Episode Details

West Virginia's reward for knocking off the Jayhawks? A trip to #7 Houston.... that's just life in the Big 12.

How They Got Here

After falling to Florida by a final score of 65-63 in the National Championship last season, the rebuilt Houston Cougars have their sights set on another deep run during March Madness. They currently have a 15-1 (3-0) record, with their lone loss coming against Tennessee in a neutral-site game in late November. In the non-conference, Houston has picked up notable wins over Auburn, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Florida State, and Arkansas.

Houston started their Big 12 slate with a 67-60 win on the road over Cincinnati. They followed that up with a 69-65 win at home over Texas Tech. On Saturday afternoon, the Cougars went to Waco and beat the Baylor Bears 77-55.

Numbers to Know

33

Houston had 33 more shot attempts than Baylor in Saturday’s 22-point win. A discrepancy that large can be due to a variety of reasons, such as turnovers and free throw attempts. Baylor committed 16 turnovers and got to the charity strip 31 times, making just 18 of their attempts. Despite the blowout win, Houston shot just 39% from the floor in 74 field goal attempts. However, Baylor shot 37%, making 15-of-41. If you have followed college basketball over the last few years, you know that Houston’s defense has been elite year-after-year. They are giving up just 60 points per game this season, slightly better than the Mountaineers, who are only allowing 62.3 points.

14.3

The Cougars are amongst the best in the Big 12 on the offensive glass, averaging 14.3 offensive rebounds per game. They rank 17th nationally in the offensive rebounding department.

44.3 & 33.6

As elite as Houston is defensively, their offensive efficiency has taken a step back (compared to last season) so far this season, as far as where it ranks in the Big 12. Houston’s field goal percentage this season is just 44.3, which is next-to-last in the conference. From 3-point territory, Houston’s 33.6% has them 14th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 in that department.

Players to Know

Senior guard Emmanuel Sharp is a familiar face for the Cougars, leading the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game. Sharp is a solid shooter for the Cougars, attempting over 7 threes per game, making 39% of his looks from downtown.

Freshman Kingston Flemings has been rather impressive through his first 16 games as a Cougar. He is averaging 15.7 points, 5.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2 steals per game. The potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is a major contributor to a Houston team that will likely be competing for another Big 12 title.

Milos Uzan, Chris Cenac Jr., and Joseph Tugler round out the starting lineup for a Houston Cougars team that relies heavily on the production they get from the talented starting 5.