PREVIEW: #7/5 Men’s Basketball Faces Utah in Fertitta Center

HOUSTON – Winners of its last 10 games, the #7/5 University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to Fertitta Center to meet Big 12 Conference rival Utah at 5 p.m., Wednesday, inside Fertitta Center in a game presented by Icon Consultants.

Fans should note the date and time change for the game against Utah from earlier published schedules. The time and date were adjusted earlier this week due to the severe winter weather in the greater Houston area.

The Fertitta Center will be a busy place on Wednesday as Houston Women's Basketball meets Texas Tech at 1 p.m., as part of a Houston Basketball doubleheader.

Due to the severe winter weather, event staffing, concessions and premium space offerings inside Fertitta Center may be limited.

The Cougars enter Wednesday's game following a come-from-behind 69-68 win at UCF in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday afternoon. With three seconds remaining and Houston trailing by a point, graduate forward J"Wan Roberts took the inbounds pass, spun and banked in a layup with 1.1 seconds remaining to lift the Cougars to the win.

TICKETS INFORMATION
There are no changes to ticketing procedures or entry for Wednesday's games.

Ticket holders to the Women's Basketball contest vs. Texas Tech will receive complimentary access to the Men's Basketball game vs. Utah. Fans are encouraged to arrive early, exercise caution and prioritize safety when making travel arrangements.

The Houston Athletics Ticket Office location at the northeast corner of TDECU Stadium will be closed Wednesday. Fans can visit with Ticket Office representatives in person beginning at Noon, Wednesday, in the Fertitta Center's Holman Street ticket office window. The Holman Street ticket windows and Cullen Boulevard ticket windows will each be open at 3 p.m., ahead of the Men's Basketball game.

Black Out Map

PROMOTIONS
• Wednesday's game is presented by Icon Consultants.
• Fans can view Wednesday's digital game program by clicking here.
• Wednesday's game is a Black Out. The Cougars will wear alternate black Jumpman uniforms, and all fans are encouraged to wear black in Fertitta Center.
• The first 500 students at Wednesday's game will receive a FREE black Fear the Cage t-shirt.
• Prior to the game Leyla Taghiyeva will perform the national anthem.
• Prior to tipoff, Houston Track & Field All-American and Olympic Medalist Shaun Maswanganyi will perform the Whose House? Coogs House chant.
• Fans are encouraged to stay in their seats at halftime for a special announcement.

Men's Basketball Blackout Giveaway

HOUSTON in NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
• Houston leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (.356), scoring defense (55.0 ppg) and stands second in scoring margin (+21.2).The Cougars have led the nation in field goal percentage defense in each of the last four full seasons and topped the country in scoring defense a year ago.
• The Cougars rank fourth in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at .405 and rank fourth with only 9.2 turnovers per game. Houston also stands seventh nationally with a +5.2 turnover margin.
• Junior point guard Milos Uzan leads the Big 12 and stands third nationally with a 4.10 assist-turnover ratio. The Las Vegas native has recorded one or fewer turnovers in 11 games in 2024-25.
• Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler ranks 14^th in the nation and third in the Big 12 with 2.4 blocked shots per game.
• Junior guard Emanuel Sharp leads the Big 12 and stands eighth nationally with a .459 3-point percentage. In addition to his long-range shooting, the Tampa, Fla., native is second in the Big 12 and eighth nationally with his .92.7 free throw percentage.

MILESTONES ALERT
• With his team's next victory in 2024-25, Houston Coach Kelvin Sampson will tie Lou Henson for 19^th in NCAA history (among coaches with 10+ years at NCAA Division I level). Henson won 779 games at Hardin-Simmons, New Mexico State, Illinois and New Mexico State from 1962 to 2005.
• Graduate forward J'Wan Roberts became the 52nd member of Houston's career 1,000 Point Club in its Jan. 11 win at Kansas State. Roberts now has 1,050 points to tie with forward David Marrs (1972-76) for 47^th in Houston history.
• Graduate forward J'Wan Roberts set the Houston career record by competing in his 150th game at Kansas State on Jan. 11 and has now competed in 152 games.
• With his free throw with 5:34 remaining in the first half in Saturday's win at UCF, graduate guard Mylik Wilson moved past 1,000 points during his complete college career. Wilson now has 1,004 points after compiling 254 points with Houston (2022 – present); 81 points with Texas Tech (2021-22) and 669 points with Louisiana (2019-21).

NATIONAL POLLS
• The Cougars stood at #7 in the Associated Press poll and at #5 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll released Monday.
• This marked the 97^th consecutive week in which Houston was ranked, the nation's longest active streak and extending its school record.
• Houston is 29-5 when playing as the #7 (AP) team during its history and has won its last 13 games as the #7 (AP) team. The Cougars have not lost as the #7 (AP) since a 102-89 loss to Louisiana during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region First Round in Wichita, Kan., on March 10, 1973.
• This marks the sixth week in which Houston will compete as an AP Top-10 school during the 2024-25 season.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game on ESPN+ with Matt Pedersen (play-by-play), Reid Gettys (analyst) and Austyn Iven (reporter) calling.
• Fans can hear Wednesday'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 4:45 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 UTAH
• Utah brings an 11-6 overall record and 3-3 mark in Big 12 Conference play into Tuesday's game in Fertitta Center.
• The Utes are tied with UCF for eighth in the latest Big 12 standings.
• Utah is 1-2 in road games and 1-4 in non-home games during the 2024-25 season.
• The Utes have won their last three games. Those wins snapped a four-game losing streak.
• In its most recent action, Utah took a 73-72 win in overtime in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. Fifth-year guard Hunter Erickson hit a pair of free throws with 13.2 seconds remaining to lift the Utes to the win.
• Against BYU, junior forward Ezra Ausar scored 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting and grabbed six rebounds with two assists and a pair of steals. Senior center Lawson Lovering added 13 points with seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks while sophomore forward Jake Wahlin led Utah with nine rebounds.
• This season, Gabe Madsen leads the Utes with 15.8 points per game while Ausar stands second with 11.2 points per contest. Lovering is third with 10.6 points per game but leads the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Miro Little is tops with 4.1 assists per game.
• Head Coach Craig Smith is in his fourth season at Utah and his 14th season as a collegiate head coach.
• Smith has built a 286-164 record during his career and is 61-56 during his career at Utah.
• He previously compiled a 74-24 record at Utah State (2018-21), a 79-55 mark at South Dakota (2014-18) and a 72-29 mark at Mayville State (2004-07).
• Smith has an 0-3 record against Houston during his career with an 0-1 mark with Utah.
• Smith has an 0-3 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with all single previous meetings coming his Utah, Utah State and South Dakota stings and Sampson's Houston tenure.

SERIES HISTORY vs. UTAH
• Houston owns a 2-0 lead against Utah in the series, which began during the 1982-83 season.
• Tuesday's game marks the second straight season in which the two schools will meet but the first as Big 12 Conference rivals.
• In the most recent meeting, Houston took a 76-66 win during the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic Semifinals inside TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 17, 2023.
• In the first meeting against Utah, the Cougars enjoyed an 82-57 win in the Suntory Classic in Tokyo on Dec. 17, 1982.
at Home / in Fertitta Center: Tuesday's game will be the first time the Cougars have faced Utah on their home court / in Fertitta Center.

UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, Houston hits the road to meet Kansas inside Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25. That game can be seen on ESPN.
• Houston closes the month of January when it faces West Virginia for the second time this season, this time at 6 p.m. (CST), Wednesday, Jan. 29, inside WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va. That game will air on ESPN+.
• From there, the Cougars open the month of February when they play host to Texas Tech at 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1. That game will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
• 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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