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What we learned in Arizona’s win over HoustonplayArizona Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars: Game Highlights (1:19)Arizona Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars: Game Highlights (1:19)Jeff BorzelloClose
ESPN Staff Writer
ESPN Staff Writer
With more than 40 days until the Final Four, men’s college basketball fans were given a preview of potential national semifinal matchups in Indianapolis.
The top four teams in the newest AP poll headline a loaded Saturday slate, with No. 2 Houston hosting No. 4 Arizona, and No. 1 Michigan and No. 3 Duke dueling it out in Washington, D.C. (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Cougars’ second-half comeback bid fell short as they lost the first game of the powerhouse doubleheader to the Wildcats 73-66. What did the result teach us about the two contenders? ESPN’s Myron Medcalf breaks it down.
Arizona 73, Houston 66The Wildcats can still beat any team in America, and they proved as much in one of college basketball’s most hostile environments against one of its best teams.
Arizona had been nearly flawless until last week, suffering its first losses of the season at Kansas and then to Texas Tech. Despite that two-game slide, the Wildcats have been one of the nation’s most consistent contenders for four months. More importantly, they have excelled in the crucial moments that define a season, and proved that once again Saturday.
Arizona’s defense was excellent after halftime, when Houston struggled to score. The Cougars didn’t make a field goal for nearly eight minutes in the second half, their longest scoring drought of the season. Jaden Bradley made big shots down the stretch and finished with 17 points. Anthony Dell’Orso had 22 off the bench, and Ivan Kharchenkov added 16 points. The Wildcats shot 25% from beyond the arc Saturday and failed to extend the lead by more than 10 points. — Medcalf
Jaden Bradley sets up Anthony Dell’Orso with a sweet dish for Arizona vs. No. 2 Houston.
This was the type of battle Kelvin Sampson’s Houston teams seemed to enjoy, but the Cougars once again suffered a scoring drought that they couldn’t overcome.
Houston went scoreless for nearly eight minutes in the second half against Arizona. And though the Wildcats’ defense played a significant role in that drought, the Cougars can’t expect to cut down the nets in April if they can’t get a much-needed bucket. They were also outscored 21-9 in the last 11 minutes of their 70-67 loss at Iowa State on Monday.
Do they have the offensive output to trade punches with the best teams in America? The NCAA tournament is decided by playmakers and stars, and the Cougars have them, but their inability to overcome a pair of ugly stretches in back-to-back games is concerning. This week’s losses suggest that unless star freshman Kingston Flemings can create shots in clutch moments, they might be vulnerable to more droughts at the most critical juncture of the season. — Medcalf
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