Men’s Basketball Back on the Road at South Florida

TAMPA, Fla. – Fresh off opening the year 2022 and the American Athletic Conference season with a win, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program continues its road swing when it faces South Florida at 6 p.m. (CST) Wednesday, inside the Yuengling Center.

No. 12/14 Houston enters this week's game following a gritty 66-61 win over Temple in its American Athletic Conference opener in Philadelphia on Sunday evening. Playing without three of its top four scorers due to injuries, the Cougars held off several Owl rallies to win their league opener for the eighth consecutive season.

The Cougars built as much as a 16-point lead late in the first half, but the Owls rallied and closed to within a bucket on several occasions. Each time, Houston had an answer.

Making the first start of his collegiate career, freshman guard Ramon Walker Jr. buried a 3-pointer with Houston clinging to a 59-57 lead with only 2:31 remaining to push the Cougar lead back to five points. The Owls would move no closer for the rest of the night.

Graduate forward Fabian White Jr. led all players with 15 points and tied his career high with 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. The Atascocita, Texas, native won the 101^st game of his award-winning career on Sunday and needs to play in only three more wins to move past guard Galen Robinson Jr. into second place in school history.

White stands third on the team with 10.6 points per game and moved into second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest.

Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead leads the Cougars and ranks second in the American Athletic Conference with 5.6 assists per contest.

STREAKING NATIONALLY
With Monday's release, the Cougars were ranked in the Associated Press poll for the 35^th consecutive week, tying a school record.

Houston previously appeared in the AP Top 25 for 35 straight weeks from Nov. 27, 1967, through Dec. 16, 1969. The Cougars have been ranked in every AP poll since Jan. 20, 2019.

This is the fifth straight season under Head Coach Kelvin Sampson in which the Cougars were ranked for at least one week. Houston finished at No. 6 in the final AP and at No. 3 in the final Ferris Mowers Coaches polls a year ago after advancing to the sixth NCAA Final Four in school history.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game on ESPN+ with Jim Louk and Neil Solondz calling the action.
• Fans can hear Wednesday's game on 950 AM KPRC or on The Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes calling the action.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA
• South Florida enters Wednesday's game with a 5-7 overall record. Wednesday's game will be the Bulls' American Athletic Conference opener after their Jan. 1 contest was postponed due to COVID issues in the East Carolina program.
• South Florida is 4-3 in home games inside the Yuengling Center this season.
• Wednesday's game will be South Florida's first action since a 77-57 loss to Wyoming on the final day of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu on Dec. 25, 2021.
• Against Wyoming, sophomore guard Caleb Murphy, senior guard Javon Greene and junior guard Jamir Chaplin led the way with 14 points apiece. Chaplin led USF with six rebounds, while Greene was tops with three assists.
• This season, Murphy leads the team with 12.8 points and 3.3 assists per game. Greene stands second with 10.5 points per contests, while junior center Russel Tchewa is tops with 5.2 rebounds per game.
• Head Coach Brian Gregory is in his fifth season at South Florida and his 18th as a collegiate head coach.
• Gregory has compiled a 62-73 record at South Florida... Previously built a 172-94 record at Dayton (2003-11) and a 76-86 mark at Georgia Tech (2011-16) during his career.
• Gregory is 1-8 against Houston during his career with an 0-7 record at South Florida and a 1-0 record with Georgia Tech.
• Gregory is 1-8 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with an 0-7 record with South Florida and a 1-0 mark with Georgia Tech
• 1990 graduate of Oakland.

SERIES HISTORY vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
• Houston owns a 22-12 lead in the series, which began during the 1989-90 season.
• Houston has won the last nine games and 10 of the last 11. Only a 71-62 South Florida win in Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Jan. 23, 2016, prevents a longer streak.
• In the most recent meeting, Houston enjoyed a 98-52 win inside the Fertitta Center in Houston on Feb. 28, 2021.
• This marks the ninth consecutive season in which the schools will compete as American rivals... Schools previously squared off as Conference USA rivals from the 1996-97 season through 2004-05.
• Series started with an 87-78 Houston win at the Holiday Classic in Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 29 1989.
on Road: Houston owns an 11-6 record against South Florida in Tampa, Fla.
• Houston has won the last six meetings in Tampa, Fla., and nine of the last 10. Only a 69-67 South Florida victory on Feb. 7, 2015, prevents a longer Houston winning streak.
• In the most recent road meeting, Houston claimed an 82-65 victory inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 10, 2021.

UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, the Cougars return to the Fertitta Center to play host to Wichita State at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 8. That game will air on CBS.
• From there, Houston meets takes on Tulsa at 7 p.m., Jan. 15, inside the Reynolds Center in Tulsa., Okla. That game will air on ESPN2.
• The Cougars then return to the Fertitta Center to play two straight home games, starting 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 18 vs. South Florida and continuing at 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22, vs. East Carolina.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.

BUY 2021-22 TICKETS
To purchase single-game tickets, fans may click here anytime or call 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) during regular business hours.

2022-23 SEASON TICKETS PRIORITY WAIT LIST
Fans who were unable to secure 2021-22 season tickets may start preparing for next season by putting down a $75 deposit and placing their names on the 2022-23 Men's Basketball Season Ticket Priority Wait List by clicking here.

JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.

Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.

For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.

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