Syracuse Basketball: Houston tremendous challenge on both ends of floor

When Syracuse basketball suits up against Houston in the Sweet 16 on Saturday evening, the Orange will face perhaps the best team that it has encountered in the 2020-21 campaign.

The No. 11 seed Orange (18-9) and the No. 2 seed Cougars (26-3) are scheduled to tip-off at 9:55 pm, with television coverage on TBS.

Throughout the present term, Houston has proven a mainstay within the top-10 nationally of both major polls. The Cougars, winners of nine in a row, defeated No. 15 seed Cleveland State and No. 10 seed Rutgers to reach the regional semi-finals of the 2021 Big Dance.

Odds-makers view Houston as roughly a six-point favorite in its battle with the ‘Cuse, and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Cougars about an 80 percent chance to prevail.

Of course, when March Madness rolls around, particularly for Syracuse basketball competing as a double-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament, you have to somewhat take overall records and odds with the proverbial grain of salt.

That being said, Houston presents an extremely tall task for the Orange in this Sweet 16 match-up. As head coach Jim Boeheim alluded to in a recent Zoom call with media members, the Cougars are one of the most efficient squads across the country on each end of the court.

Syracuse basketball will have its hands completely full with Houston.

Houston scores in droves and also plays a stingy brand of defense. According to ESPN statistics, the Cougars average 77.4 points a game, while allowing a mere 58.0 points per contest.

Overall, KenPom has Houston at No. 4 nationwide, with an adjusted offensive efficiency of No. 7 and an adjusted defensive efficiency of No. 11. That’s pretty impressive stuff.

For comparison’s sake, the ‘Cuse is No. 17 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 86 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Syracuse basketball is No. 37 overall, per KenPom.

Boeheim said that the Cougars, one of the premier teams around the country for the entire 2020-21 stanza, pose a significant challenge to the Orange, because Houston excels on offense and defense.

For much of the current campaign, the ‘Cuse has fared well on offense, but its 2-3 zone has had mixed results. If Syracuse basketball wants to knock off the Cougars, it will have to knock down shots, rebound with precision, and stay extremely active in its zone defense.

This is anything but an easy assignment for the Orange in the Sweet 16.