PREVIEW: #2/2 Men’s Basketball Meets #8/12 Kansas on Monday

Monday, February 23

Lawrence, Kan.

8 p.m.

University of Houston

Kansas

Buy Tickets

Houston players cheer their teammates from the bench

PREVIEW: #2/2 Men’s Basketball Meets #8/12 Kansas on Monday

2/22/2026 7:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Watch (ESPN)Listen (950 AM KPRC)Listen (Varsity Network app)SiriusXM (Ch. 198/Ch. 952)Listen (Westwood One)Live Stats (StatBroadcast)Houston Game Notes (PDF)Kansas Notes (PDF)Big 12 Notes (PDF)

Cougars tip off vs. Jayhawks at 8 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse; Game airing on ESPN

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The #2/2 University of Houston Men's Basketball program continues its Big 12 Conference slate when it faces #8/12 Kansas at 8 p.m., Monday, inside Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

A year ago, the Cougars knocked off Kansas State 92-86 in double overtime in a game that Houston fans will long remember. Down six with 91 seconds remaining in regulation, the Cougars rallied and tied the game on a pair of free throws from forward J'Wan Roberts to force overtime.

Houston found itself down six again with 18 seconds remaining in the first overtime before another round of Cougar heroics. Guard Emanuel Sharp buried a 3-pointer with seconds left, and guard Milos Uzan deflected Kansas' inbounds pass into the hands of guard Mylik Wilson, who snared the loose ball and drained the game-tying trey to force the second extra period.

The Cougars enter Monday's game following a tough 73-66 loss to #4/4 Arizona inside Fertitta Center on Saturday afternoon. Freshman point guard Kingston Flemings posted 17 points with a career-high eight rebounds and a game-high four assists.

It was the 16^th time this season that Flemings led or tied for the team lead in scoring, and it marked the 23^rd game – including each of the last 16 games – that Flemings dished out 4+ assists.

The San Antonio, Texas, native needs only eight more points to move past guard Rob Williams and set the Houston freshman season scoring record with 457 points.

Freshman center/forward Chris Cenac Jr. totaled 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for his team-leading fifth double-double of the year. The New Orleans native moved into fourth in Houston freshman single-season history with his double-double total.

NOTES
• The 2025-26 Cougars are the 22^nd team in school history to post 23+ victories in a season. Head Coach Kelvin Sampson has led his 15^th team to a 23+-win season during his award-winning career.
• With the release of Monday's poll, Houston will be ranked in the last 122 Associated Press polls for the nation's longest active streak.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Monday's game on ESPN with Jon Sciambi (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst).
• Fans can hear Monday's game on 950 AM KPRC, the Varsity Network app and SiriusXM Ch. 198/Ch. 952 with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes. The pregame show begins at 1:45 p.m., Saturday.
• Fans also can listen to the game on Westwood One with Kevin Kugler (pxp) and Nick Bahe (analyst).
• Fans can follow live stats from Saturday's game on StatBroadcast.

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 three more conference games 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 KANSAS
• Kansas enters Monday's game with a 20-7 overall record. The Jayhawks are 10-4 in Big 12 Conference play to tie with Iowa State and Texas Tech for third in the league.
• Kansas has alternated wins and loss in its last four games.
• The Jayhawks are 12-2 in home games inside Allen Fieldhouse this season.
• In its most recent action, Kansas dropped an 84-68 decision to Cincinnati inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., on Saturday.
• Against Cincinnati, sophomore forward Flory Bidunga led Kansas with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson posted 17 points with four rebounds while senior guard Tre White totaled 11 points with three rebounds. Senior guard Melvin Council Jr. added a team-high four assists in the loss.
• This season, Peterson leads Kansas with 19.8 points per game. Bidunga is second on the team with 14.6 points per game but leads the squad with 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game. White is third with 13.7 points per game and second with 6.7 rebounds per contest. Council averages 13. 6 points per game and leads the Jayhawks with 5.1 assists per contest.
• Head Coach Bill Self is in his 23rd season at Kansas and his 33rd year as a collegiate head coach.
• Self has built a 629-163 record with Kansas and is 836-268 during his career.
• He previously compiled 78-24 record at Illinois (2001-02), a 74-27 mark at Tulsa (1997-00) and a 55-54 record at Oral Roberts (1993-97).
• Self has posted a 1-4 record against Houston during his career with a 1-2 mark with Kansas. He also was 0-1 against the Cougars with Tulsa.
• Self has compiled a 3-7 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers. That includes a 3-3 mark with Kansas (1-2 vs. Sampson [Houston] and 2-1 vs. Sampson [Oklahoma]) and an 0-3 record with Oral Roberts (0-2 vs. Sampson [Oklahoma] and 0-1 vs. Sampson [Washington State])
• Self is a 1985 graduate of Oklahoma State.

SERIES HISTORY vs. KANSAS
• Kansas holds a 6-5 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1966-67 season.
• Monday's game will be the lone regular-season meeting against Kansas during the 2025-26 season.
• This marks the third straight season in which the two schools will square off as Big 12 Conference rivals.
• Houston has won the last three meetings against Kansas for the Cougars' longest winning streak in the series Those three wins snapped a four-game losing streak to the Jayhawks.
• In the most recent meeting, #3/3 Houston enjoyed a 65-59 win over Kansas inside Fertitta Center in Houston on March 3, 2025.
• In the series' first meeting, #7 Houston enjoyed a 66-53 win over the #3 Jayhawks during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Sweet 16 inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., on March 17, 1967.
on Road: The Cougars have posted a 2-3 record in road games played in Lawrence, Kan., during the series history.
• In the most road meeting at Kansas, #7/5 Houston claimed a 92-86 win over the #12/11 Jayhawks in double overtime in Allen Fieldhouse on January 25, 2025.
• That win snapped a three-game road losing streak at Kansas.
• In the' first road encounter, #7 Houston enjoyed a 66-53 win over the #3 Jayhawks during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Sweet 16 inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., on March 17, 1967.

UP NEXT
• Following Monday's game, the Cougars return to Fertitta Center to play host to Colorado at 11 a.m., Saturday, February 28. That game will air on ESPN2.
• Houston continue its homestand when it faces Baylor on Senior Night at 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 4, inside Fertitta Center. That game will air on ESPN2.
• From there, the Cougars close the regular season when they meet Oklahoma State at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 7, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla. That game will air on CBS.
• 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.

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 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 –