PREVIEW: #15/12 Men’s Basketball Faces Toledo on Wednesday

HOUSTON – Following a week-long break from its schedule, the #15/12 University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to action and continues its homestand when it plays host to Toledo at 7 p.m., Wednesday, inside Fertitta Center.

The Cougars enter Wednesday's game following a dominating defensive performance against Troy inside Fertitta Center on Tuesday. Houston allowed only 11 first-half points by the Trojans, setting a school record and topping the old mark of 12 points in the first half at UConn on Dec. 28, 2016.

Against the Trojans, graduate guard LJ posted 22 points, thanks to 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 shooting from the arc. The Katy, Texas, native recorded his third straight game with 20+ points and became the first Cougar to accomplish that feat since he did it a year ago.

Last week, Cryer received the 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award for his work in the classroom. The honor is presented annually to student-athletes who graduate with a cumulative GPA of 3.80 or higher and have competed in 2+ years of NCAA athletics at a Football Bowl Subdivision school.

SHARP SHOOTERS
• Houston can boast of the of the nation's most talented 3-point shooting backcourts in the country.
• Graduate guard LJ Cryer and junior guard Emanuel Sharp rank among the Big 12 Conference's Top-10 and nation's Top-80 leaders in 3-point field goals per game and 3-point field goal percentage.
• Both Cougars are averaging 2.9 treys per game to tie for sixth in the league and 80^th nationally.
• Sharp is third in the league and seventh in the country with a 52.0 3-point percentage while Cryer is 10^th in the Big 12 and 78^th nationally at 41.9 percent.
• Cryer has drained at least one trey in all but one game with multiple 3-pointers in all but two contests. Sharp has buried at least one 3-pointer in all nine games to date with multiple treys in each of the last eight games.

Mercy Miller, Throwback Game vs. Toledo

PROMOTIONS
• Wednesday's game will be part of the Cougars' Throwback Night. Fans can enjoy throwback prices on concessions, including $3 hot dogs, popcorn and fountain sodas.
• Current University of Houston students are invited to claim two tickets for Wednesday's game.
• Shasta and Sasha Claus will be available for pregame photos in the Cub Zone on the concourse behind Section 108.
• Prior to the game, Cougar Brass will perform the national anthem.
• At halftime, Basketball For All will compete in a scrimmage on the Fertitta Center court.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Cougars enter Wednesday's game as winners of their last 27 home games inside Fertitta Center. That stands as the nation's longest active winning streak.

Houston owns a 98-6 record inside Fertitta Center since the facility opened Dec. 1, 2018.

A year ago, the Cougars posted a perfect 17-0 home record, the 11^th undefeated home season in school history

NATIONAL POLLS
• The Cougars stood at #15 in the Associated Press poll and rose to #12 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls released Monday.
• This marked the 92^nd consecutive week in which Houston was ranked, the nation's longest active streak and extending its school record.
• Houston is 16-4 when playing as the #15 (AP) team during its history and has won seven of its last eight games as the #15(AP) team.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game on ESPN+ with Matt Thomas (play-by-play), Ryan Hollins (analyst) and Austyn Iven (reporter) calling.
• Fans can hear Wednesday's Men's Basketball game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes calling. Fans also can hear the game on Sirius XM Ch. 160 or Ch. 199. The pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m., Wednesday.
• Fans can follow live stats from Wednesday's game by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

ABOUT TOLEDO
• Toledo brings a 6-4 record into Wednesday's game inside Fertitta Center.
• The Rockets have lost three of their last four games. Only a 111-49 home win over Defiance on Dec. 7 prevents a longer streak.
• In its most recent action, Toledo dropped a 93-87 decision at Youngstown State on Saturday.
• Against Youngstown State, sophomore guard Sam Lewis led five Rockets in double-digit points. Lewis connected on 7-of-14 from the field and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, including six offensive boards. Sophomore guard Sonny Wilson totaled 17 points with six rebounds and a team-high four assists while junior guard Seth Hubbard came off the bench to post 14 points with five rebounds and a pair of steals. Fifth-year guard uard Isaiah Adams recorded 12 points, and sophomore forward Javan Simmons posted 10 points with two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
• This season, Wilson leads Toledo with 16.4 points and 3.5 assists per game. Lewis stands second with 13.9 points per game and tops the Rockets with 5.1 assists per contest. Simmons averages 11.8 points per game to rank third on the team while Adams is fourth with 11.0 points per game but averages a team-best 1.2 steals per contest. Simmons (4.5), Wilson (4.3) and Adams (4.3) stand among the Rockets' Top-Four rebounding leaders.
• Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk is in his 15th season at Toledo and his 23rd year as a collegiate head coach.
• Kowalczyk has posted an 281-185 record at Toledo and a 420-297 mark during his career.
• He previously compiled a 136-112 record at Green Bay (2002-10).
• Wednesday's game will be the first time Kowalczyk has faced Houston.
• Wednesday's game will be the first time Kowalczyk has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1989 graduate of Minnesota-Duluth.

SERIES HISTORY vs. TOLEDO
• Houston owns a 3-2 lead against Toledo in the series, which began during the 1985-86 season.
• The Cougars have won the last two meetings and three of the last four. Only a 62-60 Toledo win in Toledo, Ohio, on Dec. 16, 1989, prevents a longer winning streak.
• In the most recent meeting, Houston took a 71-63 win over the Rockets inside John F. Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio, on Dec. 20, 2008.
• In the first meeting against the Rockets, Toledo claimed an 80-74 win in Toledo, Ohio, on Dec. 27, 1985.
at Home: Houston owns a 2-0 record against Toledo in games played on the Cougars' home court.
• In the most recent meeting, the Cougars enjoyed a 67-56 win inside Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Dec. 4, 2007
• In the first home meeting against Toledo, Houston took a 75-58 win inside Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Dec. 14, 1988.
in Fertitta Center: Wednesday's game will be the first time Houston has faced Toledo in Fertitta Center during the series history.

UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, Houston closes its December homestand when it faces Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 1 p.m., Saturday, inside Fertitta Center.
• That game will air on CBS Sports Network.
• From there, the Cougars open Big 12 Conference play when they meet Oklahoma State at 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 30, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.
• That game can be seen on ESPN+.
• Houston returns to open Big 12 play in the Fertitta Center and the year 2025 against BYU at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4.
• That game will air on ESPN+.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

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.

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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