PREVIEW: #5/5 Men’s Hoops Set to Face Cincinnati on Saturday

Saturday, February 10

Cincinnati, Ohio

3 p.m. CT

University of Houston

Cincinnati

Tickets

PREVIEW: #5/5 Men’s Hoops Set to Face Cincinnati on Saturday

2/8/2024 3:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Digital Game Program Game Notes

Cougars tip off vs. Bearcats at 3 p.m. (CST) Saturday inside Fifth Third Arena

CINCINNATI – Winners of six of its last seven games, the fifth-ranked University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to the road to face Big 12-rival Cincinnati inside Fifth Third Arena at 3 p.m. (CST) Saturday.

Houston enters this weekend's game following a 79-63 home win over Oklahoma State inside Fertitta Center on Tuesday night. Senior point guard Jamal Shead totaled a game-high 23 points with four assists and three steals while sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp added 16 points with three 3-pointers.

It was Houston's 18 straight home win for the nation's second-longest active streak and trying only Virginia (23).

This season, Shead is one of only three student-athletes to rank among the nation's Top-30 leaders in assists per game, steals per game AND assist-turnover ratio.

Earlier this week, the Manor, Texas, native was named to the Naismith Award Defensive Player of the Year Watch List as he leads a Houston defense, which leads the country in scoring defense, scoring margin, field-goal percentage defense, turnover margin and KenPom.com defensive efficiency rating.

Shead also is a Top-10 candidate for the Bob Cousy Award, presented annually by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation's top point guard.

Shead isn't the only Cougar who has earned places on national watch lists in 2023-24. Senior guard LJ Cryer, who leads the team with 15.1 points per game, recently was named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 25 Watch List and was Top-10 Candidate for the Jerry West Award, presented to the nation's top shooting guard.

MAJOR MILESTONE
• Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson will celebrate a major milestone in his award-winning career during Saturday's game.
• Sampson will lead his team in the 1,100^th game of his collegiate career. That total includes 329 games with Houston (2014 – present); 58 games with Indiana (2006-08); 388 games with Oklahoma (1995-06); 206 games with Washington State (1987-94) and 118 games with Montana Tech (1981-85).
• Sampson is tied for 24^th in NCAA history (among coaches with 10+ years at NCAA Division I level) with 752 wins and stands sixth among active NCAA Division I coaches with his games total.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on ESPN2 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). The pregame show begins at 2:45 p.m. (CST), Saturday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

ABOUT CINCINNATI
• Cincinnati brings a 15-7 overall record and 4-5 Big 12 mark into Saturday's game in Fifth Third Arena .
• Cincinnati is 10th in the latest league standings
• The Cowboys are 12-2 in home games inside Fifth Third Arena during the 2023-24 season.
• Cincinnati has alternated wins and losses in its last three games. Only a 69-65 loss at West Virginia on Jan. 31 prevents a longer winning streak.
• In its most recent action, Cincinnati took a 75-72 win at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 6.
• Against Texas Tech, junior forward Simas Lukosius led the Bearcats with 16 points and four 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Dan Skillings Jr. came off the bench to post 14 points with seven rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots while graduate wing John Newman III added 11 points with five rebounds and two assists. Senior center Aziz Bandaogo totaled 10 points with a game-high 10 rebounds in the win.
• This season, Skillings leads Cincinnati with 12.1 points per game. Junior forward Viktor Lakhin is second among the Bearcats with 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Junior guard Day Day Thomas is third with 10.8 points per contest but leads Cincinnati with 3.4 assists per game. Newman is fourth on the team with 10.0 points per contest.
• Head Coach Wes Miller is in his third season at Cincinnati and his 13th season as a collegiate head coach.
• Miller has posted a 56-35 record with Cincinnati and is 241-170 his career.
• Miller previously built a 185-135 record at UNC Greensboro (2011-21).
• Miller is 0-6 against Houston during his career.
• Miller is 0-6 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 2007 graduate of North Carolina.

SERIES HISTORY vs. CINCINNATI
• Cincinnati owns a 14-33 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1957-58 season.
• Saturday's game will be the first of two regular-season meetings against Cincinnati during the 2023-24 season. The Bearcats visit Fertitta Center at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27 inside Fertitta Center.
• This marks the 11th straight season in which Houston will face the Bearcats. The two schools have squared off as conference rivals in four leagues (Missouri Valley, 1957-58 through 1959-60; Conference USA, 1996-97 through 2004-05; American Athletic, 2013-14 through 2023-24 and Big 12, 2023-24 – present).
• Houston has won the last nine meetings against Cincinnati, the longest winning streak against the Bearcats in the series history.
• In the most recent meeting, Houston took a 69-48 win in The American Championship Semifinals inside Dickies Arena on March 11, 2023.
• In the first meeting, Cincinnati claimed a 70-53 win in Houston on Dec. 21, 1957.
on Road: Cincinnati owns a 17-3 lead against the Cougars in games played on the Bearcats' home court.
• However, Houston can boast wins in the last two and three of the last four road contests at Cincinnati.
• Only a 64-62 loss in Fifth Third Arena on Feb. 1, 2020, prevents a longer Houston winning streak.
• In the first road meeting, the Bearcats claimed a 93-57 win in Cincinnati on Jan. 13, 1958.

UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, the Cougars meet rv/rv Texas for the second time in 2023-24 when they host the Longhorns inside Fertitta Center at Noon, Saturday, Feb. 17. That game will air on CBS.
• The Cougars continue their homestand when they face #14/14 Iowa State for the second time this season inside Fertitta Center in Houston at 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 19. That game will air on ESPNU.
• From there, the Cougars take on #13/13 Baylor at 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 24, in Waco, Texas. That game will air on CBS.
• 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.

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