Scheduled Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Broadcast: ESPN+
The Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1) will host the Houston Cougars (3-1) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Tuesday night, aiming for a significant victory.
In their previous outing, the Houston Cougars triumphed over Hofstra, concluding the game with a commanding score of 80-44. Houston showcased an impressive shooting performance, resulting in a field goal success rate of 46.8% (29 out of 62) and hitting 12 of 24 from beyond the arc. At the charity stripe, the Cougars converted 10 of 16 attempts, equating to a free throw percentage of 62.5%. They secured 36 rebounds overall, including 10 offensive boards, alongside a robust distribution of 20 assists. On the defensive side, they forced 14 turnovers and achieved 10 steals, limiting Hofstra to a shooting percentage of 30.8% on 16 out of 52 attempts. Hofstra managed a 4 of 5 performance from the free throw line, resulting in an 80.0% success rate, but struggled with their three-point shooting, making only 8 of 25 attempts. The personal foul count was 12 for Houston compared to Hofstra’s 15.
Joseph Tugler stood out in the game, finishing with an impressive 17 points, making all his attempts (6 of 6) during his 17 minutes on the court, contributing 4 rebounds and 4 assists as well.
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The Cougars enter this matchup with a competitive 3-1 record this season. They average 8.3 turnovers per game and have committed an average of 14.8 fouls. Houston’s rebound average sits at 39.3 per game, and they have accumulated a total of 59 assists, placing them 332nd nationwide in assist metrics. The team has an impressive three-point shooting percentage of 48.8% (39 of 80) and a free throw success rate of 72.2%. With an average of 84.3 points per game (54th nationally), they boast a field goal percentage of 48.2%.
Defensively, the Cougars are forcing opponents to turn the ball over 17.8 times each game while accumulating 17.8 personal fouls. They allow just 27.2% shooting from three-point range and rank 2nd in Division 1 for least points allowed per game (50.8). Houston’s defensive statistics show opponents shooting 36.2% from the field (71 of 196) and grabbing 29.5 boards per game. Notably, they rank 8th in college basketball in terms of assists allowed, conceding just 36 this season.
In their recent performance, the Alabama Crimson Tide secured a 100-87 victory against Illinois. They gathered 30 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive rebounds for a total of 35 rebounds in the game. Additionally, Alabama committed only 7 turnovers while notching 7 steals. Illinois was charged with 16 fouls, allowing the Crimson Tide to attempt 13 free throws, of which they converted 11 for an impressive 84.6% success rate. From beyond the arc, Alabama connected 11 out of 34 attempts (32.4%) and finished the game shooting 52.0% from the field (39 of 75). On the defensive side, Alabama allowed Illinois to shoot 45.1% (32 of 71) and also permitted Illinois to hit 10 out of 30 from three-point range while finishing with a free throw percentage of 54.2% (13 of 24). Overall, Alabama conceded 42 rebounds, including 13 on the offensive end.
Grant Nelson played a pivotal role for the Crimson Tide, hitting 9 of 15 shots for a field goal percentage of 60.0% and collecting 8 rebounds. He scored 23 points in 28 minutes of action and also contributed 2 assists.
Alabama currently holds a record of 4-1 for the season. Their offense is performing well, shooting 49.0% from the field, which ranks them 56th overall. So far this season, the Crimson Tide has amassed 448 points, averaging 89.6 per game, and pulling down 43.0 rebounds per contest. They average 18.2 assists per game (good for 36th nationally) and turn the ball over an average of 10.4 times. Alabama commits an average of 17.4 fouls per game and has a free throw percentage of 71.4%.
Defensively, Alabama allows 30.6% shooting from three-point range (38 of 124) and opponents convert 62.7% of their free throw attempts. They concede 11.0 assists and 36.8 total rebounds per game, ranking 93rd and 267th respectively in NCAA statistics. Alabama is currently positioned 254th nationally in points allowed per game, giving up an average of 74.2 points. They force their opponents into 10.2 turnovers per game and limit them to a shooting percentage of 40.0% from the field (placing them 101st in this category).
Free Prediction: Bet on Houston (-4.0)
