Houston Cougars vs Tulane Green Wave Prediction & Match Preview - January 28, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The 6th-ranked Houston Cougars are on the road Thursday to take on the Tulane Green Wave for an American Athletic Conference matchup. The Cougars held strong in the college basketball rankings, extending their conference win streak to six games following two blowout victories last week. The Green Wave have not experienced the same success, losing four of their first five games against AAC opponents.

Match Details

Fixture: Houston Cougars vs. Tulane Green Wave - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Thursday, January 28th, 2021, 9 PM ET

Venue: Devlin Fieldhouse, New Orleans, Louisiana

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Houston Cougars Preview

Tulsa v Houston

The Houston Cougars have secured a two game lead in the American conference with their continued dominance on the defensive end. The Cougars have shut down offenses recently, allowing an average of only 56.2 points per game in their last five matches.

With guards Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser combining to average 34 points per game on the offensive end, Houston seems to have found their winning recipe. Heading into Thursday's matchup, the Cougars carry a 13-1 overall record and will have a good chance to win their 7th straight against this struggling Tulane team.

Key Player - Quentin Grimes

Junior guard Quentin Grimes enters this matchup as the leading scorer on the Houston Cougars' offense, averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game. Grimes has also been big on the boards for the Cougars, pulling in 6.7 rebounds per game.

.@UHCougarMBK Quentin Grimes (@qdotgrimes) named @American_MBB Player of the Week. In two wins vs Tulsa (seen here) and Temple, Grimes averaged 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/3W13dKLCpe

— Alex Radow (@alexradow) January 25, 2021

For his outstanding performance on both ends of the court, Quentin Grimes was recently awarded American conference player of the week honors. The Houston Cougars are looking unstoppable as of late and will hope for continued dominance from their star guard on Thursday night.

Houston Cougars Predicted Lineup

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

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Tulane Green Wave Preview

Tulane v Houston

Following a great start to the season, the Tulane Green Wave have run into a rough patch and find themselves in 9th place of the American conference. Tulane won five of their first six games this season, but fell to 6-4 overall after back-to-back losses to Houston and Temple.

The Green Wave saw their last two scheduled games cancelled due to COVID precautions, leaving their last matchup with the Houston Cougars fresh on their memories. When these teams faced off on January 9th, Houston controlled the game on both ends and secured a big 21-point victory. If Tulane can find a way past this tough Cougars' defense, they could pull off a massive upset.

Key Player - Jaylen Forbes

The star of the Tulane Green Wave offense has been Jaylen Forbes all season. The sophomore has been playing his best basketball this season, averaging a team-high 15.2 points per game.

Hanging tough. Jaylen Forbes leads the Wave with six points midway through the first half. #RollWave pic.twitter.com/vzTOInlu83

— Tulane Men's Basketball (@GreenWaveMBB) January 9, 2021

Jaylen Forbes has made an immediate impact since transferring from the Alabama Crimson Tide last season. If Forbes can put together a huge performance on Thursday, the Tulane Green Wave may be able to keep this game close enough to shock the Cougars.

Tulane Green Wave Predicted Lineup

F Tylan Pope, F Nobal Days, G Gabe Watson, G Jaylen Forbes, G Jordan Walker

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Houston vs. Tulane Prediction

The Houston Cougars have dominated American conference opponents thus far, repeatedly earning their spot in the top ten of college basketball. The Tulane Green Wave have been scuffling lately, and will need a breakout performance from their offense to have a chance on Thursday. I predict a great defensive showing from the Houston Cougars on the way to their 14th win of the season.

Where to watch Houston vs. Tulane

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.