PREVIEW: #8/8 Men’s Basketball Meets UCF in Fertitta Center

Wednesday, February 4

Houston

6 p.m.

University of Houston

UCF

Buy Tickets

Houston students throwing newspapers in the air during pregame lineup introductions

PREVIEW: #8/8 Men’s Basketball Meets UCF in Fertitta Center

2/3/2026 3:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Preview – Coach Sampson (YouTube)Digital Game Program Watch (FS1)Listen (950 AM KPRC)Listen (Varsity Network app)Listen (SiriusXM Ch. 84)Live Stats (StatBroadcast)Houston Game Notes (PDF)UCF Game Notes (PDF)Big 12 Notes (PDF)

Cougars face Knights at 6 p.m., Wednesday, in lone regular-season meeting between schools

HOUSTON – Winners of 13 of its last 14 games, the #8/8 University of Houston Men's Basketball program continues its brief homestand when it meets rv/rv UCF at 6 p.m., Wednesday, inside Fertitta Center in a game presented by the University of Houston Alumni Association.

Fans should note the earlier than usual starting time for Wednesday's game.

The Cougars (19-2, 7-1 Big 12) enter the first of this week's games following a 76-54 win over Cincinnati inside Fertitta Center on Saturday afternoon.

Senior point guard Milos Uzan posted 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added five assists with three steals and only one turnover in more than 32 minutes. The Las Vegas native led a balanced scoring attack, which saw four Cougars score double-digit points with freshman center/forward Chris Cenac Jr., senior guard Emanuel Sharp and freshman guard Isiah Harwell posting 13 points apiece.

This season, freshman point guard Kingston Flemings leads the Cougars with 17.0 points and 5.4 assists per game and tops the Houston guards with a 51.4 field goal percentage (132-of-257). The San Antonio, Texas, native has dished out 5+ assists in each of his last 10 games and 13 of the last 14.

Cenac paces the Cougars and ranks among the Big 12 Top-10 leaders with 7.7 rebounds per contest and has recorded a team-high eight games with double-digit rebounds, including a career-high 14 boards at TCU last week.

PROMOTIONS
• Wednesday's game is presented by the University of Houston Alumni Association.
• Fans can view Wednesday's digital game program by clicking here.
• Wednesday's game will be part of the Panhellenic Attendance Challenge. The UH Greek organization with the highest attendance at Wednesday's game will receive a VISA gift card.
• Fans will enjoy halftime as Alpha Sigma Phi and Sigma Chi fraternities compete in the Battle of Bayou Oaks Scrimmage.
• Prior to the game, Chris Holloway will perform the national anthem.
• Prior to tipoff, Cougar Pride member Nathan Phelps will lead fans in the Whose House? chant.
• During one of the media timeouts, Dean of Students Donell Young will lead a T-Shirt Toss into the crowd.
• During another media timeout, members of the Houston Baseball team will be recognized as they prepare for the start of their 2026 season.

NOTES
• The Cougars have won their last 16 home games inside Fertitta Center. That ranks as the nation's 10^th-longest active streak.
• Houston has posted a 120-7 (.945) record in Fertitta Center during the facility's history. The Cougars have won 49 of their last 50 home games. Only an 82-81 loss to #22/19 Texas Tech on February 1, 2025, prevents a longer streak.
• Houston has been ranked in the last 119 Associated Press polls for the nation's longest active streak. The Cougars' 24 straight weeks in the AP Top 10 is the nation's second-longest current streak.
• Earlier this week, two Cougars received midseason recognition from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Flemings was named a Top-10 Candidate for the Bob Cousy Award, presented annually to the nation's top point guard, while Sharp was recognized as a Top-10 Candidate for the Jerry West Award, which honors the nation's top shooting guard.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game on FS1 with Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Laphonso Ellis (analyst).
• Fans can hear Wednesday's game on 950 AM KPRC, the Varsity Network app and SiriusXM Ch. 84 with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst). The pregame show begins at 5:45 p.m., Wednesday.
• Fans can follow live stats from Wednesday's game on StatBroadcast.

BUY TICKETS
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, Houston will play host to five more conference games in 2025-26.

Fans interested in purchasing group tickets may complete this form to be contacted by a member of the Houston Athletics Tickets Sales staff.

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

ABOUT UCF
• UCF enters Wednesday's game with a 17-4 overall record. The Knights are 6-3 in Big 12 Conference play to tie for fifth with Texas Tech.
• UCF has won its last three games. Those games snapped a season-long two-game losing streak.
• The Knights are 3-2 in road games this season.
• In its most recent action, UCF took an 88-80 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. Guard Themus Fulks led the Knights with 21 points and added three rebounds and a team-high seven assists. Forward Jordan Burks totaled 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the free throw line to go with four rebounds. Center John Bol posted 14 points and 10 rebounds while forward Jamichael Stillwell finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
• This season, Riley Kugel leads the Knights with 14.8 points per game. Fulks stands second with 14.2 per game but leads the team with 7.2 assists per contest. Burks is third on the team with 12.7 points per game. Stillwell is fourth among the Knights with 12.4 points per game but leads UCF with 8.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
• Head Coach Johnny Dawkins is in his 10th season at UCF and his 18th year as a collegiate head coach.
• Dawkins has built a 185-124 record with UCF and is 341-239 during his career.
• He previously posted a 156-115 record at Stanford (2008-16).
• Dawkins has posted a 3-14 record against Houston during his career. That includes a 2-14 record with UCF and a 1-0 mark with Stanford.
• He has posted a 2-14 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with UCF and Houston, respectively.
• Dawkins is a 1986 graduate of Duke.

SERIES HISTORY vs. UCF
• Houston owns a 25-11 lead against UCF in the series, which began during the 2005-06 season.
• Wednesday's game will be the lone regular-season meeting against the Knights during the 2025-26 season.
• This marks the 21st straight season in which the two schools will square off at least once.
• The Big 12 is the third conference in which the two schools competed as league rivals. The teams first met as Conference USA rivals from 2005-06 through 2013-13 and then squared off as American Athletic Conference foes from 2013-14 through 2022-23.
• Houston has won the last 10 and 14 of the last 15 games. Only a 69-64 loss inside Fertitta Center in Houston on March 2, 2019, prevents a longer streak.
• In the most recent meeting, #10/8 Houston took a 69-68 win over UCF in Orlando in January 18, 2025.
• In the series' first meeting, UCF took a 66-56 win inside Houston in Hofheinz Pavilion on January 14, 2006.
at Home: Houston owns a 13-5 lead in home games played in Houston during the series history.
• Houston has won the last five games and seven of the last eight contests in Houston. Only a 69-64 loss to UCF inside Fertitta Center on March 2, 2019, prevents a longer streak.
• In the most recent home meeting, then-#5/5 Houston enjoyed a 57-42 win inside Fertitta Center on January 20, 2024.
• In the first home encounter, the Cougars dropped a 66-56 decision inside Hofheinz Pavilion on January 14, 2006.
in Fertitta Center: The Cougars have posted a 5-1 record against UCF in home games played inside Fertitta Center in Houston.
• In the most recent home meeting inside Fertitta Center, then-#5/5 Houston enjoyed a 57-42 win on January 20, 2024.
• In the first meeting in Fertitta Center, UCF claimed a 69-64 win over #8/6 Houston on March 2, 2019.

UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, Houston will take a swing through the state of Utah for a pair of road games.
• The road trip begins at 9:30 p.m. (CST), Saturday, February 7, begins against #13/13 BYU inside Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, That game will air on ESPN.
• From there, the Cougars will meet Utah at 8 p.m. (CST), Tuesday, February 10, inside Jon M. Huntsman Center. That game will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
• Houston returns to the Fertitta Center to face Kansas State at 3 p.m., Saturday, February 14. Fans and media should note the 3 p.m., start, in a change from earlier published schedules. That game will air on Peacock.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC, the Varsity Network app and Sirius XM Radio.

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.

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