Preview: Baylor Bears at Houston Cougars

HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Houston Cougars look to solidify their standing near the top of the Big 12 Conference when they host the Baylor Bears on Wednesday afternoon at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Houston (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) enters the matchup riding high after a dominant 102-62 victory over Colorado on Saturday. The Cougars’ stifling defense, ranked among the nation’s best, will be tested by a Baylor squad coming off a dramatic 87-86 road win at UCF.

The Bears (15-14, 7-9) have struggled for consistency but possess a potent offensive threat in guard Cameron Carr. Carr is averaging 21.4 points over his last five games, including a 26-point performance in the win over UCF. He scored 26 points in the first meeting against Houston this season, though the Bears fell 77-55 in Waco on Jan. 10.

Houston’s backcourt, led by guard Milos Uzan, will aim to counter. Uzan is coming off a 26-point, six-assist outing against Colorado and facilitates one of the most efficient offenses in the league. The Cougars have won 14 of their last 16 games, with their only losses in that span coming on the road against ranked foes Kansas and Iowa State.

Baylor’s path to an upset likely requires another high-scoring afternoon from Carr and support from guards Obi Agbim and Isaac Williams, who combined for 26 points and 12 assists against UCF. The Bears must solve a Houston defense that forces turnovers at a high rate and holds opponents to a nation-low field goal percentage.

For Houston, a victory would keep pressure on the conference leaders ahead of their regular-season finale at Oklahoma State. Baylor seeks a resume-building road win to improve its positioning ahead of the conference tournament.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST Wednesday. The game will be televised on ESPN2.