HOUSTON – After winning three games in the first five days of the season, the University of Houston men’s basketball program begins a four-game country home throughout the season when they will host South Carolina at 5 pm on Saturday at the Fertitta Center .
Fans should note 5 pm, Saturday’s game reporting time, which has changed this week from previously published schedules.
The Cougars enter the game this weekend after a 64-53 victory over No. 14/13 Texas Tech during the final day of the Southwest Showcase inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday.
With that victory, Houston jumped seven places to tenth place in the latest poll from the Associated Press’s top 25. It was the second time in the past three seasons that cougars have ranked among the top 10 in the country.
Under the leadership of the head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars are among the main defensive teams in the country. Houston is in fourth place nationally, with 12.8 points of 3-point goal percentage defense and is only allowing 52.0 points per game to stay in seventh place in the country.
Second year guard Marcus Sasser leads the Cougars and the American Athletic Conference with 17.3 points and 4.0 3 points per game. The Red Oak, Texas native is also in eighth place nationally with his 3 point average.
Senior Guard DeJon Jarreau and junior guard Quentin Grimes are tied at the head of the team with 7.3 rebounds per game each, while Jarreau is the leader among the cougars with 2.3 steals and 2.3 assists per game.
With the Cougars’ next victory, Sampson will break the tie with Pat Foster and become the second most winning coach in the program’s history, behind only Hall of Fame coach Guy V. Lewis (592, 1956-86).
Foster scored 142 victories with the Cougars from 1986 to 1993.
GAMEDAY PROTOCOLS
• To create the safest possible environment during the fight against COVID-19, UH Athletics is encouraging all fans to participate in a self-assessment screening before attending the games this fall. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body pain, headache and loss of taste or smell. A link to the self-assessment can be found clicking here.
• As part of the Houston Athletics’ improved safety and cleanliness measures, all sports facilities will be regularly sanitized and disinfected at all high frequency contact points and locations throughout our facilities.
• All fans will be required to wear a suitable face mask or face shield while on the University property and within its facilities, in addition to being asked to wash their hands regularly and distance themselves accordingly when possible.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available throughout the arena. Plexiglass protectors will be located at all points of sale and social distance markings will be installed to assist in queuing.
TUNE
• Fans can watch Saturday’s game on ESPN + clicking here with Matt Thomas (piece by piece) and Reid Gettys (analyst).
• Fans can listen to Saturday’s game at KPRC 950 AM or the TuneIn app clicking here with Jeremy Branham (play by play) and Hall of Fame Elvin Hayes (analyst). The pre-match show starts at 4:45 pm
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
• South Carolina has a 1-1 record ahead of Saturday’s game at Fertitta Center.
• Saturday’s game will be the Gamecocks’ first real road game in 2020-21.
• In their most recent action, South Carolina had a 69-58 victory over Tulsa on Sunday inside the T-Mobile Center … After reaching a 34-33 lead at halftime, the Gamecocks overcame the Golden Hurricane by 10 in the second half for his first win of the season.
• Against, Tulsa, Jermaine Cousinard led all players with 20 points from 7 out of 15 pitches, including 4 from 8 from behind the hoop … Cousinard also led the team with four assists … Guard AJ Lawson added 17 points with four treys, and striker Justin Minaya totaled 11 points and drew with striker Alanzo Frink in the highest honor of the game with nine rebounds.
• This season, Cousinard leads Gamecocks with 15.0 points and 2.5 assists per game … Lawson is second on the team with 14.5 points per dispute, while Minaya leads with 7.5 rebounds per game.
• Coach Frank Martin is in his 10th season in South Carolina and is in 15 years as a college coach.
• Martin built a record 265-174 as a high school coach during his career and has 148-120 with Gamecocks
• Martin posted a 117-54 record in the state of Kansas (2007-12).
• Martin is 0-1 against Houston during his career.
• Martin is 0-1 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• Martin graduated in 1993 from the FIU.
NEXT
• After Saturday’s game, the Cougars continue their homestand when they meet Sam Houston State at 7 pm, Wednesday at the Fertitta Center.
• This game can be viewed on ESPN + and can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the TuneIn app.
• The homestand continues against Rice on December 12 and ends with rival UCF from the American Athletic Conference on December 15.
SUBSCRIBE TO 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men’s Basketball. 50-50 club members help fund the needs of the program and improve the experience of our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered clothing from the Jordan Brand team, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates on the program and more.
For more information or to subscribe, fans can visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans can call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (46874).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and stay on top of the latest news and notes about the team by clicking TO LIKE on the team’s Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or visiting the team’s Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –