After a very competitive regular season and tournament, it is fitting that the Big 12 Championship comes down to the two top seeds. Houston and Iowa State each defended home court in the two meetings they had in the regular season. The Cougars won at home 73-65 and the Cyclones defended their barn 57-53. You probably won’t see a matchup between two more identical teams than you will on Saturday.
Houston brings the No. 1 scoring defense in the country into this matchup. Iowa State’s defense is also a force to be reckoned with, ranking 5th in the country. They are also both in the top 10 in the country in steals per game & turnover margin.
Another category where these two are similar is effective field goal percentage. However, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Iowa State is 150th in the nation in this category, while Houston is 230th. That is the main factor into this pick. Everyone knows both these defenses are fantastic, but they're not taking smart shots on the other end.
This game is going to be gross. Honestly, that is the style both teams love. Given both teams’ incredible defense, along with their inefficient shot selections, this game will be very low scoring.
