South Florida @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 19, 2019 ) Houston 69, South Florida 60

No. 8 Houston returns home from a two-game road trip sporting a 10-game winning streak. The Cougars have a one-game lead over Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference as they gear up to face a South Florida team that has lost its last two conference matchups, including a heartbreaking 70-69 overtime loss to Temple.

For Houston, this is the second year in a row that the team reached 25 wins under head coach Kelvin Sampson, and the Cougars are closing in on the school's single-season record of 28 victories set in 1967-68. They are doing it without a star player, although guard Corey Davis is coming on strong and he totaled 26 points on 8-of-11 3-pointers in the Cougars' 85-50 dismantling of Tulane on Sunday. The Bulls are also chasing a season mark for victories, needing four to tie the school record of 22, as they have already won eight more games than they did last year. Still, USF is in desperate need of a signature win and an upset of the Cougars would be just the kind of quality triumph the Bulls need to help their postseason chances.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT USF (18-8, 7-6 American): The Bulls had an easy time against Florida College (95-54) Tuesday in a game that replaced their regularly scheduled matchup at Charlotte that was cancelled on Dec. 9 due to Winter Storm Diego. Sophomore guard David Collins tops the team with 15.4 points per game, hitting the 20-point threshold in four of his last five outings, and he's shooting 53.7 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from 3-point range over his last five games. Junior Laquincy Rideau ranks second in scoring, while redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna (12.2 ppg) remains a monster on the boards, pacing the American with 9.9 per game, and he has more double-doubles (10) than seven teams in the conference.

ABOUT HOUSTON (25-1, 12-1): Led by Davis (eight) and Armoni Brooks (six), the Cougars drilled a season-high 17 3-pointers against Tulane, giving them 28 in the last two games. The Cougars are dominating the boards, winning the battle in each of the last eight games, including a 49-30 advantage on the glass against Tulane, with Brison Gresham grabbing nine. The Cougars rank second in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (36.4) and third in 3-point percentage defense (27.2) and they did a number on USF in a 69-60 victory earlier this season, limiting the Bulls to just 31.8 percent shooting from the floor and 23.8 percent from 3-point range.

TIP-INS

1. Houston is 17-12 against USF after winning the first meeting this season on Jan. 19.

2. Cougars PG Galen Robinson Jr. ranks second in the American with 5.4 assists per contest.

3. Collins had 23 points against Houston in the first meeting, notching 21 in the second half.

PREDICTION: Houston 70, USF 63