol, and carry a 3-4 overall record into Sunday's matchup. The Knights won three of their first four games, but have struggled since opening conference play. The Knights currently sit in 8th place of the American conference and would shock the entire college basketball world with an upset over the Houston Cougars. In order to keep this game close, the Knights will need to shut down Houston's sharpshooting guards and create open looks on the offensive end.
Key Player - C.J. Walker
The biggest factor for the UCF Knights on Sunday could be their defensive specialist, C.J. Walker. While only playing an average of 24 minutes per game, Walker has a team-leading 12 blocks through seven games.
Walker also averages 4.9 rebounds per game and has been locking down the paint on the defensive end all season. If the UCF Knights are going to upset the Houston Cougars, they will need a lock-down performance out of C.J. Walker.
UCF Predicted Lineup
F Isaiah Adams, F C.J. Walker, G Brandon Mahan, G Darin Green Jr., G Darius Perry
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Houston Cougars Preview
The Houston Cougars are looking very strong after a commanding 21-point victory over the Tulane Green Wave in their last matchup. The Cougars will now set their sights on the struggling UCF Knights for a chance to improve to 11-1 on the season. The Cougars have been led offensively by their two star guards, Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser. Together, the two guards have averaged 34 points and nine rebounds per game. The Houston Cougars' offense should have another big game against the UCF Knights to maintain the top spot in the American conference.
Key Player - Quentin Grimes
Quentin Grimes has been nothing short of spectacular this season for the Houston Cougars. The 6-foot-5 guard has shown his playmaking ability with skillful drives to the hoop and fancy footwork around defenders. Grimes averages a team-high 17.7 points per game, and has done damage at the stripe, shooting 88.9 percent.
Quentin Grimes has led the Houston Cougars' offense all year and should continue his dominance on Sunday against the UCF Knights. The Cougars have responded well from being upset, and this Grimes-led offense has proven to be a threat to any team in the nation.
Houston Cougars Predicted Lineup
F Justin Gorham, F Brison Gresham, G Marcus Sasser, G Quentin Grimes, G DeJon Jarreau
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UCF vs. Houston Prediction
The Houston Cougars are the top team in the American conference, and despite their loss to unranked Tulsa, they have maintained the top spot all season. The UCF Knights are going to need a great performance on both ends of the court if they want to compete with Houston. I predict the Houston Cougars will get another strong effort from Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser on their way to a fourth-straight victory.
Where to watch UCF vs. Houston?
The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
