#2/1 Men’s Basketball Faces #16/15 Miami (Fla.) in Sweet 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Winners of 15 of its last 16 games, the #2/1 University of Houston Men's Basketball program competes in the NCAA Sweet for the fourth consecutive Tournament when it faces #16/15 (5) Miami (Fla.) at 6:15 p.m., Friday, inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The Cougars earned their trip to the Sweet 16 following wins over (16) Northern Kentucky and (9) Auburn in the NCAA First/Second Rounds last weekend in Birmingham, Ala.

Under the leadership of four-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars have tied the school single-season record for wins and competed in the Top Five of both national polls throughout the 2022-23 season.

Consensus All-American guard Marcus Sasser leads the Cougars with 16.9 points per game. Junior point guard Jamal Shead is one of only 10 student-athletes to rank among the nation's Top-30 leaders in both assists per game and assist-turnover ratio and was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Forward Jarace Walker ranks second on the team with 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game and was recognized as The American Freshman of the Year and as a unanimous selection for the league's All-Freshman Team.

Junior forward J'Wan Roberts leads the Cougars with 7.9 rebounds per game to go with a 61.3 field goal percentage and ranks among the league leaders in both categories. The St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, native was honored as The American's Most Improved Player of the Year.

WATCH PARTY
Houston Fans can watch Friday's game on a 24-foot screen at Avenida Houston (in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center) at the UH Watch Party.

The Watch Party is free, and all fans are welcome to bring blankets or camp chairs. The Watch Party begins 90 minutes before tip-off.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Friday's game on CBS and March Madness Live with Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst), Grant Hill (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (reporter) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Friday's game on KPRC Radio 950 AM and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) calling the action. The pregame show begins at 6 p.m., Friday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting MarchMadnessLive.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

BUY 2023-24 TICKETS
Fans who were unable to purchase season tickets in 2022-23 are invited to join the team's 2023-24 Wait List as the Cougars prepare to enter the Big 12 Conference. To join the 2023-24 season tickets Wait List, fans can click here.

For the third straight season, the Cougars sold out of their season tickets for home games inside the Fertitta Center in 2022-23.

ABOUT MIAMI (Fla.)
• Miami (Fla.) owns a 27-7 overall record and 15-5 mark in ACC play in 2022-23.
• The Tigers shared the ACC regular-season championship with Virginia and advanced to the ACC Tournament Semifinals before losing to Duke.
• Miami (Fla.) owns a 4-2 record in neutral-site games and is 11-6 in non-home games this season.
• The Hurricanes have won their last two and four of the last five games. Only an 85-78 loss to Duke in the ACC Championship Semifinals prevents a longer streak.
• In its most recent action, Miami (Fla.) took an 85-69 win over (4) Indiana in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in Albany, N.Y., on Sunday.
• Against Indiana, junior guard Isaiah Wong led the way with 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds with a steal. Senior guard Jordan Miller totaled 19 points with five assists and two blocks while sophomore forward Norchad Omier grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds. Sophomore guard Nijel Pack finished with 12 points, three rebounds and two assists in the win.
• This season, Wong leads the Hurricanes with 16.1 points, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Miller stands second with 15.1 points per game. Omier averages 13.4 points per game and team highs of 10.1 points and 1.2 blocks per contest.
• Head Coach Jim Larranaga is in his 12th season at Miami (Fla.) and his 39th season as a collegiate head coach.
• Larranaga has built a 253-138 record at Miami (Fla.) and has posted a 723-482 mark during his career. He previously compiled a 27-26 record at American International (1977-79), an 170-144 mark at Bowling Green (1986-97) and a 273-164 record at George Mason (1997-2011).
• Friday's game will be the first time Larranaga has faced Houston during his career.
• Friday's game will be the first time Larranaga has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1971 graduate of Providence.

SERIES HISTORY vs. MIAMI (Fla.)
• Houston owns a 9-5 lead against Miami (Fla.) in the series, which began during the 1955-56 season.
• The Cougars have won the last five meetings and six of the last eight games against the Hurricanes. Only a 103-91 Miami (Fla.) in Miami on Feb. 20, 1965, prevents a longer streak.
• Friday's showdown will be the first meeting against Miami (Fla.) on the hardwood since a 99-93 Houston win in Miami on Feb. 20, 1971.
at Neutral Site: Friday's game will be the first time Houston has faced Miami (Fla.) at a neutral site.
at NCAA Tournament: Friday's game will be the first time Houston has faced Miami (Fla.) in the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT
• With a win over #16/15 (5) Miami (Fla.), Houston would advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight for the third straight NCAA Tournament.
• There, the Cougars would face the winner of (2) Texas-(3) Xavier on Sunday, March 26.
• Time and broadcasting network will be announced after the Sweet 16 games are completed.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.

Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.

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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