What we learned in Arizona’s win over Houston

With more than 40 days until the Final Four, men’s college basketball fans were given a preview of a potential national semifinal matchup in Indianapolis.

The top four teams in the latest AP poll headline a loaded Saturday slate, with No. 2 Houston hosting No. 4 Arizona, and No. 1 Michigan and No. 3 Duke dueling in Washington, D.C. (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The Cougars’ attempt at a second-half comeback fell short as they lost the first game of a powerhouse doubleheader to the Wildcats, 73–66. What did the result teach us about the two contenders? ESPN’s Myron Medcalf breaks it down.

What we learned about Arizona

We learned that the Wildcats can still beat any team in America – they proved that even against one of its best teams in the sport’s most hostile environment.

They were nearly flawless until last week, suffering their first losses of the season to Kansas and then to Texas Tech thanks to JT Toppin’s 31 points. But that’s it. He has otherwise been one of the country’s most consistent contenders for four months. More importantly, he has excelled in key moments that define a season, such as this one.

Their defense was excellent in the second half as Houston struggled to score. The Cougars did not make a field goal for nearly eight minutes in the second half, their longest scoring drought of the season. jaden bradley Made consecutive big shots to finish with 17 points Ivan Kharchenkov 16 more added Anthony Dell’Orso There were 22 runs off the bench. The Wildcats’ 3-point struggles (25% on Saturday) meant they didn’t have a knockout blow in their arsenal, so they failed to extend the lead by more than 10 points. — medcalf

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Jaden Bradley sets up Anthony Dell’Orso with sweet dish for Arizona

Jaden Bradley prepares Anthony Dell’Orso with a sweet dish for Arizona vs. No. 2 Houston.

What we learned about Houston

Kelvin Sampson’s Houston teams are enjoying this type of battle, but the question that has haunted them for years still remains: How will they overcome the scoring drought that has been plaguing them?

Houston went without a point between 12:11 and 4:32 of the second half against Arizona. And while the Wildcats’ defense played a key role in that drought, the Cougars can’t expect to cut down the net in April if they can’t get buckets when they need them. They were outscored 21-9 in the final 11 minutes of Monday’s 70-67 loss at Iowa State.

Do they have the offensive output to punch with America’s best teams? The NCAA Tournament is decided by playmakers and stars, and the Cougars have them, but their inability to recover from some ugly stretches in back-to-back games is worrisome. This week’s loss shows that unless the star freshman Kingston Flemings Can make shots in clutch moments, they can be vulnerable to greater droughts at the most crucial juncture of the season. — medcalf