High pressure defenses, quick-scoring offenses, top-tier point guards – Houston and Virginia Commonwealth didn’t have to change too much this week in practice. They’re basically spitting images of each other.
The two 1-0 teams will face off in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament at 8 a.m. today in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This marks the third year the two have played each other.
The team’s first meeting in 2005 at Hofheinz Pavilion went down to the wire, with the Cougars dropping the game 62-61 after missing free throws in the final minute.
The following season, VCU ran Houston out of Alltel Pavilion in a 102-84 victory, taking advantage of an injury-plagued Cougars team that lacked two key components: healthy players in senior point guard Lanny Smith and senior forward Tafari Toney.
There will be no home-court advantage for either team this morning. Both are healthy and coming off season-opening victories.
Houston head coach Tom Penders expects neither team to change its game plan and said it could be another game determined by who defends the best and can hit shots at the foul line.
"They like to press, and they like to run," Penders said. "We both have very similar styles. Their coach is going to stick to what he does well, and we’iacute;re going to stick to what we do. Half-court defense is going to be what it boils down to."
Though VCU lost one of its more dynamic scorers and athletes, Jesse Pellot-Rosa, to graduation, Penders said this year’s team will still be dangerous because of its outstanding point guard play. He called junior Eric Maynor, who participated in this summer’s Pan-American games, one of the nation’s best players at his position.
With that in mind, Penders said the Cougars will have a couple of things to throw at him.
"We’re going to try to rattle him every now and then with pressure," Penders said. "It’s kind of like in football when you’re playing a great quarterback. You’ve got to blitz him every now and then to keep him on his toes."
One advantage the Cougars might have over the Rams could be their big men. Penders said if senior center Marcus Cousin and Toney bring their "A" games, Houston could finally pick up that elusive win against the VCU.
"I think Toney and Cousin give us a lot of leeway," Penders said. "In this particular game, it’s about being soldiers on the boards for the front court. Their team crashes the boards well, and Cousin and Toney will have to be ready to play."
