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Wednesday, January 6
Houston
7 p.m.
University of Houston
vs
Wichita State
Houston Returns to Fertitta Center on Wednesday
1/5/2021 1:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Watch (ESPN+)Listen (950 AM KPRC)Listen (Live Stats)Live StatsHouston Game Notes (PDF)Wichita State Game Notes (PDF)The American Notes (PDF)
Cougars tip off vs. Wichita State at 7 p.m.
HOUSTON – After competing in five games in 15 days – with the last three of those on the road – the University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center to begin a lengthy home stretch.
No. 11/11 Houston opens the home stand at 7 p.m., Wednesday, against American Athletic Conference rival Wichita State. The Cougars will play five of their next six game inside the Fertitta Center, starting with Wednesday's showdown against the Shockers.
The Cougars (8-1 • 3-1 The American) enter this week's game following an impressive 74-60 win at rv/rv SMU on Sunday in Dallas. Sophomore guard Marcus Sasser led the Cougars with 17 points and three 3-pointers, while senior forward Justin Gorham snared a career-high 19 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Houston's defense limited the Mustangs to nearly 25 points below their season scoring average in the win.
With his impressive total, Gorham moved into the league lead with 8.8 rebounds and 4.8 offensive boards per game and stands third nationally with his average in the latter category. Sasser continues to lead in The American with 3.1 treys per game, while junior guard Quentin Grimes ranks second with 17.7 points per contest.
This will be the second straight undefeated opponent in conference play that Houston will face. Wichita State is the only undefeated team in The American at 2-0.
Wednesday's game features two of the Top-3 scoring and rebounding teams in the league. Houston ranks second in the league with 41.4 rebounds per game, while Wichita State is a close third at 40.9 rpg. Wichita State stands second at 74.9 points per game, while the Cougars rank third at 73.7.
With the release of the first NET rankings of the season earlier this week, the Cougars stood at No. 8 in that metric. Houston was tied with No. 1 Gonzaga and Missouri for the national leader with four Quad 1 victories to date this season.
GAMEDAY PROTOCOLS
• To create the safest possible environment while combating COVID-19, UH Athletics is encouraging all fans to participate in self-assessment screening prior to attending games this fall. Symptoms include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches and loss of taste or smell. A link to the self-assessment can be found by clicking here.
• As part of Houston Athletics enhanced safety and cleaning measures, all athletic venues will be regularly sanitized and disinfected in all high-frequency touch points and locations throughout our facilities.
• All fans will be required to wear a mask or proper face guard shield while on University property and inside its venues along with being asked to regularly wash their hands and properly distance themselves when possible.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers will be in place throughout the entire arena. Plexiglass guards will be located at all points-of-sale, and social distancing markings will be installed to assist with queuing.
PROMOTIONS
• All UH students attending Wednesday's game will receive a #ForTheCity laptop sticker. Students can pick up their stickers at the Holman Street entrance of the Fertitta Center.
#FIGHT4LITERACY
• Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff will host a #Fight4Literacy game presented by International Paper against the Shockers.
• By wearing #Green4Literacy – green lapel pins and wristbands – in support of the #Fight4Literacy in Houston, Sampson and his staff are promoting childhood reading and the local literacy work of Literacy Now.
• To donate or learn more, fans can visit pledgeit.org/houstonfflw21.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game on ESPN+ with David Saltzman (play-by-play) and Houston great Reid Gettys (analyst).
• Fans can hear Wednesday's game on KPRC 950 AM or on the TuneIn app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes (analyst). The pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m.
ABOUT WICHITA STATE
• Wichita State brings a 6-2 overall record and 2-0 mark in American Athletic Conference play into Wednesday's game inside Fertitta Center.
• Shockers are the last undefeated team in American Athletic Conference play at 2-0
• Wichita State is 3-0 in road games this season.
• Shockers have won their last five games... Last loss was a 67-64 setback against Oklahoma State on Dec. 12, 2020.
• In its most recent action, Wichita State claimed an 83-79 win at Mississippi on Saturday afternoon inside The Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.
• Against Mississippi, Tyson Etienne led all players with 29 points and five 3-pointers while playing all but one minute... Alterique Gilbert finished with 14 points and added three assists and four assists, while Dexter Dennis totaled 10 points. Trey Wade posted nine points with a game highs of 10 rebounds and five assists.
• This season, Etienne leads the Shockers with 17.0 points per game... Gilbert stands second on the team with 11.6 points per game and paces the Shockers with 3.5 assists per contest... Wade leads Wichita State with 6.4 rebounds per game.
• Head Coach Isaac Brown is in his first season as head coach at Wichita State and as a collegiate head coach.
• Brown became the Shockers' interim head coach upon the resignation of Gregg Marshall in mid-November 2020... Previously served as assistant coach at Wichita State (2014-20); Louisiana Tech (2011-14), Arkansas State (2010-11), Arkansas (2007-10) and South Alabama (2002-07).
• Brown has built a 6-2 record during his career
• Wednesday's game will be Brown's first against Houston.
• Wednesday's game will be Brown first against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, the Cougars meet Tulane at 3 p.m., Saturday, inside the Fertitta Center in Houston... Game can be seen on ESPNU and heard on 950 AM KPRC and the TuneIn app.
• Fans should note that the starting time for Saturday's game was recently changed from earlier published schedules.
• From there, Houston returns to the road to take on USF at 6 p.m. (CST), Jan. 14, inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla.
• That game can be seen on ESPN/ESPN2 and heard on 950 AM KPRC and the TuneIn app.
• Houston then returns home for three straight home games inside the Fertitta Center, including rv/rv UCF (1 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 17); Tulsa (7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20) and Cincinnati (11 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 23).
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
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.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (46874).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on 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.
No. 11/11 Houston opens the home stand at 7 p.m., Wednesday, against American Athletic Conference rival Wichita State. The Cougars will play five of their next six game inside the Fertitta Center, starting with Wednesday's showdown against the Shockers.
The Cougars (8-1 • 3-1 The American) enter this week's game following an impressive 74-60 win at rv/rv SMU on Sunday in Dallas. Sophomore guard Marcus Sasser led the Cougars with 17 points and three 3-pointers, while senior forward Justin Gorham snared a career-high 19 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Houston's defense limited the Mustangs to nearly 25 points below their season scoring average in the win.
With his impressive total, Gorham moved into the league lead with 8.8 rebounds and 4.8 offensive boards per game and stands third nationally with his average in the latter category. Sasser continues to lead in The American with 3.1 treys per game, while junior guard Quentin Grimes ranks second with 17.7 points per contest.
This will be the second straight undefeated opponent in conference play that Houston will face. Wichita State is the only undefeated team in The American at 2-0.
Wednesday's game features two of the Top-3 scoring and rebounding teams in the league. Houston ranks second in the league with 41.4 rebounds per game, while Wichita State is a close third at 40.9 rpg. Wichita State stands second at 74.9 points per game, while the Cougars rank third at 73.7.
With the release of the first NET rankings of the season earlier this week, the Cougars stood at No. 8 in that metric. Houston was tied with No. 1 Gonzaga and Missouri for the national leader with four Quad 1 victories to date this season.
GAMEDAY PROTOCOLS
• To create the safest possible environment while combating COVID-19, UH Athletics is encouraging all fans to participate in self-assessment screening prior to attending games this fall. Symptoms include but are not limited to fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches and loss of taste or smell. A link to the self-assessment can be found by clicking here.
• As part of Houston Athletics enhanced safety and cleaning measures, all athletic venues will be regularly sanitized and disinfected in all high-frequency touch points and locations throughout our facilities.
• All fans will be required to wear a mask or proper face guard shield while on University property and inside its venues along with being asked to regularly wash their hands and properly distance themselves when possible.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers will be in place throughout the entire arena. Plexiglass guards will be located at all points-of-sale, and social distancing markings will be installed to assist with queuing.
PROMOTIONS
• All UH students attending Wednesday's game will receive a #ForTheCity laptop sticker. Students can pick up their stickers at the Holman Street entrance of the Fertitta Center.
#FIGHT4LITERACY
• Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff will host a #Fight4Literacy game presented by International Paper against the Shockers.
• By wearing #Green4Literacy – green lapel pins and wristbands – in support of the #Fight4Literacy in Houston, Sampson and his staff are promoting childhood reading and the local literacy work of Literacy Now.
• To donate or learn more, fans can visit pledgeit.org/houstonfflw21.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game on ESPN+ with David Saltzman (play-by-play) and Houston great Reid Gettys (analyst).
• Fans can hear Wednesday's game on KPRC 950 AM or on the TuneIn app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes (analyst). The pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m.
ABOUT WICHITA STATE
• Wichita State brings a 6-2 overall record and 2-0 mark in American Athletic Conference play into Wednesday's game inside Fertitta Center.
• Shockers are the last undefeated team in American Athletic Conference play at 2-0
• Wichita State is 3-0 in road games this season.
• Shockers have won their last five games... Last loss was a 67-64 setback against Oklahoma State on Dec. 12, 2020.
• In its most recent action, Wichita State claimed an 83-79 win at Mississippi on Saturday afternoon inside The Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.
• Against Mississippi, Tyson Etienne led all players with 29 points and five 3-pointers while playing all but one minute... Alterique Gilbert finished with 14 points and added three assists and four assists, while Dexter Dennis totaled 10 points. Trey Wade posted nine points with a game highs of 10 rebounds and five assists.
• This season, Etienne leads the Shockers with 17.0 points per game... Gilbert stands second on the team with 11.6 points per game and paces the Shockers with 3.5 assists per contest... Wade leads Wichita State with 6.4 rebounds per game.
• Head Coach Isaac Brown is in his first season as head coach at Wichita State and as a collegiate head coach.
• Brown became the Shockers' interim head coach upon the resignation of Gregg Marshall in mid-November 2020... Previously served as assistant coach at Wichita State (2014-20); Louisiana Tech (2011-14), Arkansas State (2010-11), Arkansas (2007-10) and South Alabama (2002-07).
• Brown has built a 6-2 record during his career
• Wednesday's game will be Brown's first against Houston.
• Wednesday's game will be Brown first against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, the Cougars meet Tulane at 3 p.m., Saturday, inside the Fertitta Center in Houston... Game can be seen on ESPNU and heard on 950 AM KPRC and the TuneIn app.
• Fans should note that the starting time for Saturday's game was recently changed from earlier published schedules.
• From there, Houston returns to the road to take on USF at 6 p.m. (CST), Jan. 14, inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla.
• That game can be seen on ESPN/ESPN2 and heard on 950 AM KPRC and the TuneIn app.
• Houston then returns home for three straight home games inside the Fertitta Center, including rv/rv UCF (1 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 17); Tulsa (7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20) and Cincinnati (11 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 23).
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
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.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (46874).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on 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 –
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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