PREVIEW: #2/2 Men’s Basketball Returns to Road to Face TCU on Saturday

FORT WORTH, Texas – After seeing their nation's best 14-game winning streak end earlier this week, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to action when it meets rv/rv TCU at 5 p.m., Saturday, inside Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

#2/2 Houston fell at rv/rv Iowa State, 57-53, on Tuesday evening, mounting a furious second-half comeback that fell just short. The Cougars had owned the nation's longest overall winning streak and endured their first road loss since March 6, 2022, at Memphis, a span of 12 straight games.

Sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp poured in 20 points with a game-high five 3-pointers while senior point guard Jamal Shead totaled 14 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

This season, senior guard LJ Cryer leads the Cougars and ranks among the Big 12 Top 10 leaders with 16.3 points per game. The Katy, Texas, native also tops the league with 3.1 3-pointers per game and was named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal Midseason Top 25 Watch List earlier this week.

Shead is the only student-athlete to rank among the nation's Top-24 leaders in both assists per game and steals per game. The Manor, Texas, native ranks 21^st in the country with 6.0 assists per game and stands 22^nd with 2.3 steals per contest.

With 90 assists to date this season, Shead needs only 10 more assists to become the ninth player in school history to enjoy 3+ 100-assists seasons during his career. He would join Houston greats Derrick Daniels (4, 1988-92); Galen Robinson Jr. (4, 2015-19); DeJon Jarreau (3, 2018-21); Lanny Smith (3, 2004-08); Alvin Franklin (3, 1983-86); Reid Gettys (3, 1982-85); Rob Williams (3, 1979-82) and Ken Ciolli (1976-79) as the only Cougars to accomplish that feat.

Saturday's game will be the return of a familiar rival. With 73 games (Houston leads 48-25), TCU is the fourth most-common opponent in Cougar Basketball history.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on ESPN with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Saturday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) calling the action. The pregame show begins at 4:45 p.m., Saturday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

ABOUT TCU
• TCU brings a 12-3 overall record and 1-1 Big 12 mark into Saturday's game inside Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Like Houston, TCU is tied for fourth in the latest Big 12 standings.
• TCU is 8-0 in home games inside Schollmaier Arena during the 2023-24 season.
• The Horned Frogs have won three of their last four games, including an 80-71 win over #9/9 Oklahoma on Wednesday night in Fort Worth, Texas in their most recent action. Only an 83-81 loss at Kansas on Jan. 6 prevents a longer winning streak.
• Against #9/9 Oklahoma, senior forward Emanuel Miller led all players with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting with nine rebounds and a team-high five assists. Senior guard Avery Anderson III added 15 points with two 3-pointers and pair of steals and tied with Miller with five assists. Senior guard Jameer Nelson Jr totaled 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists while senior forward Chuck O'Bannon Jr. posted 11 points with two rebounds and two steals.
• This season, Miller leads TCU with 17.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Junior forward JaKobe Coles stand second with 11.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per games while Nelson adds 11.1 points and 3.4 assists per game. Senior guard Micah Peavy averages 10.9 points per with Anderson pacing the team with 3.5 assists per game.
• Head Coach Jamie Dixon is in his eighth season at TCU and his 21st as a collegiate head coach.
• Dixon has posted a 151-100 record with TCU and is 479-223 during his career.
• Dixon previously built a 328-123 record at Pittsburgh (2003-16).
• Saturday's game will be the first time Dixon has faced Houston during his career.
• Saturday's game will be the first time Dixon has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1987 graduate of TCU.

SERIES HISTORY vs. TCU
• Houston owns a 48-25 lead in the series history against TCU.
• Saturday's game will be the lone regular-season meeting against TCU during the 2023-24 season.
• Saturday's game will be the first meeting since the 2012-13 season.
• TCU has won two of the last three meetings. However, Houston can boast of the most recent success after taking a 54-48 win in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 4, 2012.
• The Big 12 is the third conference in which the Cougars will face TCU as league rivals.
• The series was played at least twice every year from the 1975-76 through the 1995-96 seasons as members of the Southwest Conference.
• The schools met again twice a year from 2001-02 through 2004-05 as Conference USA rivals
• In the first meeting against the Horned Frogs, Houston enjoyed a 101-58 victory at the Birmingham Classic in Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 10, 1955.
• TCU's last win in the series was an 81-80 victory in Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Nov. 26, 2011.
on Road: TCU owns an 18-14 lead in the series history in games played in Fort Worth, Texas.
• TCU has won three of the last four meetings in Fort Worth, Texas. However, Houston can boast of the most recent success after taking a 54-48 win in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 4, 2012.
• TCU's last win in Fort Worth, Texas, was a 79-63 decision inside Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Nov. 27, 2010.

UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, Houston returns to the Fertitta Center to meet Big 12 rival Texas Tech at 8 p.m., Wednesday.
• That game will air on ESPNU.
• The Cougars continue their homestand when they meet UCF at 1 p.m., Jan. 20, inside Fertitta Center in Houston.
• That game will be part of a doubleheader with Houston Women's Basketball, which faces Oklahoma at 6 p.m., Jan. 20.
• From there, Houston takes on #18/17 BYU at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 23, inside Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
• That game will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by supporting Linking Coogs – UH's NIL collective, giving to Houston Rise and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.

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.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X, formerly known as 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