While the Wisconsin Badgers were impressive in their comeback win vs. the Aggies of Texas A&M, their opponent in the second round of the 2021 Maui Invite is tough.

The Houston Cougars came into Las Vegas with a perfect record, beating all their opponent by double digits. Rolling through the first few games of the season is not uncommon in the NCAA, but twelfth-ranked Houston has shown out in big ways.

First and foremost, they are crazy athletic with a front court that is both bouncy and long. Wisconsin will have to emphasize hitting the glass with power and using positioning to get rebounds.

Simply put, if they try and meet Houston at the ball’s apex, there will be a rebounding discrepancy in favor of the Cougars.

Men’s Basketball: Wisconsin upsets No. 12 Houston to advance to Maui Invitational championship

Additionally, Houston has one of the best guards in the tournament in Marcus Sasser.

Through the Cougar’s first four games, Sasser averaged a whopping 20 points a contest. If the Badgers want to pull off the upset, they will have to keep Sasser under wraps. While this will be a team effort, I would not be surprised seeing Chucky Hepburn on Sasser throughout the game, possibly even picking him up full court.

This matchup could be a coming-out event for Hepburn, especially if he can use his defense to fuel the offense.

Finally, the Cougars are a very fast team looking to push the pace inside of the continuity offense. Similar to the fast-paced shooting screens of A&M, but Houston has more isolation drive and dishes.

If Wisconsin wants to win this game, they will need to play their pace, grind post touches and, most importantly, limit their turnovers.