After nearly a week off, the Alabama Crimson Tide are now set to officially return to action Tuesday night for a highly-anticipated matchup against the Houston Cougars.
Arguably the Crimson Tide’s toughest opponent so far this season, Houston comes into this matchup with Alabama ranked as a Top 10 team nationally, and are currently considered among the favorites in their conference.
The Cougars are also a team that Alabama is familiar with, as the two teams have met twice in recent years, with the Crimson Tide winning both games in a home-and-home series back in 2021 and 2022.
So, ahead of Tuesday night’s Top 10 matchup, let’s take a minute to preview the 2024-25 Houston Cougars before their last matchup with Alabama.
Houston Cougars Team Overview
- Team Name: Houston Cougars
- Conference: Big 12
- Arena: Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas
- Record: 3-1 overall
- Ranking: No. 6 in AP Poll, No. 7 in Coaches Poll
The Cougars at 3-1 overall are the highest-ranked one-loss team in both the AP and Coaches Polls’, with their lone loss this season having come against Auburn on a neutral-court. Houston’s wins have come against Jackson State, Louisiana, and Hofstra.
Houston Cougars Coaching Staff
- Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson
- Assistant Coach: Kellen Sampson
- Associate Head Coach: Quannas White
- Assistant Coach: K.C. Beard
Houston is in season No. 11 of the Kelvin Sampson era, with the Cougars owning a combined 267-80 overall record during that span. The Cougars have also won 30+ games each of the last three seasons, and have made a total of four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
Houston Cougars 2024-25 Stats
- PPG: 84.2 (No. 53 in NCAA)
- PPG Allowed: 50.8 (No. 2 in NCAA)
- FG%: 48.2
- 3P%: 48.8
- FT%: 72.2
- RPG: 39.3
- APG: 14.8
- SPG: 11
- BPG: 4.8
When looking at the season stats for the Cougars, there are two numbers that stand out, the first of which is allowing the second-fewest points per game to opponents nationally at only 50.8. The Cougars are also the nation’s No. 1 team when it comes to three-point shooting, averaging a combined 48.8% as a team.
Houston Cougars Names to Know
- J’Wan Roberts, Forward – Graduate Student
- Emanuel Sharp, Guard – Redshirt Junior
- L.J. Cryer, Guard – Graduate Student
- Joseph Tugler, Forward – Sophomore
- Terrance Arceneaux, Guard – Redshirt Sophomore
The Cougars are led by a trio of experienced players in Roberts, Sharp, and Cryer, each of which are averaging in double-figures so far this season. In addition to that trio, another name to watch for is Arceneaux, who is just short of that group at 9.5 PPG.