Tag: Houston basketball

Historic night in college basketball as No. 1 Purdue and No. 2 Houston lose to unranked teams

The No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers and No. 2 Houston Cougars fell to unranked opponents in Nebraska and Iowa State in a wild Tuesday of college basketball.

It was as if college basketball knew the football season was over and they needed to make a big splash to get people’s attention. On Tuesday evening, one day after Michigan won the national championship over Washington, college basketball treated fans to a pair of historic upsets with No. 1 Purdue falling to Nebraska while No. 2 Houston fell to Iowa State.

There have been 648 all-time instances of the top two teams each playing an unranked opponent on the same night, and only eight times where both teams lost.

We’ll start with No. 1 Purdue, who is now 14-2 on the season but just 3-2 in Big Ten play after losing to Northwestern back in December. The Boilermakers and in particular Zach Edey were flustered by Nebraska’s pesky defense, with the reigning National Player of the Year only managing 15 points and seven rebounds on 6-10 shooting.

Although Purdue was able to knock down 13 three-pointers on 39.4% shooting, it was the Cornhuskers who dominated offensively – making 14 threes on a blistering 60.9% shooting and racking up 88 total points in their first win over a No. 1 team in 41 years.

Meanwhile, Houston took their first loss of the year in just their second-ever Big 12 regular season contest, falling 57-53 to an Iowa State team that is now 12-3 on the year and should find themselves ranked next week.

The Cyclones held Houston to just 38% from the field and 26.9% (7-26) from distance. Starting guards LJ Cryer and Jamal Shead were a combined 2-14 from three and 7-24 from the field while turning the ball over a whopping eight times.

Iowa State’s offense wasn’t great, but they went 18-22 from the free throw line and a strong game from sophomore Tamin Lipsey (14 points and four rebounds) was enough to pull off a major victory and prove this team deserves more respect going forward.

The madness may not be over as No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 UConn, and No. 5 Tennessee are all in action on Wednesday evening, and they all face tough road contests in conference play against Central Florida, Xavier, and Mississippi State, respectively.

Miami players got stuck in an elevator and somehow that fiasco helped them upset Houston

Miami players getting stuck in an elevator might’ve led to Houston being sent packing.

The Miami men’s basketball team somehow turned getting stuck into an elevator into a game-changing defensive strategy for the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament.

After his No. 5 Hurricanes dominated No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16, 89-75, Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga detailed how an elevator breakdown might’ve helped the team even more than a film breakdown.

Larrañaga explained on Thursday, 12 Miami players got stuck in an elevator after the team’s defensive-centric meeting. After 30 minutes of being trapped, the Miami players were rescued by firefighters.

Somehow, the team got inspiration from that claustrophobic experience to play lockdown defense against one of the best teams in the country in top-seeded Houston.

“You guys got to be in the paint like you were in the elevator yesterday,” Larrañaga told his team during Friday’s shootaround to fix a stretched-out defense. “And they did that.”

Talk about making lemonade out of lemons.

It’s one thing to play a good game after such an uncomfortable fiasco. It’s another to actually have getting stuck in an elevator power you to a men’s NCAA tournament win against a No. 1 seed.

Auburn had one of the worst shooting halves imaginable in loss to Houston

Auburn watched a halftime lead over No. 1-seed Houston evaporate in the second half thanks to an absolutely brutal shooting performance.

Legacy Arena in Birmingham was rocking, the hometown crowd deafening as Auburn headed into the locker room at halftime with a 10-point lead over No. 1-seed Houston. Unfortunately for Auburn and their fans, that lead evaporated in the second half thanks to an absolutely brutal shooting performance.

The Tigers hit just four of 22 field goal attempts in the second half against the top-seeded Cougars, a stat line Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said was unexpected for his squad.

“We didn’t execute, which is not typical,” Pearl said. “Typical in the second half, with the offense in front of our bench, we typically have put up great offensive numbers. So give Houston credit for the way they guarded and their physicality.”

Going 4-of-22 from the field is pretty brutal but adding insult to injury was Auburn’s performance at the free throw line, where the Tigers finished 19-of-36 for the game. The missed free throws drew plenty of pained groans from the Auburn-heavy crowd in Birmingham.

“All it is, is free throws are just concentration,” said Auburn’s Jaylin Williams after the game. “You could be tired, but you have ten seconds to shoot a free throw. That’s on all of us. I missed one, a few guys missed a few. We make our free throws, we’re battling to win the game.”

Meanwhile, Houston was a perfect 18-for-18 from the free throw line in the second half, salting away Auburn’s lead and ultimately advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

Reminder: Jim Nantz will be calling his last NCAA tournament for CBS this year

Jim Nantz will be saying “Goodbye, friends!” to the NCAA tournament this year.

As this year’s March Madness tips off, longtime CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz will be calling his last NCAA tournament.

There will only be so many more “Hello, friends!” for March Madness watchers, as Nantz has confirmed to AP this week that he’s stepping away from the tournament after 32 years.

For Nantz, it’s a special way to close things out with his alma mater, No. 1 Houston, pushing for a title. This year’s Final Four will also take place at NRG Stadium in Houston.

It could all come full circle for the longtime broadcaster.

“I wanted it to be a CBS year, but especially I wanted Houston to be my last dance for me and to exit college basketball stage right,” Nantz told AP. “It was truly through the basketball program — being the student public address announcer and while still a student later being entrusted to host the Guy Lewis television show, that was my entryway into television. I was just a kid living in the dorms. With a chance to possibly call my last basketball game with Houston playing for a championship, that would be amazing.”

Nantz says he still plans to work for CBS doing the NFL and professional golf coverage, but this will be his very last ride for March’s biggest sports spectacle.

Houston avoided a Memphis upset, hit the under on glorious buzzer-beater

A March buzzer-beater, you say?

There’s a reason that Houston is the top men’s basketball team in the country.

The Cougars avoided an upset on the road at conference rival Memphis on Sunday, topping the Tigers 67-65 ahead of next weekend’s American Athletic Conference tournament.

It was junior guard Jamal Shead for the Cougars who knocked down the buzzer-beater for Houston, extending the team’s winning streak to 11 games.

The basket also helped Houston bettors with the game staying with the under (Houston -180), even though Memphis did cover the 4.5-point spread.

Being that it’s March and all, Houston will have to hope they’ve got more onions on the shelf and more magic at the buzzer.

Houston should be the favorite to take the AAC tournament next weekend and might be the overall favorite to win the NCAA tournament later this month.

As for Memphis, they’re likely going to want to get even with Houston next weekend if the two meet again in the conference tourney.

Wisconsin currently projected as an eight-seed in ESPN Bracketology

ESPN’s latest round of projections have the Wisconsin Badgers making the national tournament as an eight-seed in the same region as Houston.

Coming into this weekend’s action across NCAA Men’s Basketball, Joe Lunardi and company at ESPN released their latest projections for the upcoming National Tournament in March.

The projections were made prior to the Badgers’ 63-45 loss to Indiana on Saturday, but ESPN’s Bracketology currently expects the Badgers to be an eight-seed in March Madness. As is, Wisconsin would be in the same region, the West, as the #1 nationally ranked Houston Cougars.

After starting the season 11-2, Wisconsin has dropped three straight games while Tyler Wahl (13.2 PPG) has been unavailable with an ankle injury. Over those three contests, the Badgers have scored 59.7 PPG while shooting 40.6% from the field, including 28.9% on three-pointers (22-76 3Pt), all of which are much lower than their season averages.

Wisconsin will look to get back on the right track Tuesday at home against Penn State at 7:30pm.

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Mattress Mack’s latest bet is $2.5 to win $22 million on Houston claiming college basketball’s national championship

Mattress Mack is at it again.

Update: December 12, 2022 2:52 pm ET

Mack wasn’t done hammering Houston to win the Final Four. Or should we say, of course Mack wasn’t done betting on the Cougars.

Already in for $1.5 million this March, the furniture salesman made another huge wager on Houston—nearly doubling his stake in the process. Mack laid down another $1 million on Houston at +800, becoming the first person the place a bet at the new Caesar’s Sportsbook inside the Horseshoe Lake Charles Casino of Louisiana.

Mack is now up to $2.5 million to win $22 million.

Houston dropped to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 ranking on Monday but are still among the favorites to cut down the nets in April.


Original: November 15, 2022 9:45 pm ET

Famed better Mattress Mack is at it again, this time in the college basketball world.

After taking home the largest payout in U.S. sports betting history when the Houston Astros won the World Series, businessman Jim McIngvale has put down another major bet on another Houston-area team.

On Tuesday, Mattress Mack tossed $500,000 on the Houston Cougars’ 10-1 odds to win the NCAA Tournament next spring. He’d take home $5 million if the Cougars were to win the championship.

Later on Wednesday, Mack placed another $1 million on Houston (+900) at DraftKings to bring his stake up for $1.5 million for a total payout of $14 million.

McIngvale certainly has the money to throw around after his recent windfall, and he’ll be an even richer person if Houston can win the big bracket next year.

It’s not a bad bet to make, with the Cougars currently ranked third in the nation by AP.

Well, if this all goes well, Mattress Mack might need more wheelbarrows to take home more winnings.

He’ll undoubtedly be watching March Madness closely next year to see if he’s due another big payout.

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LOOK: Twitter reacts to Alabama taking down No. 1 Houston on the road

For the second time this season, Alabama has defeated the top-ranked team in the nation. Fans react to Alabama taking down Houston on the road.

Just a few weeks after Nate Oats and Alabama Men’s Basketball took down then-top-ranked UNC, the Crimson Tide defeats another top-ranked team. This time, it was on the road against Houston by a final score of 71-65.

Despite fighting hard and keeping it close in the first half, the game got out of hand quickly in favor of Houston. After opening the second half only down four, the Crimson Tide fell behind by double digits.

Noah Clowney led the team with 16 points, and 11 rebounds. However, the team was resilient overall and maintained the physicality throughout the game.

Last season, these two teams met in Tuscaloosa and the Tide walked away from the heated contest with a one-point win.

Alabama fans and college basketball enthusiasts from across the country were quick to rect to the Crimson Tide’s statement win.

Villanova’s Final Four celebration was very bittersweet because of Justin Moore’s leg injury

Hopefully, Moore’s okay.

From wire to wire, Saturday night felt like a coronation for Villanova. The Wildcats (-3) took on a tough Houston squad in the Elite Eight. Most expected a dogfight where Jay Wright’s crew would have to claw their way to earning every single basket, rebound and free throw. This game would be one of the best matchups of the Men’s NCAA tournament. That didn’t happen.

Instead, we got a clinical 50-44 Villanova win in a game that honestly never seemed close. As impressive as Houston might have been beforehand, a beyond efficient Villanova undressed them from top to bottom. It was their moment through and through.

And in the closing moments, with seconds left toward a berth in the Final Four appearance, the Wildcats tried their best to celebrate properly.

 

Despite the joy and revelry, an unfortunate injury sullied the Wildcats’ festivities.

Late in the second half, one of Villanova’s best players, Justin Moore, suffered what’s been called a leg injury. Moore did not return to the game, and he didn’t leave Villanova’s bench either — even through the post-game celebration.

Moore’s teammates tried to console him as much as they could.

Awful all around. You have to feel for the young man and his teammates who are hurting for him.

At the time of publishing, there is no word on the severity and exact nature of Moore’s leg injury, though it doesn’t look great for now.

Villanova is onto the Final Four and has established itself as one of the blue-bloods of modern men’s college basketball. If only their latest triumph could’ve come with a happy and healthy Moore.

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Houston vs Memphis Prediction, Game Preview: American Athletic Conference Championship

Houston vs Memphis prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Sunday in the American Athletic Conference Championship.

Houston vs Memphis prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Sunday, March 13

Houston vs Memphis Game Preview, American Athletic Conference Championship How To Watch

Date: Sunday, March 13
Game Time: 3:15 ET
Venue: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Houston (28-5), SMU (24-7)
– Sign up and live stream college basketball on ESPN+

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions