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The 5th-ranked Houston Cougars will head eastbound to Greenville for an American conference matchup with the East Carolina Pirates on Wednesday.
The Cougars have dominated the conference on their way to a top-five spot in college basketball. Most recently, they defended the top spot in the American conference with a blowout victory over the SMU Mustangs in their last matchup.
The Pirates, on the other hand, have struggled to find their footing, losing their past five games and falling to 11th place in the conference.
Match Details
Fixture: Houston Cougars vs. East Carolina Pirates - NCAA Men's Basketball
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Date & Time: Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021, 6 PM ET
Venue: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, Greenville, North Carolina
Houston Cougars Preview
The Houston Cougars have put together quite a run recently, winning each of their last eight games and taking control of the American conference.
The Cougars climbed to 5th in the top 25 poll after another undefeated week, establishing themselves as one of the most high-powered teams in the NCAA. With excellent offensive production and timely defense, they are showing the signs of true title contenders.
When they travel to face East Carolina, the Houston Cougars will hope to maintain their high level of production and improve to 11-1 against conference opponents.
Key Player - Quentin Grimes
The leading scorer for this talented Houston Cougars' offense is Quentin Grimes. Grimes is averaging 16.8 points per game on 38% shooting while running the point for the franchise.
The junior guard has been creating offense all season with his outstanding shooting and his ability to drive to the lane.
When Grimes is teamed up with Marcus Sasser, the Houston Cougars have one of the best backcourts in college basketball.
Houston Cougars Predicted Lineup
F Brison Gresham, F Justin Gorham, G DeJon Jarreau, G Quentin Grimes, G Marcus Sasser
East Carolina Pirates Preview
The East Carolina Pirates have hit a wall after a stellar start this season. They have lost five straight games and have fallen to 7-6 overall on the year.
The Pirates have struggled against American conference opponents and are currently languishing at the bottom of the standings.
If the East Carolina Pirates are going to pull off an upset on Wednesday, they will need to get back to the winning formula that they found at the beginning of the season.
Key Player - Jayden Gardner
The backbone of the East Carolina Pirates' offense has been Jayden Gardener. The junior forward is averaging a team-high 17 points and 8 rebounds per game and has set the pace for the rest of his Pirates teammates.
Clearly frustrated with the recent struggles, Jayden Gardner expressed his displeasure with the performance of the team as a whole in a recent interview.
Jayden Gardner is going to need to provide the spark for the Pirates' offense if they are going to compete with the red-hot Houston Cougars on Wednesday.
East Carolina Pirates Predicted Lineup
F Jayden Gardner, G Tremont Robinson-White, G J.J. Miles, G Tristen Newton, G Bitumba Baruti
Houston vs. East Carolina Prediction
The Houston Cougars are clear favorites in this matchup due to the recent struggles of the East Carolina Pirates.
The Cougars should come out of the gates with high-intensity offense and will overwhelm the Pirates with pace and efficiency. While the talented guards of East Carolina may produce some offense, it will likely not be enough to outmatch the Houston Cougars.
Where to watch Houston vs. East Carolina
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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