Tickets25/23 CINCINNATI (20-3, 9-1) at 12/12 HOUSTON (22-1, 9-1)
Sunday, Feb. 10 // 4 p.m. (ET)
Fertitta Center // Houston, Texas
SERIES INFO: 35th meeting; Cincinnati leads
31-3 overall; Cincinnati leads 14-3 in Houston;
Cincinnati leads 16-0 at home; Cincinnati leads
1-0 at neutral sites
STREAK: Cincinnati - 1
2017-18 MEETINGS: Cincinnati won 80-70 on Jan. 31 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky.;
Houston won 67-62 on Feb. 15 at H&PE Arena in Houston, Texas;
Cincinnati won 56-55 in the AAC Tournament Championship Game on March 11 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (288-143); 16th season overall (357-167)
Kelvin Sampson is in his fifth season at Houston (105-49); 30th season overall (605-319)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (FEB. 4): Cincinnati (25/23); Houston (12/12)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN; Mike Corey provides play-by-play with color analyst Tim Welsh
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – When the American Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll was released last fall, Central Florida was the favorite to win the league title, with the University of Cincinnati second, and Houston third.
A little past the midway point, it's obvious that the coaches badly underestimated Houston.
The Cougars have emerged as the league's powerhouse with a 21-1 record and a No. 12 national ranking. They're 9-1 in the American and ranked seventh in the NCAA's NET rankings.
But 9-1 is good enough only for a first-place tie in the American because the defending champion Cincinnati Bearcats are right there with them at 9-1, 20-3 overall, with a No. 25 ranking in the Associated Press poll. The Bearcats are 24th in the NET rankings.
Preseason favorite UCF is fourth in the league at 6-3, a half-game behind Temple.
That first-place tie will broken, at least temporarily, on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET when the Bearcats try to hand the high-flying Cougars their second loss of the season at 7,100-seat Fertitta Center, Houston's new arena.
The Cougars, led by fifth-year head coach Kelvin Sampson, have won seven straight since their 73-69 loss at Temple on Jan. 9. They have the nation's longest home winning streak at 31.
"They are an elite team that puts pressure on you in every way for 40 minutes," UC coach Mick Cronin said.
The Bearcats, who wiped out an 11-point deficit to post a 69-64 win at Memphis on Thursday, have won eight straight since their 73-71 loss at East Carolina on Jan. 5.
UC is led by junior guard Jarron Cumberland, who averages 17.8 points per game. Houston counters with senior guard Corey Davis Jr., who averages 15.5 points and leads the American in free throw shooting at 93.3 percent.
Statistically, there's not much to choose from between the two teams. Houston averages 75.3 points per game, UC 75.1. The Cougars, with a defense designed to shut down inside scoring and force their opponents to shoot from the perimeter, have allowed 60.6 points per game. UC is right behind at 61.1.
The Cougars have outscored their opponents by an average of 14.6 points. The Bearcats have outscored theirs by 14.1. UC shoots 46.1 percent from the field, Houston 43.6. UC shoots 72.1 percent from the free throw line, Houston 71.8.
On and on and it goes with the top two teams in the American within a few whiskers of each other in almost every statistical category. There is one major exception, though. Houston has made 9.1 three-point shots per game to UC's 6.2. The Cougars also have a rebounding edge, with a margin of +7.5 to UC's +5.1.
"We'll have to handle Houston's relentless attacking of the glass to have a chance to win," Cronin said.
This will be only the second ranked team the Bearcats have faced this season. They lost at No. 18 Mississippi State 70-59 back on Dec. 15.
UC has dominated the Houston series with a 31-3 advantage and has won four of the last five meetings. The one loss in the last five games occurred on Feb. 15 of last year when the Cougars beat the Bearcats 67-62 to end UC's 16-game winning streak. But the Bearcats got the last laugh when they knocked off Houston 56-55 in the AAC tournament final on March 11 in Orlando.
This is the first of what could be three meetings between the two AAC behemoths.
No matter what happens Sunday, UC and Houston will meet again in the regular-season finale on Sunday, March 10 at UC's Fifth Third Arena in a game that could ultimately decide who wins the AAC title.
And no one will be surprised if they meet again in the championship game of the AAC tournament in Memphis on March 17.
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at the Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January 2015.
Sunday, Feb. 10 // 4 p.m. (ET)
Fertitta Center // Houston, Texas
SERIES INFO: 35th meeting; Cincinnati leads
31-3 overall; Cincinnati leads 14-3 in Houston;
Cincinnati leads 16-0 at home; Cincinnati leads
1-0 at neutral sites
STREAK: Cincinnati - 1
2017-18 MEETINGS: Cincinnati won 80-70 on Jan. 31 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky.;
Houston won 67-62 on Feb. 15 at H&PE Arena in Houston, Texas;
Cincinnati won 56-55 in the AAC Tournament Championship Game on March 11 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (288-143); 16th season overall (357-167)
Kelvin Sampson is in his fifth season at Houston (105-49); 30th season overall (605-319)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (FEB. 4): Cincinnati (25/23); Houston (12/12)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN; Mike Corey provides play-by-play with color analyst Tim Welsh
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – When the American Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll was released last fall, Central Florida was the favorite to win the league title, with the University of Cincinnati second, and Houston third.
A little past the midway point, it's obvious that the coaches badly underestimated Houston.
The Cougars have emerged as the league's powerhouse with a 21-1 record and a No. 12 national ranking. They're 9-1 in the American and ranked seventh in the NCAA's NET rankings.
But 9-1 is good enough only for a first-place tie in the American because the defending champion Cincinnati Bearcats are right there with them at 9-1, 20-3 overall, with a No. 25 ranking in the Associated Press poll. The Bearcats are 24th in the NET rankings.
Preseason favorite UCF is fourth in the league at 6-3, a half-game behind Temple.
That first-place tie will broken, at least temporarily, on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET when the Bearcats try to hand the high-flying Cougars their second loss of the season at 7,100-seat Fertitta Center, Houston's new arena.
The Cougars, led by fifth-year head coach Kelvin Sampson, have won seven straight since their 73-69 loss at Temple on Jan. 9. They have the nation's longest home winning streak at 31.
"They are an elite team that puts pressure on you in every way for 40 minutes," UC coach Mick Cronin said.
The Bearcats, who wiped out an 11-point deficit to post a 69-64 win at Memphis on Thursday, have won eight straight since their 73-71 loss at East Carolina on Jan. 5.
UC is led by junior guard Jarron Cumberland, who averages 17.8 points per game. Houston counters with senior guard Corey Davis Jr., who averages 15.5 points and leads the American in free throw shooting at 93.3 percent.
Statistically, there's not much to choose from between the two teams. Houston averages 75.3 points per game, UC 75.1. The Cougars, with a defense designed to shut down inside scoring and force their opponents to shoot from the perimeter, have allowed 60.6 points per game. UC is right behind at 61.1.
The Cougars have outscored their opponents by an average of 14.6 points. The Bearcats have outscored theirs by 14.1. UC shoots 46.1 percent from the field, Houston 43.6. UC shoots 72.1 percent from the free throw line, Houston 71.8.
On and on and it goes with the top two teams in the American within a few whiskers of each other in almost every statistical category. There is one major exception, though. Houston has made 9.1 three-point shots per game to UC's 6.2. The Cougars also have a rebounding edge, with a margin of +7.5 to UC's +5.1.
"We'll have to handle Houston's relentless attacking of the glass to have a chance to win," Cronin said.
This will be only the second ranked team the Bearcats have faced this season. They lost at No. 18 Mississippi State 70-59 back on Dec. 15.
UC has dominated the Houston series with a 31-3 advantage and has won four of the last five meetings. The one loss in the last five games occurred on Feb. 15 of last year when the Cougars beat the Bearcats 67-62 to end UC's 16-game winning streak. But the Bearcats got the last laugh when they knocked off Houston 56-55 in the AAC tournament final on March 11 in Orlando.
This is the first of what could be three meetings between the two AAC behemoths.
No matter what happens Sunday, UC and Houston will meet again in the regular-season finale on Sunday, March 10 at UC's Fifth Third Arena in a game that could ultimately decide who wins the AAC title.
And no one will be surprised if they meet again in the championship game of the AAC tournament in Memphis on March 17.
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at the Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January 2015.