The RoundHouse | 1/4/2018 4:26:00 PM
By
Paul Suellentrop
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Records: Houston 12-2 2-0 American, Wichita State 11-2, 1-0
Listen: KEYN 103.7 FM/goshockers.com
Watch: ESPN
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, formerly of Oklahoma, Indiana and the NBA, is in his fourth season at the school and has the program ascending. This is his best team, complete with the talent to get the Cougars back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
The Cougars are No. 38 in Pomeroy's ranking, led by an offense ranked No. 28. Houston is an outstanding shooting team – it ranks second in the American after making 48.2 percent of its field goals and second in three-point shooting at 40.1 percent.
"They have a guy that was all-conference last year and led the league in scoring, Rob Gray," Wichita State coach
Gregg Marshall said. "Devin Davis makes every shot, and their point guard (Galen Robinson Jr.) really pushes it and makes everyone (better). We will have our hands full."
Houston owns top-100 Pomeroy wins over Wake Forest (67), Arkansas (25), Providence (61) and Temple (74), The 91-65 home win over Arkansas stands out. The Cougars made 10 of 21 threes and held the Razorback (who own a win over Oklahoma) to a season-low .881 points per possession, according to Pomeroy.
Houston's two losses (Drexel and LSU) share one common trait – opponents outscored the Cougars significantly at the foul line. Drexel won that stat by 16 points on its way to an 84-80 win in November on a neutral court. LSU defeated visiting Houston 80-77 in a game that was largely a statistical draw except for a seven-point edge at the line.
While the Cougars play good defense, they are prone to fouls – nine disqualifications this season and points at the line are almost even. The Shockers can exploit that by getting the ball to its big men and by driving to the basket.
Gray led the American in scoring last season and averages 19 points this season, tied with Connecticut's Jalen Adams atop the conference. Gray, a senior guard, also averages 3.5 assists and has made 38.2 percent of his three-point shots and 85.4 percent of his free throws.
He is exactly the kind of scoring guard who has given the Shockers fits this season. Wichita State is coming off an improved defensive effort at UConn in Saturday's win. And it has Markis McDuffie, now his third game back from injury, to strengthen its defense.
"He's nowhere near where he can be," Marshall said. "He's just getting his feet wet right now. He hasn't played basketball for 12-to-14 weeks. He's got to get himself in shape and just acclimate himself back into the system."
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
