Houston basketball is back home after a short turnaround, taking on their inter-state rival Baylor on Big Monday in a matchup of top five teams in the Big 12. Keep reading for the Houston vs Baylor prediction.
Game information:
Teams: Houston (19-4, 11-1) and Baylor (15-8, 7-5)
Tip-off: 8 p.m. CST
Watch: ESPN
Listen: KPRC 950
Latest on Baylor basketball:
The Bears are currently fifth in the Big 12 standings, tied with Kansas. Baylor has gotten wins over Kansas (after down 19 at the half) and Kansas State, as well as no. 9 St John’s earlier this year. They have alternated wins and losses in their last five games and most recently got a 91-76 win at home over UCF where fifth-year forward Norchad Omier got 18 points and a game high 12 rebounds.
Omier transferred from Miami where he made the final four in 2023 and currently leads the Bears with 15.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and one block per game. Freshman guard VJ Edgecombe is second with 15 PPG and leads the team with 2.2 steals per game along with the other freshman guard Robert Wright who is third with 12.7 PPG and leads Baylor in assists with 4.7 per game. Legendary head coach Scott Drew is in his 22nd season at Waco and is 1-1 vs Houston in his career, but 1-7 vs Kelvin Sampson. Houston leads the overall series 39-16, which is the ninth most played in school history.
UH won the last meeting in Waco, 82-76 in overtime. The Cougars are 23-4 in home games vs Baylor, and are hosting the Bears tonight for the first time since 1996, the final year both programs were in the Southwest conference.
Latest on Houston basketball:
UH has won 15 out of their last 16 games, coming off a tough road win vs Colorado 69-59. Houston is still at the top of the Big 12 standings with an 11-1 record, tied with no. 13 Arizona. Graduate forward J’Wan Roberts had 20 points, while sophomore forward Terrance Arceneaux added 15, with 13 of them in the second half. This was the 10th straight road win, the nation’s longest active streak. There was concern for graduate guard LJ Cryer after suffering a wrist injury late in the second half that seemed serious. However, it has been something Cryer has been dealing with and playing through.
Cryer will play vs Baylor and is expected to continue to play. Houston gets back junior guard Emanuel Sharp after he was rested last week to recover from his ankle injury. The biggest issue for Houston is health and they look to get back on track in that category. The Cougars look to continue to step up their defensive play, while being one of the best defensive teams in the country. Junior guard Milos Uzan only had one turnover in 37 minutes vs Colorado, which was his 15th game with one or fewer turnovers.
Houston vs Baylor prediction: Cougars by 10
Every game in the Big 12 is tough, as shown on Saturday vs Colorado. With the quick turnaround, I wouldn’t expect domination from Houston, but a solid performance that gets them comfortably over the line.
[…] has demonstrated their depth throughout the season, as five players scored in double digits vs Baylor. Sampson calls it one of their strengths. Graduate guard LJ Cryer led the way with 14 points and […]