Men’s Basketball Tips Off vs. Tulane in Fertitta Center on Wednesday

HOUSTON – Winners of its last 10 games, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center to play host to American Athletic Conference rival Tulane at 7 p.m., Wednesday.

No. 6/9 Houston enters Wednesday's game following a 63-49 win at UCF on Saturday night in Orlando. Playing in front of more than 8,000 fans, the Cougars overcame a slow start to win their seventh straight game to open their American Athletic Conference schedule.

It was Houston's first 7-0 start as a member of The American, only the third undefeated start after seven games in school history and the first since 1983-84.

Senior guard Kyler Edwards leads the available Cougars with 14.5 points per game after scoring a game-high 17 points with four 3-pointers in Saturday's win at UCF. The Arlington, Texas, native is one of only three players to rank among The American's Top-Three leaders in both scoring and rebounding.

Graduate forward Josh Carlton posted 13 points with a game-high 15 rebounds for his team-leading third double-double of the season. Carlton leads the Cougars and The American and ranks 15^th nationally with 3.5 offensive boards per contest.

Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead leads the Cougars and The American with 5.1 assists per game and stands eighth nationally with a 3.09 assist-turnover ratio.

THIS GAME IS NO SECRET
• For Wednesday's game, the Cougars will wear This Game is No Secret "Blood, Sweat & Tears" t-shirts in homage to Hall of Fame Coach John McLendon.
• McLendon became the first African-American coach to win an integrated national championship and was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
• The shirts bring attention to the Secret Game, which McLendon's team played at Duke in 1944 but was forbidden under Jim Crow laws. His revolutionary fastbreak style led North Carolina Central to an 88-44 victory.
• Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson serves on the Eracism Board of Directors.
• After leading the Cougars to the 2021 NCAA Final Four, Sampson received the John McLendon National Coach of the Year Award in 2021. The award is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate head coach.

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.

MILESTONES
• Graduate forwards Josh Carlton and Fabian White Jr. are closing in on the 1,000-point milestone in their award-winning careers.
• Carlton needs only 16 points to reach that total. The Winterville, N.C., native scored 746 points during his UConn career (2017-21) and has scored 238 points in his first 20 games at Houston this season.
• White is 20 points away from 1,000 points and becoming the 49^th player in school history to reach that total during his career.
• They would be the third and fourth Cougars to reach quadruple digits during their careers this season. Senior guard Kyler Edwards reached 1,000 points in Houston's Dec. 18 win over Oklahoma State in Fort Worth, Texas, while graduate guard Taze Moore hit the total against South Florida on Jan. 18.
• In addition to his scoring totals, White is two wins shy of tying forward Michael Young's career record with 109 victories from 1980 to 1984. The Atascocita, Texas, native needs to compete in only five games from tying point guard Galen Robinson Jr. for the school record with 136 career games played.

STREAKING NATIONALLY
With Monday's release, the Cougars were ranked in the Associated Press poll for the 39^th consecutive week, extending their school record. Houston has been ranked in every AP poll since Jan. 20, 2019.

It also marks the 90^th week in which the Cougars appeared in the Top 10 in program history.

This is the fifth straight season under 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.

ABOUT TULANE
• Tulane enters Wednesday's game with a 9-9 overall record and 6-3 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The Green Wave rank in third in the latest league standings.
• Tulane has posted a 2-4 record in road games and a 3-6 mark in non-home games this season.
• In its most recent action, Tulane claimed a 67-66 win over Wichita State in New Orleans on Saturday.
• Against Wichita State, freshman guard Jalen Cook led all players with 23 points, thanks to 5-9 shooting from behind the arc and swiped a game-high four steals... Cook also drained three straight free throws with less than seven seconds remaining in the game to turn a 2-point deficit into a 1-point lead... Sophomore forward Kevin Cross finished with 20 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
• This season, Cook leads the Green Wave and The American with 19.8 points per game... Sophomore guard Jaylen Forbes stands second with 15.3 points per game... Cross stands third on the team with 14.1 points per game but leads the Green Wave with 6.4 rebounds per contest.
• Head Coach Ron Hunter is in his third year at Tulane and his 28th season as a collegiate head coach.
• Hunter has compiled a 23-31 record at Tulane and is 468-345 during his career... Previously built a 171-95 record at Georgia State (2011-19) and was 274-219 at IUPUI (1994-11).
• Hunter is 0-6 against Houston during his career... Is 0-4 against the Cougars as Tulane's head coach... Was 0-1 with Georgia State and 0-1 with IUPUI against Houston.
• Hunter is 0-6 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers... Is 0-4 against Sampson with Houston as Tulane's head coach... Was 0-1 as Georgia State's head coach against the Cougars... Was 0-1 as IUPUI's head coach against Sampson with Indiana.
• 1986 graduate of Miami (Ohio).

SERIES HISTORY vs. TULANE
• Houston owns a 27-18 lead against Tulane in the series, which began during the 1946-47 season.
• Wednesday's game is the first of two meetings during the regular season between the two schools. The Cougars visit Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans on Feb. 23.
• Houston has won the last five, nine of the last 11 and 14 of the last 16 against the Green Wave. Only an 81-72 Tulane win in New Orleans on Jan. 17, 2018, prevents a longer current Houston winning streak.
• In the most recent meeting, Houston claimed a 77-52 win during The American Championship Quarterfinals inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 12, 2021.
• This is the eighth straight season and the 25th in the last 26 years that the two schools will meet on the hardwood. The teams did not face one another during the 2013-14 season.
• Schools competed as Conference USA rivals from 1996-97 through 2012-13 season... Have squared off as American Athletic Conference rivals at least once a year since 2014-15 season.
• Series started with a 62-59 Tulane win in New Orleans on Dec. 11, 1946.
at Home: Houston owns a 15-5 home record against Tulane during the series.
• Houston has won its last five home games against the Green Wave... Only a 68-65 Tulane win inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 17, 2015, prevents a longer Houston winning streak.
• In the most recent home meeting, the Cougars enjoyed a 71-50 win inside the Fertitta Center on Jan. 9, 2021.
in Fertitta Center: Houston owns a 2-0 record in games played inside the Fertitta Center.
• In the most recent meeting inside the Fertitta Center, the Cougars enjoyed a 71-50 win on Jan. 9, 2021.
• In the first meeting inside the Fertitta Center, 2019-20 Cougars enjoyed a 75-62 win on Feb. 6, 2020.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game on ESPN+ with Matt Pedersen (play-by-play), Houston great Reid Gettys (analyst) and Shelby Coppedge (reporter) 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.

UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, the Cougars embark on a two-game road swing.
• That journey begins at 5 p.m. (CST), Sunday, at Cincinnati inside Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. That game will air on ESPN2.
• From there, Houston takes on SMU at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 9, inside Moody Coliseum in Dallas. That game will air on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.

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.

– UHCougars.com –

Upcoming Events

Recent Results