Arizona Vs Houston Prediction: Wildcats chase first-place win at Fertitta Center
Arizona Vs Houston Prediction shapes the stakes for a Big 12 showdown: No. 4 Arizona (24-2, 11-2) travels to the Fertitta Center to face No. 2 Houston (23-3, 11-2) in a 1 p. m. ET tip on ABC, with first place in the conference on the line.
Series history raises the stakes
Houston carries momentum into the matchup, having won three straight meetings with Arizona, including a 72-60 win in the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16 and two victories last season — 62-58 at McKale Center and 72-64 in the Big 12 Tournament final — while Arizona has lost all three meetings under coach Tommy Lloyd.
Arizona Vs Houston Prediction: What to watch
The game will hinge on Houston’s defense and the Wildcats’ ability to answer: Houston ranks seventh in overall defensive efficiency and holds opponents to 45. 9% on two-point attempts, while forcing turnovers on 22. 0% of opponent possessions; Arizona’s challenge is to generate high-quality two-point looks against that pressure.
Cougars’ personnel and style
The Cougars have retooled since last season, losing L. J. Cryer and J’Wan Roberts but adding freshmen Kingston Flemings, Isiah Harwell and Chris Cenac alongside returning guards Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp and forward Joseph "JoJo" Tugler; Flemings is Houston’s leading scorer at 16. 6 points overall and averages 17. 9 in conference games, while Sharp is averaging 16. 1 points in Big 12 play.
Houston’s offense compensates for a dip in long-range shooting — down from 39. 4% last season to 34. 1% this year — by converting inside at 53. 3% on two-point attempts and protecting the ball, ranking third nationally in offensive turnover percentage with the Cougars losing the ball on just 12. 6% of possessions.
Physicality is another factor: in Big 12 play Houston averages 18. 8 fouls per game and Emanuel Sharp has fouled out three times in 13 conference games, a dynamic that could open the door for Arizona at the free-throw line or on second-chance opportunities.
Broadcast and logistics
The game is televised on ABC with Jon Sciambi on play-by-play and Fran Fraschilla as analyst; streams are available on platforms and the Wildcats’ radio broadcast will be on Wildcats Sports Radio 1290 AM, with tip scheduled for 1 p. m. ET at the Fertitta Center.
Houston’s home date against Arizona sits inside a rugged stretch for the Cougars, who bookend the matchup with road games at No. 6 Iowa State and at No. 8 Kansas on Monday, while Arizona arrives with an 11-2 conference mark and the challenge of breaking a recent losing streak to Kelvin Sampson’s team.
The immediate next event is tip-off at 1 p. m. ET on ABC at the Fertitta Center; game coverage will include the national telecast and local radio for listeners, and Houston heads to Iowa State and Kansas after this home test.
