PREVIEW: #8/8 Men’s Basketball Takes on #14/14 Arkansas

Saturday, December 20

Prudential Center – Newark, N.J.

4:30 p.m. (CT)

University of Houston

Arkansas

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PREVIEW: #8/8 Men’s Basketball Takes on #14/14 Arkansas

12/17/2025 1:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Preview – Coach Kelvin Sampson (YouTube)Buy Tickets Watch (CBS/Paramount+)Listen (950 AM KPRC)Listen (Varsity Network app)Listen (SiriusXM Ch. 162 or Ch. 198)Live Stats (StatBroadcast)

Cougars tip off vs. former Southwest Conference rival during Never Forget Tribute Classic at 4:30 p.m. (CST) Saturday

NEWARK, N.J. – Winners of 10 of its first 11 games to open the season, the #8/8 University of Houston Men's Basketball program meets #14/14 Arkansas during the Never Forget Tribute Classic inside Prudential Center at 4:30 p.m. (CST), Saturday.

Saturday's game will be the first meeting against the Razorbacks since the 2017-18 season in Houston. The schools played at least twice a year every season from 1975-76 through 1990-91 as Southwest Conference rivals.

The Cougars enter this weekend's contest following a 99-57 win over New Orleans inside Fertitta Center on December 13.

Freshman center/forward Chris Cenac Jr., freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, sophomore guard Mercy Miller and redshirt freshman guard Chase McCarty each led the way with 15 points. McCarty and Cenac tied for team-high honors with six rebounds apiece while senior point guard Milos Uzan dished out a career-high-tying 10 assists with no turnovers in the win.

This season, senior guard Emanuel Sharp leads the Cougars with 17.2 points and 3.2 3-point field goals per game. Flemings stands second with 14.8 points per game and leads the team with a 60.6 field goal percentage (63-of-104). Cenac paces Houston with 7.5 rebounds per game, and junior forward Joseph Tugler is tops with 2.1 blocks per contest.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on CBS and Paramount+ with Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Steve Lappas (analyst) and Jon Rothstein (reporter) calling.
• Fans can hear Saturday's game on 950 AM KPRC, the Varsity Network app and SiriusXM Ch. 162 or Ch. 198 with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and calling. The pregame show begins at 4:30 p.m. (CST), Saturday.
• Fans can follow live stats from Saturday's game on StatBroadcast.

NOTES
• Since 2017-18, Houston is the nation's winningest team with a 253-45 record. The Cougars also are the nation's winningest team over the last 2+ (77), 3+ (110), 4+ (142), 5+ (169), 6+ (193) and 7+ (226) seasons.
• With 10 non-conference regular wins to date this season, the 2025-26 Cougars have tied for the ninth-most wins in school single-season history.
• The Cougars have been ranked in each of the last 113 AP polls for the nation's longest active streak and the 14th longest streak in NCAA history.
• Houston has posted a 17-2 record as the #8 (AP) team during its history. The Cougars have won their last five games and 14 of their last 15 contests as the #8 (AP) team. Only a 69-64 loss to UCF inside Fertitta Center in Houston on March 2, 2019, prevents a longer streak.

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 16 home games inside Fertitta Center with seven in non-conference play and nine in Big 12 action 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 ARKANSAS
• Arkansas enters Saturday's game with a 9-2 overall record.
• The Razorbacks are #14 in the latest Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls. Arkansas also stands at #20 in the NCAA NET rankings through December 16.
• Arkansas has won its last four games and eight of its last nine games. Only an 80-71 loss to Duke during the CBS Thanksgiving Classic inside United Center in Chicago on Nov. 27, 2025, prevents a longer streak.
• The Razorbacks are 1-1 in neutral-site games this season.
• In its most recent action, Arkansas enjoyed a 108-80 win over Queens inside Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark., on Tuesday night.
• Against Queens, six Razorbacks reached double-digit points with senior forward Trevon Brazile's 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting leading the way. Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. totaled 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting and dished out a game-high 10 assists with three rebounds and three steals while graduate forward Nick Pringle added 14 points with a game-high seven rebounds and a pair of steals.
• Sophomore guard Billy Richmond came off the bench to score 15 points to go with five rebounds while sophomore forward Karter Knox and junior guard D.J. Wagner finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
• This season, Acuff leads Arkansas with 18.2 points and 6.1 assists per game. Brazile stands second with 15.1 points per game but leads the Razorbacks with 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest. Meleek Thomas stands third on the team with 14.8 points per game and leads the Razorbacks with 1.5 steals per contest.
• Head Coach John Calipari is in his second season at Arkansas and his 34th year as a collegiate head coach.
• Calipari has built a 31-16 record with Arkansas and is 844-277 during his career.
• Previously posted a 410-123 record at Kentucky (2009-24), a 214-68 mark at Memphis (2000-09) and a 189-70 record at UMass (1988-96).
• Calipari has a 17-3 record against Houston during his career. That includes a 1-0 record with Kentucky and a 16-3 record with Memphis.
• Calipari has a 1-0 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers during his Kentucky and Sampson's Houston tenures.
• Calipari is a 1982 graduate of Clarion.

SERIES HISTORY vs. ARKANSAS
• Arkansas owns a 22-19 lead in the series, which began during the 1975-76 season.
• Saturday's game will be the first time that the Cougars have faced New Orleans since the 2017-18 season.
• The Cougars won the last meeting and have won two of the last three against against Arkansas. only an 84-72 Arkansas win in Fayetteville, Ark., on Dec. 6, 2016, prevents a longer streak.
• The two schools played one another at least twice each year from 1975-76 through the 1990-91 season as Southwest Conference rival.
• In the most recent meeting, the Cougars claimed a 91-65 win inside H&PE Arena on the Texas Southern campus in Houston on Dec. 2, 2017,
• In the first meeting of the series, Arkansas took a 92-47 win in Fayetteville, Ark., on January 5, 1976.
at Neutral Site: Arkansas owns a 3-2 lead against Houston in games played at a neutral site.
• Houston won the last meeting and have won two of the last three neutral-site encounters. Only a 96-84 Arkanas win during the Southwest Conference Title Game inside Reunion Arena in Dallas on March 11, 1990, prevents a longer winning streak.
• In the most recent neutral-site meeting, the Cougars enjoyed a 97-78 win inside Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Ark., on November 18, 2011.
• In the first neutral-site meeting in the series, the #7 Razorbacks took an 80-74 win during the Southwest Classic Semifinals inside The Summit in Houston on March 5, 1977.
in Prudential Center: Saturday's game will be the first time Houston has faced Arkansas inside Prudential Center.
When Ranked: Saturday's game will be the 22nd game in the series in which at least one school was ranked. Both schools were ranked in six games, and Arkansas alone was ranked in 15 games.
• Saturday's game will be the seventh game in the series in which both schools were ranked. The Cougars hold a 4-2 lead in the series in games in which both schools were ranked.
• In the most recent meeting in which both schools were ranked, #5/5 Houston claimed a 57-56 win over the #8/8 Razorbacks in the Southwest Conference Classic Title Game inside The Summit in Houston on March 11, 1984.
• In the first game in which both schools were ranked, #15 Arkansas took a 67-66 win over the 19th-ranked Cougars in Fayetteville, Ark., on January 23, 1982.

UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, Houston closes its non-conference regular-season schedule when it faces Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m., Monday, December 29, inside Fertitta Center. That game will air on ESPN+.
• From there, the Cougars begins their Big 12 Conference schedule when they meet Cincinnati at 1 p.m. (CST), Saturday, January 3, inside Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. That game will air on FOX.
• Houston opens its Big 12 home slate when it takes on #16/16 Texas Tech at 8 p.m., Tuesday, January 6, inside Fertitta Center. That game will air on FS1.
• 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.

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STAY CONNECTED
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