NCAA Tournament Keys to Victory: Miami Hurricanes vs Houston Cougars
Article photo of Isaiah Wong and Norchad Omier; photo credit to © David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
It will not be easy for head coach Jim Larrañaga and the Miami Hurricanes to knock off the Houston Cougars, but there are paths to victory.
The NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 matchup has some prime categories to consider. Many of the statistics between the two teams have already been discussed here, in addition to all the information one will utilize for finding game time, channel, and betting odds.
As for Miami’s key to winning, here are six categories to consider, in order of importance.
1) Scoring lulls must be avoided.
Look, Houston’s defense has been suffocating for long stretches of games this season. That point in mind, one can make a strong case that the Houston defense has been the nation’s best.
If Miami has stagnant possessions where the ball does not move side to side, where there’s not unselfish play, those types of miscues will aid the Cougars.
Point blank, one can expect Miami to have some ugly possessions, but just do not add to those with self-inflicted wounds.
Even one 4-minute stretch of no points could be a backbreaker for the Canes. Every offensive possession helps to wear down the Cougars; make Houston work to get stops.
Plus, Miami needs to be balanced. It’s okay if Isaiah Wong, Nijel Pack, Jordan Miller, or any other Miami player, gets hot from deep. If that happens, the Canes still need to continue to move the ball and start each offensive possession with an open-mind about which player will get a look at the rim.
2) Rebounding leads to transition baskets.
Following up on the prior point, the Canes need some easy points. Again, Houston’s defense has been legit all season. Fighting through the Cougars’ halfcourt defense, for every bucket, should not be considered the best way to win.
For a Miami victory, at minimum, 10 points in transition will be needed. If it gets up to 15, Miami greatly increases the chances of getting a win.
3) Get Omier the basketball in the paint.
Part of scoring the basketball for Miami has stemmed from Norchad Omier’s ability to score down low. Put backs and fast break opportunities aside, old fashioned post ups will be critical.
He’s a good passer, so if Houston doubles Omier in the post, he can seek out an open 3-point shooter or someone cutting to the basket. This would be the easiest way for the Canes to score beyond fast break points, so they need to maximize their chances.
4) Win one-on-one matchups.
Who wants it more?
This would be a category for both ends of the court, no doubt. Sometimes the shot clock will run down and it’s time to make a play. Blocked shots, steals and simply getting a hand in a shooter’s face help the cause, as do finding a way to at least get to the foul line when someone like Pack drives to the hoop against talented opposing point guard Marcus Sasser.
It’s the NCAA Tournament. Find a way when it truly becomes a Miami player going against a Houston player and that’s the bottom line.
5) Do not allow Houston’s Sasser to control tempo.
If Miami wins, at some point during the game it’s almost all but guaranteed that Sasser has been mitigated. He’s been excellent at setting up the offense for the Cougars, and he’s a big-time shot maker as well.
There’s certainly one thing to look for. How well do the Canes keep Sasser away from the ball?
When he gives up the basketball, denying him a chance to get it back – or at least forcing him to get it far above the 3-point line – will greatly help Miami.
6) 3-point shooting must be clutch.
When the Canes have been at their absolute best, the deep shots have usually fallen. Now, to be clear, this should not be considered an end-all be-all category.
Miami must be more physical on the boards, play good defense, etc. Those are obvious categories and that’s why they were not on this list; redundant categories.
If Nothing else, Miami needs to hit momentum-changing shots from behind the arc. At the end of the shot clock, a few seconds before halftime, hitting shots from downtown during back-to-back offensive sets, etc.
Those special plays that only allow for 3 points to go on the scoreboard, but honestly, the momentum that’s created with those shots means more.
Overall, Miami needs to play as close to a complete game as possible. The above six points will certainly be critical for Miami coming out on top versus Houston in the Sweet 16.
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.