No. 8 Houston is back in Fertitta Center on Wednesday night, and the Cougars will see a new opponent for the first time when Jacksonville State comes to town for a 7 p.m. tip.
The Cougars arrive with a 2-0 start after knocking off California, 86-68, in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic on Sunday night inside Tahoe Blue Event Center. Senior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. was the engine again, finishing with 20 points and eight assists to lead all players. Through two games, the Las Vegas native is pacing Houston at 18.0 points and 6.5 assists per outing, and he has piled up 13 assists with just one turnover.
Thomas has opened the season with back-to-back games of at least 15 points, five assists and two steals while committing one or no turnovers. The only other Big 12 Conference player to do that in a season opener stretch was Texas A&M’s Acie Law IV in 2005-06.
Houston also got a big all-around night from senior forward Joseph Tugler in the win over California. The Monroe, La., native scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, added three rebounds, blocked four shots, stole the ball twice and handed out an assist. The victory was Houston’s first over California since the 1997-98 season.
Graduate guard Chendall Weaver made his Houston debut in the game and gave the Cougars a lift right away. He scored six points, grabbed six rebounds, collected three offensive boards and finished with a team-high three steals.
Wednesday’s matchup also comes with a full slate of game-day elements. The game is being presented by Raising Cane’s, and the Cougars will also mark Military Appreciation as part of the program’s Veterans Day observance.
The first fans through the doors will receive free posters featuring freshman guard Tyus Thomas and freshman center Djafar Silimana while supplies last. Current University of Houston students can attend the Student Tailgate with free food and drinks while supplies last in Mike Cemo Plaza off Cullen Boulevard in front of Fertitta Center beginning at 4 p.m.
Rudy Perez will perform the national anthem on electric guitar before tipoff, and U.S. Army Major Sean Hoyt will lead the Whose House?
Coogs’ House! chant.
At halftime, U.S. Army recruits will be sworn in, followed by a medley of music from all U.S. military branches.
For those following from home, the game will stream on ESPN+ with Matt Pedersen, Adam Wexler and Nicole Beckelman on the call. It will also air on 950 AM KPRC, the Varsity Network app, SiriusXM Ch. 83 and the SiriusXM app Ch. 83 with Jeremy Branham and Elvin Hayes.
Pregame coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. Live stats will be available on StatBroadcast.
Jacksonville State comes in at 1-1 after an 83-80 double-overtime loss at South Alabama on Thursday. Senior guard/forward Jordan Steimke powered the Gamecocks with 27 points, hitting six 3-pointers, while also adding five rebounds and four assists.
Junior guard Chris Lockett Jr. scored 25 points with a game-high eight 3-pointers and tied sophomore forward Naas Cunningham for the team lead with eight assists. Sophomore forward Ethan Croley led Jacksonville State with nine rebounds.
Steimke leads the Gamecocks this season with 22.0 points, 5.0 3-point field goals and 2.5 steals per game. Lockett is second at 17.0 points per game and tops the team with 9.0 assists per contest. Olisameka Williams Itumo is averaging 12.0 points, Cunningham 11.5 points and Croley 7.0 rebounds.
Ray Harper is in his 11th season at Jacksonville State and his 28th as a collegiate head coach. He has compiled a 185-143 record with the Gamecocks and is 519-258 overall in his career.
His previous stops include Western Kentucky, Oklahoma City and Kentucky Wesleyan, and Wednesday will be his first game against Houston and against Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. It will also be the first meeting between Houston and Jacksonville State in men’s basketball.
After Wednesday, Houston heads to Las Vegas for the Players Era 8 Championship at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov. 17-19.
The Cougars open against Rutgers at 1 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday, Nov. 17, then face the winner or loser from Florida/Notre Dame on Wednesday, Nov.
- Their opponent on Thursday, Nov. 19 will come from Auburn, West Virginia, Kansas or UNLV, with the time still to be determined.
The first two games of that event will air on ESPN.
Houston then returns home for a four-game homestand, starting with Oakland at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, inside Fertitta Center. That game will be on CBS Sports Network.
In Other News...
Houston Fans May Be Blaming The Wrong Problem On Defense
Houstons defense has taken plenty of heat from the stands, but the numbers point to a unit that has actually done a fair bit of its job. Opponents have been held below their season averages in both points and total offense, and when compared with previous seasons, the results look similar or even better in some areas. For a program built on the idea of complementary football, that matters, especially when the coaching staff keeps stressing how much the defense is supposed to support the rest of the team.
The frustration from fans has been real, though, and a lot of it seems tied to a preseason remark from the defensive coordinator that got interpreted in a harsher way than intended. That has helped fuel the idea that the problem is bigger than it really is on that side of the ball. The more interesting question now is whether the criticism is aimed at the right place, because the evidence suggests Houstons defense may be doing more to keep games manageable than its getting credit for. [Read more 🡒]
Conner Weigman Just Gave Houston Fans Another Reason To Dream
Conner Weigmans first season in Houston has already given the Cougars plenty to point to, and now it has put him in the national conversation for one of college footballs most prestigious honors. The Houston quarterback was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the nations top all-around player, and he is one of 18 players still in the mix based on his production, leadership and sportsmanship.
Weigmans numbers help explain why the recognition arrived. He has completed 66.1% of his passes for 2,260 yards with 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions, while also adding 279 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. For a Houston program trying to keep building momentum, the award nod is another sign that Weigman has quickly become more than just a steady hand at quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Houstons Fast Start Is Already Raising The Ceiling For This Roster
Houstons early-season momentum has already started to change the conversation around this roster. The Cougars handled California in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic, moved to 2-0, and got a little extra lift from the debut of transfer guard Chendall Weaver along with the return of guard Chase McCarty from injury. It is still the first week of the season, but the pieces are beginning to settle in quickly.
The national picture has shifted with it. Houston climbed two spots to No. 8 in the AP Poll after the opening week, a reminder that the Cougars are already being viewed as more than just a team finding its footing. With new faces joining the mix and key backcourt help back in the lineup, the ceiling for this group feels like it can rise fast if the early chemistry keeps building. [Read more 🡒]