PREVIEW: #2/2 Men’s Hoops Meets #11/11 Baylor on Saturday

WACO, Texas – Winners of nine of its last 10 games, the #2/2 University of Houston Men's Basketball program faces its second Top-11 opponent of the week when it takes on #11/11 Baylor at 11 a.m., Saturday, inside Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas.

Houston enters Saturday's game following a 73-65 win over #6/6 Iowa State inside Fertitta Center on Monday. The win extended the team's home winning streak to 20 straight games, tying for the nation's longest active streak, and gave the Cougars sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference.

Senior point guard Jamal Shead poured in 26 points with four rebounds, six assists and three steals to lead the Cougars against the Cyclones while sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp totaled 20 points with a game-high four steals.

This season, Shead ranks among the Big 12 Top-10 leaders in scoring (13.3 ppg, 17^th), field goal percentage (44.6, 5^th), assists (5.8 apg, 3^rd), steals (2.3 spg, 2^nd), and assist-turnover ratio (3.00, 2^nd).

Senior guard LJ Cryer leads the Cougars and the league with 2.92 3-pointers per game and ranks in the Big 12 Top 10 in scoring (15.0 ppg, 9^th), field goal percentage (40.0, 9^th) and 3-point field goal percentage (37.8, 4^th).

This weekend, the Katy, Texas, native returns to Baylor, where he played his first three collegiate seasons before transferring to Houston last summer.

Senior forward J'Wan Roberts leads the Cougars and ranks sixth in the league with 6.0 rebounds per contest. The St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is one of only three student-athletes to rank among the Big 12's Top-10 leaders in both offensive AND defensive rebounding.

Saturday's game will be the only time Houston faces Baylor during the regular season. It also marks the Cougars' first trip to Waco since a 91-84 win on Jan. 27, 1996.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on CBS with Spero Dedes (play-by-play) and Jim Spanarkel (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 10:45 a.m., Saturday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

ABOUT BAYLOR
• Baylor brings a 19-7 overall record and 8-5 Big 12 mark into Saturday's game in Waco, Texas.
• The Bears are ranked at #11 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls as of Feb. 19.
• Baylor is tied with Kansas and Texas Tech for third in the latest league standings.
• The Cyclones are 13-1 in home games inside Foster Pavilion during the 2023-24 season.
• Baylor has won two of its last three games but dropped a 78-71 decision at BYU on Tuesday in its most recent action.
• Against BYU, senior forward Jalen Bridges led the Bears with 15 points and eight rebounds while freshman guard Ja'Kobe Walter and freshman forward Yves Missi chipped in with 13 points apiece. Missi added seven rebounds while senior guard RayJ Dennis finished with a game-high eight assists and two steals.
• This season, Walter leads the Bears with 14.4 points per game. Dennis is second on the team with 13.1 points per game but tops Baylor with 6.6 assists per contest. Missi is third with 11.2 points per game and paces the team with 5.7 rebounds per game while sophomore guard Langston Love is fourth with 11.1 points per game. Senior forward Jalen Bridges and junior guard Jayden Nunn average 10.9 and 10.8 points per game respectively.
• Head Coach Scott Drew is in his 21st season at Baylor and his 22nd year as a collegiate head coach.
• Drew has posted a 439-240 record with Baylor and is 459-251 during his career.
• Drew previously built a 20-11 record at Valparaiso (2002-03).
• Drew is 1-0 against Houston during his career.
• Drew is 1-0 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1993 graduate of Butler

SERIES HISTORY vs. BAYLOR
• Houston owns a 38-16 lead against Baylor in the series, which began during the 1952-53 season.
• Saturday's game is the lone regular-season meeting against Baylor during the 2023-24 season.
• Baylor has won the last two meetings, including a 78-59 win in the NCAA Tournament Final Four inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, on April 3, 2021.
• In the first meeting, Baylor claimed a 77-62 win in Waco, Texas, on Jan. 26, 1953.
on Road: Houston owns a 14-10 record in Waco, Texas, during the series history.
• Baylor has won two of the last three meetings in Waco, Texas. However, Houston can boast of the most recent success after taking a 91-84 win there on Jan. 27, 1996.
• In the most first meeting in Waco, Baylor claimed a 77-62 win on Jan. 26, 1953.

UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, the Cougars meet Cincinnati for the second time this season at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27, inside Fertitta Center in Houston. That game will air on ESPN2.
• From there, Houston opens the month of March when it faces –/rv Oklahoma at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 2, inside Lloyd Noble Arena in Norman, Okla. That game will air on ESPN2.
• The Cougars close their brief road swing when they take on UCF at 6 p.m. (CST), Wednesday, March 6 inside Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Fla. 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 – 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.

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