Houston basketball faces TCU on a quick turnaround and look to build off their strong start in the Big 12 on a Big Monday showdown at home. Read more for the Houston vs TCU prediction.
General information:
Teams: Houston (10-3, 2-0) and TCU (8-5, 1-1)
Tip-off: 8 p.m. CST
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: KPRC 950
Latest on TCU basketball:
The Horned Frogs enter action winners of three of its last four games. TCU won their last game 63-62 over Kansas State at home in Fort Worth. Senior guard Noah Reynolds led the way with the game-winning shot and 18 points total. Reynolds shot over 50% from the field along with a couple of rebounds and assists. Sophomore guard Vasean Allette and senior forward Trazarien White scored 14 points apiece. Reynolds leads the Horned Frogs this season with just over 11 PPG with senior guard Frankie Collins right behind him who leads TCU with 4.4 assists per game.
TCU’s last loss was at Arizona 90-81 on Dec. 30. Head coach Jaime Dixon is in his ninth season leading the Horned Frogs and 22nd coaching overall. Dixon is 1-1 vs Kelvin Sampson and Houston during his career. TCU is 0-2 in road games and also 0-5 in non-home games overall this season. The Cougars lead the overall series vs the Horned Frogs 49-26. The series is the fourth most played in Houston history behind SMU, Texas A&M, and Rice.
UH won the most recent meeting 60-45 during the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City in March as well as two of the last three encounters. Houston has been dominant at home vs TCU, boasting of a 26-7 record. The last time these two teams faced each other in Houston was over 13 years ago. This will be the first time TCU has played in the Fertitta Center and the only matchup this season.
Latest on Houston basketball:
The Cougars are coming in on a high for its third game in eight days after a strong 31-point win over BYU on Saturday. This was the sixth straight win and sixth game where Houston held their opponent to under 55 points. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp had 18 and sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux had 15 along with a career-high four triples in the 10th straight conference home opener win.
Sharp and graduate guard LJ Cryer continues to be strong from three, including the duo being in the top eight of the Big 12 in three-pointers made and three-point %, with Houston being the only school to achieve that. Junior point guard Milos Uzan has steadily improved, as he leads the Big 12 in a 4.0 assist-turnover ratio. Houston has won its last 30 home games, the longest streak in the nation and has won 15 conference home games in a row entering this one.
Houston vs TCU prediction: Cougars by 15
The Cougars have a quick turnaround at home with just a day off, but after much rest early on in the season, the team will keep improving with more games. TCU has struggled on the road, and in Fertitta Center it definitely doesn’t change as it has been one of the toughest places to play in college basketball. UH jumps out to a strong lead, and maintains it even as TCU tries to find their way back into it.