UH’s matchup against Associated Press No. 1 Memphis on Wednesday night at Hofheinz Pavilion isn’t exactly a must-win game, but it might as well be.
The Cougars (15-3, 4-0 Conference USA) have a Ratings Percentage Index of 75. However, that will have to improve significantly if they are to earn their first NCAA tournament berth since 1992.
A win over Memphis would certainly help the cause. A loss wouldn’t completely kill the Cougars’ chances of reaching the NCAA tournament, but it would make the road a bit tougher.
Consider this: UH’s best win to date is a 64-58 triumph over Marist (RPI of 86) last November. The Cougars haven’t beat an opponent with an RPI better than Marist’s, and will face such an opponent only twice over the remainder of the season.
Their first meeting with that opponent comes Wednesday.
Memphis (19-0, 5-0) is a shoe-in to make the 65-team NCAA tournament field. The Tigers (RPI of 2) also have a good shot of going undefeated in a weak C-USA for the second consecutive season.
The Tigers are loaded with talent. They returned all five starters from last season’s Elite Eight team, and they might have the next No. 1 overall NBA draft pick in freshman point guard Derrick Rose.
Meanwhile, the Cougars will have to work harder to reach the Big Dance. They had chances to improve their r’eacute;sum’eacute; against Virginia Commonwealth, Massachusetts, and Arizona, schools with RPIs of 57 or lower, but they fell short each time.
Winning 20-plus games and finishing second in C-USA with a strength of schedule of 203 probably won’t sway the NCAA tournament committee unless the Cougars can add an upset of Memphis to their portfolio. The Cougars’ only other opportunity for an NCAA tournament bid is to win the C-USA tournament, but that’s never a sure thing with Memphis around.
All things considered, it will take a miracle for UH to defeat Memphis, which has won 22 consecutive C-USA regular-season games.
But miracles occur every season in college basketball, and the Cougars are hoping for one to appear Wednesday night.
One-man show
The season has slipped into oblivion for Rice (3-16, 0-6), but senior forward Paulius Packevicius continues to impress.
Packevicius, the Owls’ leading scorer and rebounder, has been the team’s most consistent player lately, shooting 45 percent from the field and averaging 13.9 points and 9.3 rebounds over his last seven games.
Packevicius’ best outing during that stretch came in Rice’s 69-60 loss to UH on Wednesday. He led the Owls with 16 points and pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the year.
Unfortunately for Rice, Packevicius’ efforts have all been for naught. The Owls have lost nine consecutive games and 11 of their last 13 overall.
