HOUSTON COUGARS MEN'S BASKETBALL
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Kelvin Sampson has engineered one of the nation's most dominant defensive units at Houston, holding opponents to just 61.6 points per game while his Cougars average 77.8 points in their own possessions. The squad's 23-3 overall record reflects that defensive prowess, with 16 victories coming at the 10,000-seat Fertitta Center where Houston's home-court advantage has proven nearly impenetrable. Big 12 play has been no exception, as the Cougars sit 9-2 in conference competition while maintaining a +16.2 point differential on the season.
Drawing from a student body of 48,950 at the University of Houston, Sampson's lean roster of 14 players operates with remarkable efficiency across both ends of the floor. The program's strength lies not in scoring volume but in methodical, suffocating defense—a philosophy that has consistently ranked among the American Athletic Conference's staples before Houston's Big 12 transition. With road challenges still on the docket, the 7-2 away record demonstrates the program's ability to execute its defensive principles in hostile environments, separating Houston from pretenders in this year's conference race.
KEY FACTS
| School | University of Houston |
| Sport | Men's Basketball |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Division | D1-FBS |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Venue | Fertitta Center |
| Head Coach | Kelvin Sampson |
ROSTER (2025-26)
| # | Name | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Chris Cenac Jr. | F |
| 4 | Kingston Flemings | G |
| 1 | Isiah Harwell | G |
| 6 | Bryce Jackson | G |
| 0 | Kordel Jefferson | G |
| 8 | Cedric Lath | C |
| 24 | Chase McCarty | F |
| 13 | Jacob McFarland | C |
| 25 | Mercy Miller | G |
| 14 | Kalifa Sakho | F |
| 21 | Emanuel Sharp | G |
| 11 | Joseph Tugler | F |
| 7 | Milos Uzan | G |
| 3 | Ramon Walker Jr. | G |
SEASON RECORD
28-6
Overall
20-2
Home
8-4
Away
12-5
Conference
77.1 PPG / 62.9 Opp PPG
SCHEDULE (2025-26)
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 4 | Lehigh Mountain Hawks | W 75-57 |
| Nov 8 | Towson Tigers | W 65-48 |
| Nov 13 | Oakland Golden Grizzlies | W 78-45 |
| Nov 16 | Auburn Tigers | W 73-72 |
| Nov 21 | Rider Broncs | W 91-45 |
| Nov 24 | Syracuse Orange | W 78-74 |
| Nov 25 | Tennessee Volunteers | L 73-76 |
| Nov 26 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | W 66-56 |
| Dec 7 | Florida State Seminoles | W 82-67 |
| Dec 11 | Jackson State Tigers | W 80-38 |
| Dec 13 | New Orleans Privateers | W 99-57 |
| Dec 20 | Arkansas Razorbacks | W 94-85 |
| Dec 30 | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders | W 69-60 |
| Jan 3 | Cincinnati Bearcats | W 67-60 |
| Jan 7 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | W 69-65 |
| Jan 10 | Baylor Bears | W 77-55 |
| Jan 14 | West Virginia Mountaineers | W 77-48 |
| Jan 18 | Arizona State Sun Devils | W 103-73 |
| Jan 24 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | L 86-90 |
| Jan 29 | TCU Horned Frogs | W 79-70 |
| Jan 31 | Cincinnati Bearcats | W 76-54 |
| Feb 5 | UCF Knights | W 79-55 |
| Feb 8 | BYU Cougars | W 77-66 |
| Feb 11 | Utah Utes | W 66-52 |
| Feb 14 | Kansas State Wildcats | W 78-64 |
| Feb 17 | Iowa State Cyclones | L 67-70 |
| Feb 21 | Arizona Wildcats | L 66-73 |
| Feb 24 | Kansas Jayhawks | L 56-69 |
| Feb 28 | Colorado Buffaloes | W 102-62 |
| Mar 5 | Baylor Bears | W 77-64 |
| Mar 7 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | W 82-75 |
| Mar 12 | BYU Cougars | W 73-66 |
| Mar 14 | Kansas Jayhawks | W 69-47 |
| Mar 14 | Arizona Wildcats | L 74-79 |
ANALYTICS
+14.3
Pt Diff
L1
Streak
54.5%
SOS
#1
T-Rank
Barthag: 0.9640
118.6
Adj O
89.1
Adj D
OTHER SPORTS AT HOUSTON
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Texas Men's Basketball ProgramsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What conference does Houston Men's Basketball compete in?
- Houston Cougars Men's Basketball competes in the Big 12 Conference conference at the NCAA D1-FBS level.
- Where does Houston play men's basketball home games?
- Houston Men's Basketball plays home games at Fertitta Center in Houston, TX.
- Who is the head coach of Houston Men's Basketball?
- The head coach of Houston Cougars Men's Basketball is Kelvin Sampson.
- When was Houston Men's Basketball program established?
- The establishment date for Houston Men's Basketball is not currently available.