Tuesday, January 23
Provo, Utah
8 p.m. CT
University of Houston
at
#21/19 BYU
PREVIEW: #4/4 Men’s Basketball Set to Meet #21/19 BYU
1/22/2024 5:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Cougars face Cougars at 8 p.m. (CST) inside Marriott Center in Provo, Utah
PROVO, Utah – After winning a pair of home games inside Fertitta Center last week, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to the road in Big 12 play to face #21/19 BYU at 8 p.m. (CST) Tuesday inside the Marriott Center.
#4/4 Houston (16-2 • 3-2 Big 12) enters Tuesday's game following a Big 12-record-setting performance against UCF inside Fertitta Center on Saturday. The Cougars limited the Knights to only seven field goals and 15.9 percent (7-of-44) shooting from the field, setting a league record for field goal percentage low in a conference game.
Tuesday's game features the nation's leading defense (Houston, 51.0 ppg) against the Big 12's leading offense (BYU, 85.3 ppg). The contest also features a pair of Top-Five teams in the latest NCAA NET rankings.
Senior point guard Jamal Shead leads the Cougars and ranks among the Big 12 Top-Five leaders in assists per game, steals per game and assist-turnover ratio. The Manor, Texas, native is one of only three student-athletes to rank among the Top-40 national leaders in all three categories.
For his recent impressive play, Shead was honored as the Big 12 Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game with only four total turnovers. He became the first Cougar to receive a Big 12 regular-season award.
Senior guard LJ Cryer led all players with 16 points and four 3-pointers in Saturday's win over UCF. The Katy, Texas native leads the Cougars and stands among the Big 12 leaders in scoring (15.2 ppg, 8th), 3-point field goal percentage (38.5, 7th) and 3-point field goals per game (3.0, 2nd).
Senior forward J'Wan Roberts ranks seventh in the league with 7.1 rebounds per game and is one of only five players to rank among the league's Top-11 in both offensive AND defensive rebounding.
POLL NOTES
• With Monday's #4 rankings in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls, the Cougars extended their school record streak to 76 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25. That also stands as the nation's longest active streak.
• Houston has won its last three games when competing as the #4 (AP) team.
• The Cougars have been in the AP Top 25 for 67 weeks in their history, including each of the last eight weeks in 2023-24.
• This marked the 31st straight week in which Houston has appeared in the AP Top 10.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Tuesday's game on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Chris Spatola (analyst) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Tuesday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) calling the action. The pregame show begins at 7:45 p.m. (CST), Tuesday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.
ABOUT BYU
• BYU brings a 14-4 overall record and 2-3 Big 12 mark into Tuesday's game inside Marriott Center.
• The Cougars are tied for eighth in the latest league standings
• BYU is 10-1 in home games inside Marriott Center during the 2023-24 season.
• The Cougars have won two of their last three games.
• However, in its most recent action, BYU dropped an 85-78 decision at #25/25 Texas Tech.
• Against Texas Tech, junior center Aly Khalifa posted 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds. sophomore guard Richie Saunders totaled 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting with four rebounds while sophomore guard Dallin Hall added 12 points with a team-high-tying seven rebounds and a game-high six assists.
• This season, senior guard Jaxson Robinson leads five Cougars averaging double digits with 13.9 points per game. Junior guard Trevin Knell stands second with 12.7 points per game. Senior guard Spencer Johnson is third on the team with 11.4 points per game but is second among the Cougars with 4.0 assists per game. Senior forward Noah Waterman averages 10.5 points per game and leads BYU with 6.5 rebounds per game while Saunders is fifth with 10.3 points per game.
• Head Coach Mark Pope is in his fifth season at BYU and his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Pope has posted a 101-45 record with BYU and is 178-101 during his career.
• Pope previously built a 77-56 record at Utah Valley (2015-19).
• Pope has posted a 1-0 record against Houston during his career with the lone previous meeting coming during his Houston tenure.
• Pope has posted a 1-0 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with the lone previous meeting coming during Sampson's Houston and Pope's BYU tenure.
• 1996 graduate of Kentucky.
SERIES HISTORY vs. BYU
• Houston owns a 5-3 lead against BYU in the series, which began during the 1965-66 season.
• Tuesday's game will be the lone regular-season meeting against BYU during the 2023-24 season.
• Tuesday's game will be the first time Houston has faced BYU since the 2019-20 season.
• Houston has won three of the last four meetings against BYU. However, BYU can boast of the most recent success after taking a 72-71 win in Fertitta Center in Houston on Nov. 15, 2019.
• In the first meeting, BYU claimed a 111-82 win in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 4, 1965.
on Road: Houston owns an 2-1 lead in the series history against BYU in games played in Provo, Utah.
• Houston has won each of the last two road meetings, including a 76-62 victory in Marriott Center during the Men Against Breast Cancer Cougar Cup title game on Nov. 24, 2018.
• In the first road encounter, BYU claimed a 111-82 win in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 4, 1965.
UP NEXT
• Following Tuesday's game, the Cougars return to Fertitta Center to play host to rv/rv Kansas State at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 27.
• That game can be seen on ESPN.
• From there, the Cougars close the month of January when they meet rv/rv Texas at 8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 29, inside Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
• That game will be show on ESPN.
• Houston opens the month of February when it meets #7/8 Kansas at 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3, inside Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.
• That game can be seen on ESPN.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.
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, giving to Houston Rise 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.
#4/4 Houston (16-2 • 3-2 Big 12) enters Tuesday's game following a Big 12-record-setting performance against UCF inside Fertitta Center on Saturday. The Cougars limited the Knights to only seven field goals and 15.9 percent (7-of-44) shooting from the field, setting a league record for field goal percentage low in a conference game.
Tuesday's game features the nation's leading defense (Houston, 51.0 ppg) against the Big 12's leading offense (BYU, 85.3 ppg). The contest also features a pair of Top-Five teams in the latest NCAA NET rankings.
Senior point guard Jamal Shead leads the Cougars and ranks among the Big 12 Top-Five leaders in assists per game, steals per game and assist-turnover ratio. The Manor, Texas, native is one of only three student-athletes to rank among the Top-40 national leaders in all three categories.
For his recent impressive play, Shead was honored as the Big 12 Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game with only four total turnovers. He became the first Cougar to receive a Big 12 regular-season award.
Senior guard LJ Cryer led all players with 16 points and four 3-pointers in Saturday's win over UCF. The Katy, Texas native leads the Cougars and stands among the Big 12 leaders in scoring (15.2 ppg, 8th), 3-point field goal percentage (38.5, 7th) and 3-point field goals per game (3.0, 2nd).
Senior forward J'Wan Roberts ranks seventh in the league with 7.1 rebounds per game and is one of only five players to rank among the league's Top-11 in both offensive AND defensive rebounding.
POLL NOTES
• With Monday's #4 rankings in the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls, the Cougars extended their school record streak to 76 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25. That also stands as the nation's longest active streak.
• Houston has won its last three games when competing as the #4 (AP) team.
• The Cougars have been in the AP Top 25 for 67 weeks in their history, including each of the last eight weeks in 2023-24.
• This marked the 31st straight week in which Houston has appeared in the AP Top 10.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Tuesday's game on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Chris Spatola (analyst) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Tuesday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) calling the action. The pregame show begins at 7:45 p.m. (CST), Tuesday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.
ABOUT BYU
• BYU brings a 14-4 overall record and 2-3 Big 12 mark into Tuesday's game inside Marriott Center.
• The Cougars are tied for eighth in the latest league standings
• BYU is 10-1 in home games inside Marriott Center during the 2023-24 season.
• The Cougars have won two of their last three games.
• However, in its most recent action, BYU dropped an 85-78 decision at #25/25 Texas Tech.
• Against Texas Tech, junior center Aly Khalifa posted 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds. sophomore guard Richie Saunders totaled 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting with four rebounds while sophomore guard Dallin Hall added 12 points with a team-high-tying seven rebounds and a game-high six assists.
• This season, senior guard Jaxson Robinson leads five Cougars averaging double digits with 13.9 points per game. Junior guard Trevin Knell stands second with 12.7 points per game. Senior guard Spencer Johnson is third on the team with 11.4 points per game but is second among the Cougars with 4.0 assists per game. Senior forward Noah Waterman averages 10.5 points per game and leads BYU with 6.5 rebounds per game while Saunders is fifth with 10.3 points per game.
• Head Coach Mark Pope is in his fifth season at BYU and his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Pope has posted a 101-45 record with BYU and is 178-101 during his career.
• Pope previously built a 77-56 record at Utah Valley (2015-19).
• Pope has posted a 1-0 record against Houston during his career with the lone previous meeting coming during his Houston tenure.
• Pope has posted a 1-0 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with the lone previous meeting coming during Sampson's Houston and Pope's BYU tenure.
• 1996 graduate of Kentucky.
SERIES HISTORY vs. BYU
• Houston owns a 5-3 lead against BYU in the series, which began during the 1965-66 season.
• Tuesday's game will be the lone regular-season meeting against BYU during the 2023-24 season.
• Tuesday's game will be the first time Houston has faced BYU since the 2019-20 season.
• Houston has won three of the last four meetings against BYU. However, BYU can boast of the most recent success after taking a 72-71 win in Fertitta Center in Houston on Nov. 15, 2019.
• In the first meeting, BYU claimed a 111-82 win in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 4, 1965.
on Road: Houston owns an 2-1 lead in the series history against BYU in games played in Provo, Utah.
• Houston has won each of the last two road meetings, including a 76-62 victory in Marriott Center during the Men Against Breast Cancer Cougar Cup title game on Nov. 24, 2018.
• In the first road encounter, BYU claimed a 111-82 win in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 4, 1965.
UP NEXT
• Following Tuesday's game, the Cougars return to Fertitta Center to play host to rv/rv Kansas State at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 27.
• That game can be seen on ESPN.
• From there, the Cougars close the month of January when they meet rv/rv Texas at 8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 29, inside Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
• That game will be show on ESPN.
• Houston opens the month of February when it meets #7/8 Kansas at 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3, inside Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.
• That game can be seen on ESPN.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.
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, giving to Houston Rise 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.
– UHCougars.com –