2025–26 Houston Cougars men's basketball team
American college basketball season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2025–26 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represented the University of Houston in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars, led by 12th-year head coach Kelvin Sampson, played their home games at the Fertitta Center as third-year members of the Big 12 Conference.
| 2025–26 Houston Cougars men's basketball | |
|---|---|
| |
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen | |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 6 |
| AP | No. 7 |
| Record | 30–7 (14–4 Big 12) |
| Head coach |
|
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Home arena | Fertitta Center |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Arizona † | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 36 | – | 3 | .923 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Houston | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 30 | – | 7 | .811 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20 Kansas | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 24 | – | 11 | .686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 21 Texas Tech | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 23 | – | 11 | .676 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Iowa State | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 29 | – | 8 | .784 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCU | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 23 | – | 12 | .657 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 21 | – | 14 | .600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 21 | – | 12 | .636 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 18 | – | 15 | .545 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 23 | – | 12 | .657 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 17 | – | 16 | .515 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 17 | – | 16 | .515 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baylor | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 17 | – | 17 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 20 | – | 15 | .571 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas State | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | 2 | – | 16 | .111 | 10 | – | 22 | .313 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 Big 12 tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
As the No. 1 seed in the 2025 Big 12 men's basketball tournament, held at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Houston received a bye to the quarterfinals. There, they defeated Colorado, 77–68, to advance to the semifinals, where they would defeat BYU, 74–54, to advance to the championship game, where they would secure a 72–64 victory over Arizona to claim their first tournament title.
As the tournament champion, Houston received an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA tournament, also as the No. 1 seed. They were seeded in the Midwest region. There, they defeated SIU Edwardsville, 78–40, in the First round, Gonzaga, 81–76, in the Second round, Purdue, 62–60, in the Sweet Sixteen, and Tennessee, 69–50, in the Elite Eight to advance to their first Final Four since 2021. In the Final Four, they overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Duke, 70–67, to advance to their first national championship since 1984. In the championship game, despite leading for nearly the entire game – the same thing Duke did to them in the Final Four – Houston ultimately lost to Florida, 65–63, denying them their first national title.[1][2]
Offseason
Departing players
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer | 4 | G | 6'1" | 200 | Graduate Student | Katy, TX | Exhausted eligibility |
| Ja'Vier Francis | 5 | F | 6'8" | 235 | Senior | New Orleans, LA | Graduated |
| Mylik Wilson | 8 | G | 6'3" | 175 | Graduate Student | Rayville, LA | Exhausted eligibility |
| J'Wan Roberts | 13 | F | 6'8" | 235 | Graduate Student | Saint Thomas, USVI | Exhausted eligibility |
| Terrance Arceneaux | 23 | G | 6'6" | 205 |  Sophomore | Beaumont, TX | Transferred to NC State |
Incoming transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalifa Sakho | 34 | F | 6'11" | 230 | Senior | Rouen, France | Sam Houston |
2025 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Cenac Jr. C |
New Orleans, LA | Link Academy | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Nov 26, 2024 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (96) | ||||||
| Isiah Harwell SG |
Pocatello, ID | Wasatch Academy | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Sep 12, 2024 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports:  ESPN: (92) | ||||||
| Kingston Flemings PG |
San Antonio, TX | William J. Brennan High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Nov 14, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (89) | ||||||
| Bryce Jackson SG |
Pearland, TX | Shadow Creek High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Nov 14, 2024 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (81) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: 247Sports: 3 On3: 3 ESPN: 2 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Preseason
The Big 12 preseason coaches poll was released on October 16, 2025. All awards were voted on by the league's 16 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players. The Big 12 preseason media poll was released on October 30, 2025.
|
Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Big 12 Preseason Media Poll
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All-Big 12 Preseason First team
| Player | School | Pos. | Yr. | Ht., Wt. | Hometown (Last School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Dybantsa† | BYU | F | Fr. | 6'9", 195 | Brockton, MA (Utah Prep) |
| Richie Saunders | G | Sr. | 6'5", 200 | Riverton, UT (Wasatch Academy) | |
| Emanuel Sharp | Houston | G | R-Sr. | 6'3", 205 | Tampa, FL (Bishop McLaughlin School) |
| Joseph Tugler | F | Jr. | 6'8", 230 | Monroe, LA (Cypress Falls) | |
| Milos Uzan† | G | Sr. | 6'4", 195 | Las Vegas, NV (Oklahoma) | |
| Tamin Lipsey | Iowa State | G | Sr. | 6'1", 200 | Ames, IA (Ames) |
| Darryn Peterson† | Kansas | G | Fr. | 6'5", 205 | Canton, OH (Napa Christian) |
| P.J. Haggerty | Kansas State | G | Jr. | 6'4", 195 | Crosby, TX (Memphis) |
| Christian Anderson | Texas Tech | G | So. | 6'9", 195 | Atlanta, GA (Oak Hill Academy) |
| JT Toppin† | F | Jr. | 6'9", 230 | Dallas, TX (New Mexico) | |
| † denotes unanimous selection Reference:[3] | |||||
- Player of the Year: JT Toppin, Texas Tech
- Co-Newcomer of the Year: LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
- Freshman of the Year: Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Roster
| 2025–26 Houston Cougars men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 26, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 2 | vs. Mississippi State The Preview CBB Exhibition |
W 61–52 | − |
17 – Tugler | 9 – Cenac Jr. | 4 – Tied | Fort Bend Epicenter Rosenberg, TX | |||
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 3, 2025* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN |
No. 2 | Lehigh | W 75–57 | 1–0 |
24 – Sharp | 10 – Cenac Jr. | 5 – Uzan | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| November 8, 2025* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 2 | Towson | W 65–48 | 2−0 |
20 – Flemings | 13 – Cenac Jr. | 6 – Uzan | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| November 12, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 1 | Oakland | W 78–45 | 3–0 |
19 – Tied | 6 – Walker Jr. | 9 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| November 16, 2025* 2:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 1 | vs. No. 22 Auburn The Battleground 2k25 |
W 73–72 | 4−0 |
22 – Flemings | 9 – Cenac Jr. | 7 – Flemings | Legacy Arena (15,623) Birmingham, AL | |||
| November 20, 2025* 8:00 p.m., TNT/TruTV |
No. 2 | Rider | W 91–45 | 5−0 |
18 – Flemings | 9 – Tugler | 6 – Uzan | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| November 24, 2025* 5:00 p.m., TNT |
No. 3 | vs. Syracuse Players Era Festival Game 1 |
W 78–74 OT | 6−0 |
26 – Tied | 12 – Cenac Jr. | 6 – Flemings | MGM Grand Garden Arena (4,628) Paradise, NV | |||
| November 25, 2025* 5:00 p.m., TNT |
No. 3 | vs. No. 17 Tennessee Players Era Festival Game 2 |
L 73–76 | 6–1 |
25 – Flemings | 11 – Cenac Jr. | 5 – Tugler | MGM Grand Garden Arena (5,110) Paradise, NV | |||
| November 26, 2025* 2:30 p.m., TNT |
No. 3 | vs. Notre Dame Players Era Festival Consolation Game |
W 66–56 | 7–1 |
17 – Sharp | 8 – Tugler | 5 – Flemings | MGM Grand Garden Arena (1,629) Paradise, NV | |||
| December 6, 2025* 7:00 p.m., Peacock |
No. 8 | vs. Florida State Houston Hoops Showdown |
W 82–67 | 8–1 |
27 – Sharp | 10 – Cenac Jr. | 8 – Uzan | Toyota Center (7,121) Houston, TX | |||
| December 10, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 7 | Jackson State | W 80–38 | 9–1 |
23 – Sharp | 7 – McCarty | 6 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| December 13, 2025* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 7 | New Orleans | W 99–57 | 10–1 |
15 – Tied | 6 – Tied | 10 – Uzan | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| December 20, 2025* 4:30 p.m., CBS |
No. 8 | vs. No. 14 Arkansas Never Forget Tribute Classic |
W 94–85 | 11–1 |
22 – Sharp | 7 – Cenac Jr. | 5 – Flemings | Prudential Center (6,246) Newark, NJ | |||
| December 29, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 8 | Middle Tennessee | W 69–60 | 12–1 |
15 – Flemings | 6 – Tied | 5 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| Big 12 regular season | |||||||||||
| January 3, 2026 1:00 p.m., FOX |
No. 8 | at Cincinnati | W 67–60 | 13–1 (1–0) |
19 – Flemings | 8 – Cenac Jr. | 6 – Flemings | Fifth Third Arena (11,062) Cincinnati, OH | |||
| January 6, 2026 8:00 p.m., FS1 |
No. 7 | No. 14 Texas Tech | W 69–65 | 14–1 (2–0) |
23 – Flemings | 11 – Cenac Jr. | 5 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| January 10, 2026 12:00 p.m., Peacock |
No. 7 | at Baylor | W 77–55 | 15–1 (3–0) |
17 – Sharp | 11 – Tugler | 7 – Flemings | Foster Pavilion (7,335) Waco, TX | |||
| January 13, 2026 7:30 p.m., FS1 |
No. 7 | West Virginia | W 77–48 | 16–1 (4–0) |
17 – Uzan | 10 – Cenac Jr. | 7 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| January 18, 2026 5:30 p.m., ESPN |
No. 7 | Arizona State | W 103–73 | 17–1 (5–0) |
20 – Flemings | 8 – Cenac Jr. | 8 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| January 24, 2026 1:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 6 | at No. 12 Texas Tech College GameDay |
L 86–90 | 17–2 (5–1) |
42 – Flemings | 7 – Tied | 6 – Flemings | United Supermarkets Arena (15,098) Lubbock, TX | |||
| January 28, 2026 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 10 | at TCU | W 79–70 | 18–2 (6–1) |
27 – Flemings | 14 – Cenac Jr. | 5 – Flemings | Schollmaier Arena (6,863) Fort Worth, TX | |||
| January 31, 2026 11:00 a.m., FOX |
No. 10 | Cincinnati | W 76–54 | 19–2 (7–1) |
16 – Uzan | 6 – Tugler | 6 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| February 4, 2026 6:00 p.m., FS1 |
No. 8 | UCF | W 79–55 | 20–2 (8–1) |
18 – Flemings | 10 – Cenac Jr. | 6 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| February 7, 2026 9:30 p.m., ESPN |
No. 8 | at No. 16 BYU | W 77–66 | 21–2 (9–1) |
19 – Flemings | 6 – Tugler | 5 – Tied | Marriott Center (18,177) Provo, UT | |||
| February 10, 2026 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 3 | at Utah | W 66–52 | 22–2 (10–1) |
27 – Sharp | 5 – Tied | 4 – Flemings | Jon M. Huntsman Center (7,111) Salt Lake City, UT | |||
| February 14, 2026 3:00 p.m., Peacock |
No. 3 | Kansas State | W 78–64 | 23–2 (11–1) |
23 – Sharp | 7 – Flemings | 8 – Uzan | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| February 16, 2026 8:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 2 | at No. 6 Iowa State | L 67–70 | 23–3 (11–2) |
22 – Flemings | 12 – Cenac Jr. | 6 – Uzan | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, IA | |||
| February 21, 2026 2:00 p.m., ABC |
No. 2 | No. 4 Arizona | L 66–73 | 23–4 (11–3) |
17 – Flemings | 13 – Cenac Jr. | 4 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,887) Houston, TX | |||
| February 23, 2026 8:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 5 | at No. 14 Kansas | L 56–69 | 23–5 (11–4) |
16 – Flemings | 7 – Tied | 3 – Uzan | Allen Fieldhouse (15,300) Lawrence, KS | |||
| February 28, 2026 11:00 a.m., ESPN2 |
No. 5 | Colorado | W 102–62 | 24–5 (12–4) |
26 – Uzan | 8 – Miller | 8 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| March 4, 2026 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 7 | Baylor | W 77–64 | 25–5 (13–4) |
21 – Flemings | 6 – Tugler | 7 – Flemings | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | |||
| March 7, 2026 11:00 a.m., CBS |
No. 7 | at Oklahoma State | W 82–75 | 26–5 (14–4) |
20 – McCarty | 6 – Tugler | 9 – Flemings | Gallagher-Iba Arena (6,200) Stillwater, OK | |||
| Big 12 tournament | |||||||||||
| March 12, 2026 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
(2) No. 5 | vs. (10) BYU Quarterfinal |
W 73–66 | 27–5 |
17 – Flemings | 8 – Tugler | 4 – Tied | T-Mobile Center (17,015) Kansas City, MO | |||
| March 13, 2026 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
(2) No. 5 | vs. (3) No. 14 Kansas Semifinal |
W 69–47 | 28–5 |
21 – Flemings | 14 – Cenac Jr. | 3 – Tied | T-Mobile Center (19,450) Kansas City, MO | |||
| March 14, 2026 5:00 p.m., ESPN |
(2) No. 5 | vs. (1) No. 2 Arizona Championship |
L 74–79 | 28–6 |
20 – Tugler | 10 – Tugler | 7 – Flemings | T-Mobile Center (11,696) Kansas City, MO | |||
| NCAA tournament | |||||||||||
| March 19, 2026* 9:10 p.m., truTV |
(2 S) No. 5 | vs. (15 S) Idaho First round |
W 78–47 | 29–6 |
18 – Flemings | 18 – Cenac Jr. | 4 – Flemings | Paycom Center (13,815) Oklahoma City, OK | |||
| March 21, 2026* 5:10 p.m., TNT |
(2 S) No. 5 | vs. (10 S) Texas A&M Second round |
W 88–57 | 30–6 |
18 – Sharp | 9 – Cenac Jr. | 4 – Tied | Paycom Center (14,887) Oklahoma City, OK | |||
| March 26, 2026* 9:05 p.m., TBS/truTV |
(2 S) No. 5 | vs. (3 S) No. 13 Illinois Sweet Sixteen |
L 55–65 | 30–7 |
17 – Sharp | 10 – Cenac Jr. | 5 – Tied | Toyota Center (17,307) Houston, TX | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. All times are in Central Time. | |||||||||||
Source:[5]