MBB Preview: #14 Arkansas vs #8 Houston

Who: #14/14 Arkansas Razorbacks (9-2, 0-0 SEC) vs #8 Houston Cougars (10-1, 0-0 Big 12)
What: Long-time Southwest Conference rivals renew rivalry at the Never Forget Tribute Classic.
When: Saturday – Dec. 20 – 5:30 pm (ET) / 4:30 pm (CT)
Where: Fayetteville, Ark. • Bud Walton Arena – Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: CBS/Watch CBS/Paramount+ (Rich Waltz, Steve Lappas and Jon Rothstein)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 106 || XM: 190 || SXM App/Online Channel 960

– Live Stats
– Arkansas Game Notes   
– Houston Game Notes
– SEC Men’s Basketball Release/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – For the second Saturday in a row, Arkansas will face a former Southwest Conference rival on a neutral court and a top 20 team as the #14 Razorbacks face #8 Houston in the Never Forget Tribute Classic, played Saturday (Dec. 20) in the Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.). Tipoff is set for 5:30 pm (ET)/4:30 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on CBS.

Last week, Arkansas took down #16 Texas Tech, 93-86, in Dallas as part of the Revocruit Rematch. Add games versus Michigan State and Duke to Texas Tech and Houston and Arkansas completes its non-conference portion of teams that reached the Elite 8 last season. (In league play, Arkansas will also face Elite 8 teams Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Alabama.)

After Houston, Arkansas will have nine days off before returning to Bud Walton Arena to host James Madison on Dec. 29 (Monday). Tipoff is set for 7 pm.

NOTES:

• For the second-straight year, Arkansas will travel to the New York Metropolitan area in December as the Razorbacks will face the Houston Cougars on Dec. 20 in Newark’s Prudential Center (Home of the New Jersey Devils) in the Never Forget Tribute Classic. Last year, Arkansas defeated Michigan in New York City’s Madison Square Garden as part of the Jimmy V Classic.
• It will be Arkansas’s first time to play in the Prudential Center.
• The longtime SWC rivals (from 1976-91) have only played three times since 1991 (when Arkansas left for the SEC). Arkansas leads the all-time series 22-18. The programs have met six times on neutral courts with both teams winning three. Prior to exiting the SWC, Arkansas won seven straight over the Cougars.
• Overall, Coach Cal is 17-3 versus Houston – 16-3 while at Memphis and 1-0 while at UK, a win in the 2019 NCAA Sweet 16.
• Coach Calipari is 2-0 all-time in the Prudential Center. His 2011 Kentucky team defeated Ohio State in the NCAA Sweet 16 and then beat North Carolina in the Elite 8.
• Did you know, In the early 1980’s (Jan. 1982 to Mar. 1984), there was an eight-game stretch where both Arkansas and Houston were ranked among the nation’s top 20 six times — Arkansas all eight games and Houston six. Houston won 5 of the eight.. However, on Mar. 4, 1984, #12 Arkansas beat #2 Houston to snap the Cougars’ 39-game, SWC win streak. Joe Kleine led the Hogs with 22 points (10-of-10 FT).
• Trevon Brazile and Darius Acuff Jr. have been on fire the last five games. Brazile is averaging 17.3 points, shooting 66.7% from 3-point range, averaging 7.2 rebounds and averaging 2.2 steals. Acuff is averaging 19.6 points, shooting 44.8% from 3-point range, averaging 8.2 assists and has just 8 turnovers.

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