Houston Cougars vs Southern Methodist Mustangs Prediction & Match Preview - January 3, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The No. 5 Houston Cougars are traveling to face fellow American Athletic Conference member, the Southern Methodist Mustangs, for both teams' first game of the new year. The Cougars were shocked by a huge upset in their last game and will likely lose their status as a top-five college basketball team with the loss.

Match Details

Fixture: Houston Cougars vs. Southern Methodist Mustangs - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Sunday, January 3rd, 2021, 7 PM ET

Venue: Moody Coliseum, Dallas, Texas

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Houston Cougars Preview

Houston v Cincinnati

The Houston Cougars are off to an outstanding start to their 2020-21 college basketball season carrying a 7-1 record into Sunday's matchup. Unfortunately, the Cougars' only loss came to the unranked Tulsa Golden Hurricane, and this will severely hurt their ranking as the No. 5 team in the NCAA. Now, the Cougars have a chance to bounce back and regain their standing as the best team in the American Athletic Conference.

Key Player - Quentin Grimes

Quentin Grimes is the offensive leader for the Houston Cougars this season and will be the key factor in their matchup against the Southern Methodist Mustangs. Grimes is averaging an impressive 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season and has scored a combined 110 points in his last five games.

Quentin Grimes getting Houston going today with this moving 3.He's shooting about 36% from deep on 7 attempts per game this season. Biggest improvement for him has been his FT% (up to 87% this year, was 66% last year). pic.twitter.com/W55296cmv7

— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) December 26, 2020

Houston Cougars Predicted Lineup

F Justin Gorham, F Brison Gresham, G Marcus Sasser, G Quentin Grimes, G DeJon Jarreau

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Southern Methodist Mustangs Preview

AAC Basketball Tournament - Semifinals

The Southern Methodist Mustangs are on fire, winning each of their first six games of this 2020-21 season. The Mustangs have yet to play a ranked opponent but had an impressive 8-point victory over the Temple Owls in their last game. The Mustangs currently sit in first place of the AAC with a 2-0 record and will be fighting to maintain the top spot against the Houston Cougars on Sunday.

Key Player - Kendric Davis

Kendric Davis is an offensive machine this season for the SMU Mustangs. Davis stands only 5 feet, 11 inches tall, but has been dominant all year long as the Mustangs' point guard. Davis truly embodies the point guard position, averaging 7.2 assists per game this season and facilitating the Mustangs' offense.

A few impressive buckets from Kendric Davis in SMU's win over ECU on Dec. 16.🎥: ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/GYTdPVnRJV

— Sam Cohn (@samdcohn) December 30, 2020

Davis is averaging a team-leading 19.2 points per game and has been at his best from beyond the three-point line. Davis enters Sunday's matchup with a 52.5 percent field goal percentage and a 47.2 percent three-point percentage.

Southern Methodist Mustangs Predicted Lineup

F Feron Hunt, F Ethan Chargois, F Isiah Jasey, G Emmanuel Bandoumel, G Kendric Davis

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Houston vs. SMU Prediction

The Houston Cougars are the clear favorites in this matchup, as they have been red-hot aside from falling victim to an upset in their last game. The Southern Methodist Mustangs have been equally impressive this season with their undefeated record but will have their biggest test on Sunday. The Mustangs' strength of schedule can not compare with that of the Cougars, however, thus giving Houston the slight advantage in this matchup.

Where to watch Houston vs. SMU?

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.