PREVIEW: #1/1 Men’s Basketball Takes on rv/rv Oklahoma on Saturday

NORMAN, Okla. – Winner of 11 of its last 12 games, the #1/1 University of Houston Men's Basketball program begins a brief road swing when it faces rv/rv Oklahoma at 7 p.m., Saturday, inside Lloyd Noble Arena.

Saturday's game will be the first meeting against the Sooners for Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, who led Oklahoma to four Big 12 titles, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2002 NCAA Final Four from 1994 to 2006.

Houston enters this weekend's contest following a 67-59 win over Cincinnati inside Fertitta Center on Tuesday. Senior guard LJ Cryer poured in game highs with 22 points and four 3-pointers while senior forward J'Wan Roberts totaled 15 points with five rebounds. Senior point guard Jamal Shead added a season-high 11 assists in the win.

This season, Cryer leads the Cougars and ranks eighth in the Big 12 Conference with 15.3 points per game. The Katy, Texas, native has posted a team-best nine 20-point games and leads the league with 3.0 3-point field goals per game.

Shead stands second on the team with 13.1 points per contest and ranks among the league leaders in assists per game (6.1, 3^rd), steals per game (2.3, 2^nd) and assist-turnover ratio (2^nd, 3.11). In fact, the Manor, Texas, native is the only student-athlete to rank among the Top-20 national leaders in all three categories.

Senior forward J'Wan Roberts is one of only three student-athletes to rank among the Big 12 Top-10 leaders in both offensive AND defensive rebounding. The U.S. Virgin Islands, native tops Houston and is sixth in the league with 7.0 rebounds per contest.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on ESPN2 with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Chris Spatola (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 6:45 p.m., Saturday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA
• Oklahoma brings a 19-9 overall record and 7-8 Big 12 mark into Saturday's game in Norman, Okla.
• The Sooners are receiving votes in both the Feb. 26 Associated Press (7 points) and USA TODAY Sports Coaches (19 points) polls.
• Oklahoma is tied with Texas and Kansas State for eighth in the latest league standings.
• The Sooners are 13-13 in home games inside Lloyd Noble Center this season.
• Oklahoma has lost three of its last four games, including a 58-53 setback at Iowa State on Wednesday in its most recent action. Only an 84-82 win in overtime at Oklahoma State on Feb. 24 prevents a longer streak.
• Against Iowa State, senior guard Rivaldo Soares led the Sooners with nine points and seven rebounds with a pair of assists. Sophomore guard Milos Uzan posted eight points with four rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocked shots.,
• This season, Javian McCollum leads Oklahoma with 13.7 points per game. Otega Oweh is second on the team with 11.9 points per game but leads the Sooners with 1.5 steals per contest. Jalon Moore ranks third with 10.6 points per game and leads OU with 1.0 blocks per game.
• Head Coach Porter Moser is in his third season at Oklahoma and his 20th year as a collegiate head coach.
• Moser has posted a 53-42 record with Oklahoma and is 346-284 during his career.
• Moser previously built a 188-141 record at Loyola Chicago (2011-21), a 51-67 mark at Illinois State (2003-07) and a 54-34 record at Little Rock (2000-03).
• Saturday's game will be the first time Moser has faced Houston during his career.
• Saturday's game will be the first time Moser has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1990 graduate of Creighton

SERIES HISTORY vs. OKLAHOMA
• Oklahoma holds a 2-1 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1960-61 season.
• Saturday's game is the lone regular-season meeting against Oklahoma during the 2023-24 season.
• Saturday's game also marks the first showdown against the Sooners since the 2011-12 season.
• In the most recent meeting against Oklahoma, the Sooners claimed a 79-74 win inside Chesapeake Arena in Oklahoma City during the All-College Tournament on Dec. 17, 2011.
• Houston's lone win was a 100-93 victory at the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage on Nov. 26, 2009.
• In the first meeting, Oklahoma took a 55-51 win during the Lion's Club Tournament inside Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston on Dec. 15, 1960.
on Road: Saturday's game will be the first contest played on the Sooners' home court in Norman, Okla.
• In fact, Saturday's game is the first time the series will be played at a non-neutral site.

UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, 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+.
• From there, the Cougars close their regular season and celebrate Senior Day when they play host to #7/9 Kansas inside Fertitta Center on Saturday, March 9. That game will air on ESPN.
• Guards LJ Cryer, Jamal Shead, Damian Dunn, Mylik Wilson and Ryan Elvin and senior forward J'Wan Roberts will be recognized in pregame Senior Day activities.
• 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.

– UHCougars.com –

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