Can KU Jayhawks’ handle Houston’s elite defense? Plus, prediction, betting odds
The No. 8 Kansas men’s basketball team will perhaps face its most formidable conference foe in No. 4-ranked Houston on Saturday.
KU is a home underdog (2.5 points) for just the second time in the Bill Self era.
The Cougars are the top-ranked team in KenPom, and what makes the Cougars most dangerous is their defense and rebounding.
Houston ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency (84.6), which basically means points given up per 100 possessions. Plus, Houston is No. 6 in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage (39.6).
Naturally, their defense has Self’s attention.
“They are as good defensively as any team in country, without question,” Self said. “They probably have been the last three or four years.”
Let’s look at what makes the Cougars’ defense so difficult to score on.
When the Cougars played Penn, the scouting report said to pressure Penn’s guards. Houston sent double-teams on every Penn player with the ball on the perimeter, and it worked like a charm.
Quaker guards struggled to get rid of the ball. At one point, a player with the ball looked over to his teammate for help, but a Houston player slid in front of him before the Penn player could make the pass.
Finally, the Quaker guard threw a pass to a semi-open teammate to the left perimeter; the player received the pass and immediately drove to the hoop. At that point, Houston players scrambled and got into position to make Penn’s Clark Slajchert rush and miss his shot.
When you watch this clip, a couple of things stand out. First, Houston players constantly move and communicate. There isn’t much standing around. Secondly, they’ve studied the scouting report well — because they don’t let Penn’s shooters get a shot off.
It’s rare to see a defense so in sync and ready for anything in the ranks of college basketball.
Kansas star big man Hunter Dickinson, though, looks forward to facing Houston and its elite defense.
“Playing at Iowa State was a good little test for us … and it helped us prepare for the game for sure,” Dickinson said. “They’re obviously a very good defensive team. I think that I see that every other day on Twitter how great they are defensively. So, I think it’d be very fun for us to go against that defense and kind of see where we stack up in terms of how well they guard and how versatile they are defensively.”
Game prediction
This is the type of game Self-coached KU squads have traditionally won.
Kansas is an underdog, plus it trails Houston in conference standings, so I expect the Jayhawks to put on a show.
The key for the Jayhawks will be to limit turnovers and hit 3-pointers at a higher rate. KU can’t let Houston’s suffocating defense throw the Jayhawks off their game.
On the defensive end, the Jayhawks must keep the Cougars off the boards. It’s easier said than done, but if KU loses the rebounding battle badly, there’s little chance Kansas wins this game.
The Jayhawks must be as close to their peak form as possible. And I think they will, so I have Kansas winning by a slim margin.
Kansas 71, Houston 67
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: KU (2.5+)
Shreyas’ season record: 14-5
Shreyas’ record against the spread: 10-9
