Game Primer & LIVE Blog: How to Watch, Key Players and Important Information for Houston at Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks are on a two-game winning streak, and they will look to extend it to three games tonight when they host the Houston Cougars. The Cougars are new to the Big 12 this season and struggling to find their footing against the step up in competition.

The Cougars are led by 10th-year head coach Ronald Hughey, who is in his first head coaching position. He has a 123-164 overall record at the school.

The Jayhawks and Cougars have only met 6 times in women's basketball, with the first matchup coming on 1991. Kansas is undefeated in those games, including two wins in Lawrence.

Check out the essentials below, and then come join us for LIVE updates during the game. We'll hit on everything that is happening around this matchup:

The Numbers

Editor's Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are provided by CBB Analytics. CBB Analytics is a new stats website in college hoops, covering both men and women's basketball in D-I, D-II and D-III. You can follow them on Twitter @CBBAnalytics

Kansas: 12-10 (5-6 Big 12): CBB Analytics Adjusted Net Rating - 59th overall, 54th offense, 66th defense

Houston: 12-10 (3-8 Big 12): Net Rating - 98th overall, 114th offense, 99th defense

Line: KU -12.5

O/U: 132.5

How to Watch

Thursday, February 8th, 6:30 p.m. CST

Lawrence, KS: Allen Fieldhouse

TV: Big12 NOW on ESPN+

- Brenda VanLengen (Play-by-Play), Jill Dorsey-Hall (Analyst)

Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network

- Steven Davis (Play-by-Play), David Lawrence (Analyst)

Webcast: Kansas Online Radio

Game Coverage

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Opponent Team Form

The Cougars struggle overall, but have some really strong areas balanced by some extremely big holes. The team plays at a very quick pace, preferring to take quick shots and fight for second opportunities. They turn opponent turnovers into quick scoring opportunities, and they run deep into their bench.

Offensively, Houston is abysmal at shooting. They shoot under 45% from inside the arc and under 30% from three-point range. In the last five games, they have been even worse, shooting only 37.8% from inside the arc. They don't find shots by passing, with very low assist numbers. They take a lot of shots and get a lot of offensive rebounds.

Defensively, they put great ball pressure on the ballhandler, leading to one of the best units at getting steals and forcing turnovers. They allow a lot of inside shots though, which leads naturally to opponents taking much fewer shots from beyond the arc than average. But they struggle rebounding defensively, and they send opponents to the free throw line at a decent clip.

Players to Watch

Laila Blair - 5'8" Senior Guard

Season: 15.9 pts, 3.5 rebs, 2.4 asts, 1.8 stls, 0.1 blks, 44.6% 2P%
Last 5: 15.2 pts, 3.0 rebs, 3.0 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.0 blks, 33.9% 2P%

Blair is the unquestioned leader of the team, and she has shouldered the load for this team. But the recent stretch has seen her efficiency drop quite rapidly, and the defense that Kansas can put on her could make it even more difficult.

N'Yah Boyd - 5'6" Senior Guard

Season: 10.5 pts, 3.2 rebs, 3.5 asts, 1.5 stls, 0.1 blks, 26.1% 3P%
Last 5: 12.0 pts, 4.4 rebs, 2.6 asts, 0.4 stls, 0.2 blks 40.9% 3P%

Boyd has struggled from the three point line all year long, but she has been hot as of late, helping her to up her output. She helps distribute and find points for others, and as one of the main rotation pieces, she will be one of the biggest factors in the ball security.

Kamryn Jones - 6'1" Senior Forward

Season: 5.1 pts, 4.4 rebs, 0.8 asts, 2.0 stls, 0.6 blks, 44.7% 2P%
Last 5: 5.8 pts, 3.0 rebs, 0.6 asts, 1.6 stls, 0.2 blks, 50.0% 2P%

Jones is the main interior presence for Houston and is the leading rebounder for the team. But her rebounding prowess has slipped as she has lost playing time. But in order to compete with Kansas on the inside, she will need to step up.

Matchups to Watch

The interior is the area to watch, as Kansas should be able to go inside early and often. The rebounding edge should go to the Jayhawks in an overwhelming fashion. Add in that Houston shouldn't be able to take advantage from the outside, and I don't think this one is much of a mystery.

Prediction

A three game winning streak would be a huge deal for this team, and would finally get them back to .500 in the conference. This is the third of a crucial stretch of five games, and I don't expect Kansas to drop the ball here.

Kansas 82, Houston 64.