PREVIEW: #5/5 Men’s Basketball Meets #8/8 Iowa State on Saturday

HOUSTON – Following a sweep of its Big 12 Conference rivals in the state of Arizona, the #5/5 University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center to play host to #8/8 Iowa State at 1 p.m., Saturday, in a game presented by Memorial Hermann.

Saturday's game features two of the Top-Four teams in the Big 12 Conference with Houston leading the league at 14-1 and Iowa State tied for third with Texas Tech at 11-4.

Prior to tipoff, ESPN College GameDay covered by State Farm will broadcast from the Fertitta Center court for the second time in program history. Admission is FREE for all fans for the show, which begins at 9 a.m., Saturday.

#5/5 Houston enters this weekend's game following an 80-65 win at Arizona State on Tuesday evening. Graduate guard LJ Cryer drained four 3-pointers on the way to a team-high 18 points while junior guard Emanuel Sharp added four treys of his own to go with 17 points in the win.

Cryer leads the Cougars with 14.5 points per game and stands among the Big 12 leaders in 3-point field goals per game (2.9, 3^rd) and 3-point field goal percentage (1^st, 40.8).

Junior point guard Milos Uzan leads the Cougars and the Big 12 and ranks second nationally with a 4.38 assist-turnover ratio. During Houston's last five games, the Las Vegas native has dished out 27 assists with only two turnovers.

Uzan is the only NCAA Division I student-athlete to record multiple 5-game spans with 25+ assists and 2 or fewer turnovers.

ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY covered by STATE FARM
Due to the threat of inclement weather, entry procedures for Saturday's ESPN College GameDay covered by State Farm were adjust earlier this week.

Admission to ESPN College GameDay covered by State Farm is free for all fans with no ticket required.

Parking lots for ESPN College GameDay covered by State Farm open at 5:30 a.m., Saturday, with Fertitta Center doors opening at 7 a.m., for all fans with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

All students and fans will enter through the upper doors off Holman Street beginning at 7 a.m. From there, students and fans will be directed into holding areas inside the facility until being allowed to take their seats at 7:30 a.m. (students) and 8 a.m. (general public).

Complimentary coffee and donuts from Shipley Do-Nuts will be provided at the Holman Street entrance while supplies last, beginning at 7 a.m., Saturday.

PROMOTIONS
• Saturday's game is presented by Memorial Hermann.
• Prior to the game fans can take photos on the concourse with Howdy from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
• Prior to the game, country music recording artist Junior Gordon will perform the national anthem.
• Prior to tipoff, former Houston quarterback and NCAA records holder Case Keenum to lead the Whose House? chant.
• At halftime, fans in the best UH-inspired rodeo outfits will compete against one another with the winner receiving a pair of tickets to UH Night at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and a pair of Rodeo Cookoff tickets to the Cougar Cookers tent.

BUY 2024-25 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.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on ESPN with Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Jess Sims (reporter) calling.
• Fans can hear Saturday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst)calling. The pregame show begins at 12:45 p.m., Saturday.
• Fans also can hear the game nationally on Westwood One Sports with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Ben Braun (analyst) calling.
• Fans can follow live stats from Saturday's game by clicking here.

ABOUT IOWA STATE
• Iowa State brings a 21-5 overall record and 11-4 mark in Big 12 Conference play into Saturday's game.
• The Cyclones are tied for third with Texas Tech in the Big 12 standings, through games of Feb. 21.
• Iowa State is 5-3 in road games this season.
• The Cyclones have won their last four games. Those wins snapped a season-long two-game losing streak.
• In its most recent action, Iowa State took a 79-65 win over Colorado in Ames, Iowa, on Tuesday.
• Against Colorado, sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic and senior center Dishon Jackson led a balanced scoring attack which saw five Cyclones reach double-digit points, in a 79-65 home win over Colorado on Tuesday.
• Junior forward Joshua Jefferson and junior guard Tamin Lipsey each posted 12 points with Jefferson's seven rebounds leading the team. Senior guard Keshon Gilbert totaled team highs with five assists and three steals.
• This season, senior guard Curtis Jones leads the Cyclones with 17.2 points per game. Gilbert is second on the team with 14.1 points per game but leads Iowa State with 4.5 assists per game. Jefferson stands third with 12.8 points per game but tops the Cyclones with 7.9 rebounds per game. Lipsey averages 10.5 points per game with a team-high 2.1 steals per game while Momcilovic stands fifth with 10.4 points per contest.
Head Coach: T.J. Otzelberger is in his fourth season at Iowa State and his ninth year as a collegiate head coach.
• Otzelberger has built a 190-103 record during his career
• He previously compiled a 39-20 record at UNLV (2019-21) and was 70-33 at South Dakota State (2016-19)..
• Otzelberger has posted a 2-1 record against Houston during his career.
• Otzelberger has compiled a 2-1 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers
• 2001 graduate of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

SERIES HISTORY vs. IOWA STATE
• Iowa State holds a 5-4 lead in the series, which began during the 1956-57 season.
• Saturday's game will be the lone regular-season meeting during the 2024-25 season.
• Iowa State has won four of the last five meetings, including the most recent meeting. Only a 73-65 Houston win inside Fertitta Center on Feb. 19, 2024, prevents a longer streak.
• In the most recent meeting, the Cyclones took a 69-41 win during the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title game inside T-Mobile Center In Kansas City, Mo., on March 16, 2024.
• In the first meeting , Iowa State claimed a 92-73 win in Ames, Iowa, on Dec, 3, 1956.
at Home: Houston owns a 2-1 lead in games played in Houston during the series.
• The Cougars won the most recent meeting in Houston with a 73-65 win victory inside Fertitta Center on Feb. 19, 2024.
• Iowa State's lone win in Houston during the series was a 71-67 victory inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Dec. 28, 2008.
• In the first meeting in Houston, the Cougars enjoyed am 83-82 victory inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 10, 1990.
in Fertitta Center: Houston owns a 1-0 lead in the series in games played inside Fertitta Center.
• In the lone previous meeting in Fertitta Center, the Cougars took a 73-65 victory on Feb. 19, 2024.

UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, Houston meets #9/10 Texas Tech for the second time this season during an 8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24, showdown inside United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. That game will air on ESPN.
• From there, Houston returns to Fertitta Center to play host to Cincinnati at 3:30 p.m., Saturday, March 1. That game will air on CBS.
• The Cougars then close their regular-season home schedule and celebrate Senior Night against Kansas at 8 p.m., Monday, March 3, in Fertitta Center. That game will air 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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