• Slug: Sports–Arizona Houston Basketball.  510 words.

By Jack Thompson
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Two of the Big 12’s top men’s basketball teams, Arizona and Houston, are set to collide Saturday at McKale Center in a high-stakes matchup as conference opponents for the first time.

Since December 14, the Arizona Wildcats have revealed themselves as one of the hottest teams in college basketball, winning 13 of their last 15 games. But their toughest test yet could be the Houston Cougars, who come into the game leading the Big 12 with a 12-1 conference mark.

“I’m excited to see how we match up against them,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd told reporters Friday. “I know it’s going to be a dogfight and we want to stand toe-to-toe. Maybe we get knocked down but we are going to deal with whatever outcome happens and this is going to be a great experience for us.”

A big storyline for the Wildcats is the availability of fifth-year forward Trey Townsend, who has missed the last two games while in concussion protocol. However, Lloyd is optimistic that Townsend will be available to play Saturday.

“He was able to practice (Thursday) so it looks like he will be able to go (Saturday),” Lloyd said. “Trey’s a good player who has had some really good games for us. He’s had some other games that aren’t so great. But when he’s a part of your main rotation, him not playing impacts it.”

The Wildcats would love to have their main rotation of players available as the Cougars bring the fourth-rated defense in the country, according to Kenpom.

“Houston’s really good and they got a sound plan, I mean a very sound plan that travels wel,” Lloyd said. “They are great defensively, and they are great on the glass.”

Lloyd was also adamant about how much he respected Kelvin Sampson and what he has built during his time at Houston.

“Coach Sampson is one of the best coaches in the game and he does an incredible job,” Lloyd said. “When you watch him as another coach there’s a lot of respect there. I could go on and on and on about how much I respect him and what they are doing, and I enjoy watching them play and know it will be a challenge to play against.”

Under Lloyd, Arizona has faced Houston only one other time, during the 2022 NCAA tournament. The Cougars defeated the Wildcats 72-60. When asked if there is any extra motivation, Lloyd said no, but added the game gives him an idea of what to expect.

“I know what it feels like to play against them and I know it’s tough,” Lloyd said. “It’s different now than then, as then you were in the Sweet 16 playing to the Elite Eight. Now you’re in the same conference, you’re going to be butting heads all the time.”

It’s a game that will shed light on the state of Arizona’s program.

“We want to be at Houston’s level consistently and we know we gotta earn that right,” Lloyd said. “I’m looking forward to this game.”

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