No. 6 Houston Cougars Face Off Against No. 9 Alabama in Highly Anticipated Basketball Matchup

The No. 6 Houston Cougars are set to take on the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide in a highly anticipated college basketball matchup as part of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. This game, scheduled for Tuesday, November 26, marks another significant test for the Cougars after their recent loss to No. 4 Auburn on November 9. Houston, currently ranked as the top defensive team in the country according to KenPom‘s ratings, is favored by 4.5 points against Alabama.

Houston comes into the game with a strong defensive performance, having recently dominated Hofstra with an 80-44 victory. In this game, they held Hofstra’s leading scorer, Jean Aranguren, scoreless. The Cougars boast an impressive adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 89.4, highlighting their defensive prowess.

Alabama, on the other hand, is ranked No. 10 in KenPom’s ratings, primarily due to its potent offense. The Crimson Tide are No. 3 in offensive rating but struggle defensively, ranking No. 48. Alabama’s All-America point guard, Mark Sears, had a tough outing in their 87-78 loss to Purdue, shooting just 5-of-15 from the field. The matchup between Sears and Houston’s point guard L.J. Cryer, both national player of the year candidates, is expected to be a key highlight of the game.

The game will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and can be watched live on TBS or streamed on Max TV. Fans can also follow live updates and highlights on Houston On SI.

In addition to their on-court success, the Houston Cougars have been making waves in the recruiting world. They recently secured a commitment from five-star center Chris Cenac Jr., the No. 10 prospect in the 2025 class, further bolstering their future prospects.