No. 5 Houston's Keys To The Game To Defeat No. 14 Kansas
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The Houston Cougars will take on the Kansas Jayhawks tonight at 8 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Houston suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since the 2024 season, and the Cougars are looking to end the losing streak in one of the toughest places to win in the country.
UH has three keys to the game, and if they execute properly, they will walk away tonight with a top-15 win.
3 Keys To The Game Against Kansas
Move The Ball Around
In both of Houston's losses, the offense went stagnant right when they had opportunities to close out the game.
Despite playing two of the best defenses in the Big 12 Conference, ball movement is key to take pressure off freshman guard Kingston Flemings and senior guard Milos Uzan, who are having to iso late in the shot clock.
The Cougars are also fully healthy, and they have several shooters who can knock down open threes when called upon.
Both freshman forward Chase McCarty and freshman guard Isiah Harwell have been shooting well from behind the arc as of late, and a focus on spreading the ball around could lead to more open shots for the duo.
More ball movement will lead to fewer forced shots late in the shot clock and really allow Houston's offense to flourish, which is much needed in a hostile environment.
Senior Leadership
Another area that hasn't been a factor is Houston's veterans taking over the big games, and that is a problem.
On the offensive side of the ball, senior guard Emanuel Sharp and Uzan have the most experience, and they should be the ones who lead the team in these top matchups.
Sharp also has had to sit more than usual in the past two games due to foul trouble, and keeping him on the floor is a must if the Cougars want to win going forward.
Junior forward Joseph Tugler has had the same problem this season, and Houston is a completely different team without him on the floor.
If Houston can stay out of foul trouble and have its trio of senior leaders take over the game, the Cougars will be a near-impossible team to beat.
Force Contested Shots/Protect The Paint
Houston has not been the same team defensively in the two losses, and that has been the main issue and area of improvement.
The Cougars thrive on unscripted points, but when they don't force turnovers or get stops to lead to fast breaks, they go on long scoreless stretches that cost them the game.
Both Arizona and Iowa State dominated Houston in the paint, which cannot happen going forward.
If Houston plays tough defense and forces more contested shots and turnovers, the Cougars will have no issue getting back on track with a win tonight.
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).