PREVIEW: #12/11 Men’s Hoops Takes on Kansas State This Weekend

Saturday, January 11

Manhattan, Kan.

5 p.m.

University of Houston

Kansas State

Tickets

PREVIEW: #12/11 Men’s Hoops Takes on Kansas State This Weekend

1/9/2025 1:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Cougars return to Manhattan, Kan., for first time since 1970-71 season

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Winners of its last seven games, the #12/11 University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to Manhattan for the first time in more than 50 years when it meets Big 12 Conference rival Kansas State at 5 p.m., Saturday, inside Bramlage Coliseum.

The Cougars (11-3 • 3-0 Big 12) enter this weekend's game after holding each of their previous seven opponents to 55 or fewer points. It's the first time Houston has accomplished that feat since the last game of the 1947-48 season and the first nine games of the 1948-49 campaign.

With those defensive efforts, Houston now leads the nation in scoring defense (54.0 ppg), scoring margin (+22.4) and field-goal percentage defense (.343).

In its most recent action, the Cougars claimed a 65-46 win over TCU inside Fertitta Center on Monday night. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp drained four 3-pointers on the way to a team-high 14 points while graduate forward J'Wan Roberts totaled 12 points with four rebounds and three assists. Battling a stomach bug, graduate guard LJ Cryer finished with 10 points, including two treys of his own and three assists.

This season, Cryer and Sharp combine to give the Cougars' one of the nation's top 3-point shooting backcourts. Cryer leads the Cougars and ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.9 3-pointers per game while Sharp is tops with a 48.7 3-point percentage to rank fifth nationally.

Together, they make Houston the only team in the Big 12 with multiple Top-Six leaders in 3-point field goals per game and 3-point field goal percentage in both categories.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on ESPN+ with Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Jess Settles (analyst) calling.
• Fans can hear Saturday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play). The pregame show begins at 4:45 p.m., Saturday.
• Fans can follow live stats from Saturday's game by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

MILESTONES ALERT
• Graduate forward J'Wan Roberts needs only three points against Kansas State to reach 1,000 points during his career. Roberts now has 997 points. He would become the 52nd 1,000-Point scorer in Houston history and the first since consensus First-Team All-American point guard Jamal Shead during the 2023-24 season.
• When he steps onto the court for Saturday's game at Kansas State, graduate forward J'Wan Roberts will set the Houston career record by competing in the 150th game of his Houston career. He will break out of a tie with forward Fabian White Jr., who competed in 149 games from 2017-22.
• Graduate guard Mylik Wilson needs only 10 points against Kansas State to reach 1,000 points during his complete college career. Wilson now has 990 points after compiling 240 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 #12 in the Associated Press poll and at #11 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll released Monday.
• This marked the 95^th consecutive week in which Houston was ranked, the nation's longest active streak and extending its school record.
• Houston is 18-7 when playing as the #12 (AP) team during its history and has won its last five and 15 of its last 16 games as the #12 (AP) team. Only a 65-63 loss to Wisconsin during the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in Las Vegas on Nov. 23, 2021, prevents a longer streak.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE
• Kansas State brings a 7-7 overall record and 1-2 mark in Big 12 Conference play into Saturday's game in Manhattan, Kan.
• The Wildcats are tied for 10th in the latest Big 12 standings.
• Kansas State 5-2 in home games inside Bramlage Coliseum during the 2024-25 season.
• Kansas State has lost five of its last six games. Only a 70-67 home win over Cincinnati on Dec. 30, 2024, prevents a longer streak.
• In its most recent action, Kansas State dropped a 79-66 decision at Oklahoma State on Tuesday night.
• Against Oklahoma State, senior forward Coleman Hawkins posted 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and grabbed five rebounds with two assists, two blocks and three steals to lead the Wildcats. Graduate wing David N'Guessan added 12 points with a game-high 12 rebounds while senior guard Max Jones totaled 10 points with two rebounds and three assists in the loss.
• This season, N'Guessan leads Kansas State with 13.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while junior guard Brendan Hausen stands second among the Wildcats with 12.0 points per contest. Hawkins ranks third in scoring (10.7 ppg) and second in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and assists (3.9 apg) but leads Kansas State with 1.4 blocks per game. Junior guard Dug McDaniel is tops on the team with 4.2 assists per contest.
• Head Coach Jerome Tang is in his third season at Kansas State and his fourth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Tang has built a 54-32 record during his career and is 52-32 in his career at Kansas State.
• He previously compiled a 2-0 record as interim head coach at Baylor during the 2012-13 season.
• Tang has posted an 0-1 record against Houston during his career with the lone previous meeting coming during his Kansas State tenure.
• Tang has posted an 0-1 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with the lone previous meeting coming during Tang's Kansas State and Sampson's Houston tenures.
• 2007 graduate of Kansas State.

SERIES HISTORY vs. KANSAS STATE
• Kansas State owns a 5-4 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1955-56 season.
• Saturday's game will be the lone regular-season meeting against Kansas State during the 2024-25 season.
• Houston has won two of the last three meetings against Kansas State. Only a 91-90 loss in Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Dec. 21, 1974, prevents a longer streak.
• In the most recent meeting, Houston took a 74-52 win inside Fertitta Center in Houston on Jan. 27, 2024.
• In the first meeting against Kansas State, Houston claimed an 86-79 victory in Houston on Dec. 21, 1955.
on Road: The series is tied at 1-1 in road games played in Manhattan, Kan.
• Houston can boast of the most recent road success after taking a 73-71 win inside Ahearn Field House on Jan. 23, 1971.
• In the first road meeting, Houston dropped a 97-78 decision in Manhattan, Kan., on Dec. 1, 1956.

UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, Houston returns to Fertitta Center to face #21/23 West Virginia at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15.
• That game will air on ESPN+.
• From there, the Cougars will face UCF at 11 a.m. (CST), Saturday, Jan. 18, inside Addition Financial Arena in Orlando.
• That game can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
• Houston returns to Fertitta Center to meet Utah at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21.
• 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
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