PREVIEW: #2/2 Men’s Basketball Meets Mississippi State on Sunday

ROSENBERG, Texas – The University of Houston Men's Basketball program takes its first step during the 2025-26 season when it meets Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, during The Preview CBB Exhibition inside Fort Bend Epicenter (28505 Southwest Freeway, 77471).

The game will be part of a doubleheader with Texas A&M facing Arizona State at 4 p.m., in the first game of the doubleheader. It also will be the first time the Cougars compete in the Fort Bend Epicenter.

TUNE IN
• Fans can follow live stats from Sunday's game by clicking here.

IN THE RANKINGS
Houston enters Sunday's exhibition game as the #2 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches preseason polls. That ties as the highest preseason ranking in school history and equals the mark set by the 1967-68 team.

ABOUT the COUGARS
Under the leadership of two-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson and 2024-25 CBS Sports and The Sporting News National Coach of the Year, Houston returns three starters and seven lettermen in 2025-26.

The returning stars are led by senior point guard Milos Uzan, senior guard Emanuel Sharp and junior forward Joseph Tugler. All three Cougars were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Conference Team earlier this month.

Uzan was named to the CBS Sports Preseason All-America Third Team after leading the Cougars with 4.3 assists per game and a 2.98 assist-turnover ratio, which stood 11^th nationally a year ago.

Sharp and Tugler received Preseason All-America recognition from Blue Ribbon College Yearbook. Sharp enters this season as one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in program history and joined center Hakeem Olajuwon as the only Cougars in program history to be named Most Outstanding Player of a conference tournament and an NCAA Tournament Regional in a season.

With 1.9 blocks and 59 rebounds per game, Tugler established himself as one of the nation's premier defensive players. He received the Lefty Driesell Award, presented to the nation's top defensive player, a year ago, and was named CBS Sports' inaugural Preseason National Defensive Player of the Year earlier this month.

The Cougars will be boosted with the addition one of the nation's top recruiting classes with freshman guard Isiah Harwell, freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr., freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, freshman guard Bryce Jackson and senior forward Kalifa Sakho.

A YEAR AGO
In 2024-25, the Cougars set a school single-season record with 35 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game inside Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Houston, which finished #2 in both national polls, won 31 of its final 33 games to end the season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the seventh time in program history – and the second time under Sampson – with a resounding 69-50 win over #6/6 (2) Tennessee during the NCAA Elite Eight in Indianapolis on March 30.

The Cougars swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships in their second year in the league and set school and league records with a 19-1 mark in conference games. Houston became the first school to join a major conference and win the regular-season title in each of its first two years in the league in more than 100 years.

Houston posted a perfect 10-0 record in road games in Big 12 play, becoming the first program in NCAA Division I history to accomplish that feat in a season, and enter the 2025-26 season with the nation's longest active road winning streak at 14 straight games.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE
• A year ago, Mississippi State posted a 21-13 overall record and an 8-10 mark in the SEC.
• Mississippi State received three points in the Associated Press poll to rank 39th.
• The Bulldogs tied for ninth in the SEC regular-season standings and advanced to the SEC Tournament Second Round before falling to Missouri on March 13, 2025.
• Earning an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament, Mississippi State fell in the First Round to Baylor , 75-72, inside Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on March 21.
• In 2024-25, Mississippi State posted a 5-3 record in neutral-games and was 11-8 in non-home contests.
• Junior guard Josh Hubbard returns as the Bulldogs' leader in points (18.9), assists (3.1) and steals (0.9) steals per game. Senior guard Shawn Jones Jr. is the team's top returner with 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per contest.
• Head Coach Chris Jans is in his fourth season at Mississippi State and his 10th year as a collegiate head coach.
• Jans has built a 206-84 record during his career with a 63-40 record at Mississippi State
• He also posted a 122-32 record with New Mexico State (2017-22) and a 21-12 record at Bowling Green (2014-15).
• Sunday's game will be the first time that Jans has faced Houston during his career
• Sunday's game will be the first time that Jans has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1991 graduate of Loras.

SERIES HISTORY vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE
• Houston holds a 5-2 lead against Mississippi State in the series, which began during the 1962-63 season.
• Mississippi State has won each of the last two meetings, including a 70-64 win inside Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Dec. 16, 2009, in the most recent encounter
• In the first meeting against the Bulldogs, Houston enjoyed a 79-76 win in overtime during the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans on Dec. 28, 1972.
at Neutral Site: Houston owns a 1-0 lead against Mississippi State at a neutral site.
• In the lone previous neutral-site meeting, Houston claimed a 79-76 win in overtime during the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans on Dec. 28, 1972.

UP NEXT
The Cougars begin their 2025-26 regular-season schedule when they play host to Lehigh on Monday, Nov. 3, inside Fertitta Center.

Houston will celebrate its 2024-25 season with the unveiling of the team's NCAA Final Four banner on the concourse level across from Houston's team bench during a pregame ceremony.

Single-game home tickets for all games inside Fertitta Center are now on sale, and fans are encouraged to purchase quickly while supplies last. The two-time defending Big 12 Conference Champions, the Cougars will play host to 16 home games inside Fertitta Center with seven in non-conference play and nine in Big 12 action in 2025-26.

Fans can purchase single-game tickets by clicking here.

Fans interested in purchasing group tickets may complete this form to be contacted by a member of the Houston Athletics Tickets Sales staff. A limited number of group tickets remain available, but fans should act soon to purchase.

BUY SEASON TICKETS
Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by providing NIL opportunities 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 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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