Preview // K-State Travels to 3/3 Houston Saturday

Saturday, February 14

Houston, Texas

3 p.m. CT

Kansas State University

Houston

Feb 13, 2026 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)Houston Notes (.pdf)Watch [Peacock]Listen Live [K-State Sports Network]Live Stats

The Wildcats are 0-2 vs. the Cougars in the Big 12 era.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State (10-14, 1-10 Big 12) hits the road on Saturday afternoon to face Big 12 co-leader and No. 3/3 Houston (22-2, 10-1 Big 12) at Fertitta Center. This is the second of 3 straight Saturday road games in the Lone Star State, starting last week at TCU. Tip is set for 3:02 p.m., CT and will air on Peacock and NBC Sports Network with James Westling and Jordan Cornette on the call.

K-State has a 28-86 all-time record vs. Top 5 teams, including a 5-18 mark vs. the AP No. 3 team. The Wildcats are 2-10 all-time on the road vs. the No. 3 team with their 2 wins coming at Missouri (78-68) on Feb. 21, 2012 and at Iowa State (80-61) on Feb. 1, 2025.

K-State is off to its worst start ever in Big 12 play, tying the 1999-2000 and 2020-21 teams, as the Wildcats have lost 5 straight overall with just one win since the calendar turned to 2026.

K-State has fared better away from home, having lost its last 4 road games by an average of 2.75 points, including one possession losses at Arizona State (84-87), Oklahoma State (83-84) and TCU (82-84). Last Saturday, the Wildcats led for more than 39 minutes, including by 10 points with just over 5 minutes to play, before allowing the Horned Frogs to end the game on a 7-0 run.

Injuries and illness have plagued the Wildcats since their start to Big 12 play. The team did get some good news with the return of Khamari McGriff, who missed the previous 4 games due to injury, in last Saturday's loss at TCU, but again played without regular starters Abdi Bashir Jr. (missed his sixth straight game) and Elias Rapieque (missed his eighth straight game) as well as reserve Andrej Kostic, who missed his second straight game vs. Cincinnati on Wednesday night.

Houston might be playing the best basketball of any team nationally, as the Cougars have won 5 straight games to roar into a tie for first place in the Big 12. They remain one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranking second in scoring defense (61.2 ppg.), while averaging nearly 80 points per game with the fewest turnovers/game (8.0) and the ninth-best scoring margin (+17.1). Three players are scoring in double figures led by freshman Kingston Flemings (16.6 ppg.).

This will be just the 11th meeting between K-State and Houston with each winning 5 times. The Cougars have won both matchups in the Big 12 era, including 87-57 last season in Manhattan.

GAME 25
KANSAS STATE (10-14, 1-10 Big 12) at 3/3 HOUSTON (22-2, 10-1 Big 12)
Saturday, February 14, 2026 | 3:02 p.m. CT | Fertitta Center (8,479) | Houston, Texas

TELEVISION
Peacock / NBC Sports Network (online link)

James Westling (play-by-play)
Jordan Cornette (analyst)
Jay Levy (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 380
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (lead analyst)

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 71-56/4th Year
Career Record: 73-56*/4th Year+
vs. Houston: 0-2 (0-2 on the road)

Houston: Kelvin Sampson (UNC Pembroke '78)
Record at Houston: 321-86/12th Year
Career Record: 821-356/37th Year
vs. K-State: 13-4 (7-1 at home)

LAST GAME STARTERS:
K-State (10-14, 1-10 Big 12)
G: #4 P.J. Haggerty
G: #10 David Castillo
G: #34 Nate Johnson
W: #15 Taj Manning
W: #21 Khamari McGriff

3/3 Houston (22-2, 10-1 Big 12)
G: #7 Milos Uzan
G: #4 Kingston Flemings
G: #21 Emanuel Sharp
F: #11 Joseph Tugler
C: #5 Chris Cenac Jr.

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: Tied 5-5
Big 12 era: Houston leads 2-0 (2-0 in regular season)
In Houston: Houston leads 3-1
At Fertitta Center: Tied 1-1 (Houston leads 1-0 in Big 12 era)
Active Streak: Houston, 2
Last Meeting: Houston won 87-57 (1/11/2025)
Jerome Tang vs. Kelvin Sampson: 0-2

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Snap a 5-game losing streak.
End a 5-game road losing streak.
Be the first vs. Houston since 1974, ending a 2-game skid.
Make the Wildcats 228-289 all-time in Big 12 play.
Give the Wildcats a 1767-1270 all-time record.

HOUSTON IS HOME FOR TANG, HAGGERTY

Saturday's game will be homecoming of sorts for head coach Jerome Tang, who began his coaching career in the Houston area. He built a powerhouse at Heritage Christian Academy in nearby Cleveland, guiding the Eagles to 4 TAPPS Division A State Championships (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001) before joining the Baylor staff in 2003. Tang migrated to Texas when he was 10 after he was born in Trinidad and spent his early childhood in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Houston is also close to home for junior P.J. Haggerty, who hails from nearby Crosby, Texas.

HAGGERTY NEARING 2,000 CAREER POINTS

Junior P.J. Haggerty is nearing a career milestone, as he is 7 points away from eclipsing 2,000 points. He could become just the fifth current Division I player to top the mark, joining Gonzaga's Graham Ike, Indiana's Tucker DeVries, Oklahoma's Nijel Pack and SMU's Jaron Pierre Jr.
The No. 2 scorer nationally at 23.3 points per game, who also ranks second in points (560), field goals made (207) and attempted (421), posted his 18th game of 20 or more points vs. Cincinnati (2/11/26), which is the most by a Wildcat in a single season since Michael Beasley had a school-record 26 in 2007-08.

LAST TIME OUT

Junior Jizzle James paced five Cincinnati players in double figures with 24 points, as the Bearcats posted a 91-62 wire-to-wire win over K-State on Wednesday night before 7,274 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
Cincinnati (13-12, 5-7 Big 12) registered its second consecutive 90-point performance while earning its second straight win by 20 or more points. The 91 points were the most scored in 12 meetings with K-State, as the Bearcats captured their first win in Manhattan since 1967.
Junior P.J. Haggerty was the only Wildcat in double figures, equaling James' 24 points, to pace the Wildcats, who dropped their fifth in a row.
James connected on 6-of-8 attempts from 3-point range in helping Cincinnati make 16 shots from beyond the arc, which represents the most by an opponent at Bramlage Coliseum and the second-most ever by an opponent behind the 17 makes by Baylor on Jan. 27, 2021.
In addition to James' 6 triples, five other Bearcats had at least one 3-pointers, including 4 by graduate Jalen Celestine, 2 each from senior Baba Miller and graduate Day Day Thomas and one apiece from junior Sencire Harris and freshman Jordi Rodriguez.
James was joined in double figures by Celestine (18 points), Miller (16 points), Harris (12 points) and Thomas (10 points). Miller added a double-double with 12 points to go with 6 assists and 4 blocked shots.
The Bearcats shot 50 percent (31-of-62) from the field, including 57.1 percent (20-of-35) in the first half in which they built as much as a 28-point lead. The Wildcats pulled to within 18 points in the early moments of the second half, but a 10-0 response pushed it back out to 28 points (65-37). The lead ballooned to as many as 32 points (91-59) with less than 3 minutes remaining.
In addition to its impressive offensive effort, Cincinnati once again showed why it is one of the top defensive teams in the country, holding K-State to just 40.3 percent (25-of-62) shooting, including 24 percent (6-of-25) from 3-point range. The Bearcats also forced 16 turnovers.

FAST-PACED OFFENSE

Despite season-low performances in 4 of the last 5 games, the offense is still having a strong season with the Wildcats averaging 80.9 points on 46.1 percent shooting, including 36.6 percent from 3-point range. They are still on pace to post the highest field goal percentage since connecting on 48.4 percent in 1988-89. They rank among the top 35 in several categories, including 19th in assists (18.0), 31st in fastbreak points (14.9), 37th in 3-point field goals/game (10.0) and 48th in 3-point percentage (36.6).
The Wildcats have scored 80 or more points in 14 of the first 24 games for the first time in school history, while they have two 100-point games for the just the fifth time. The 1941 points are the most points through the first 24 games, surpassing the 1939 scored in 2007-08.

POINTS IN THE FIRST 24 GAMES
1941, 2025-26 (94, 98, 99, 84, 98, 85, 69, 66, 67, 108, 83, 106, 94, 73, 76, 84, 73, 83, 81, 62, 54, 61, 82, 62)
1939, 2007-08 (94, 76, 77, 77, 73, 82, 77, 59, 82, 87, 90, 101, 77, 85, 84, 75, 72, 82, 84, 74, 74, 82, 75, 100)
1930, 2009-10 (92, 82, 80, 74, 83, 70, 83, 86, 71, 95, 87, 90, 85, 91, 68, 88, 87, 71, 69, 76, 79, 76, 79 68)
1846, 2008-09 (96, 88, 82, 69, 83, 72, 63, 70, 74, 107, 73, 82, 83, 99, 53, 71, 51, 65, 77, 88, 85, 65, 65, 85)
1832, 1997-98 (93, 89, 89, 71, 101, 90, 67, 76, 70, 87, 111, 64, 62, 77, 62, 76, 78, 72, 66, 69, 81, 58, 62, 61)

'CATS SCORE 100+ POINTS TWICE

K-State has twice scored 100 or more points, including a season-high 108 vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/8/25) and 106 vs. South Dakota (12/20/25). The 2 100-point outings tie 4 other teams (1966-67, 1979-80, 1993-94 and 1997-98) for the most in a single season, while also matching the most at home.

MOST POINTS AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State's 99-96 win over Cal on Nov. 13 made history, as the 195 combined points were the most-ever in Bramlage Coliseum, surpassing the 194 scored between K-State (106) and Marshall (88) on Dec. 2, 1995.
K-State posted the highest field goal percentage of the Jerome Tang era for the second straight game, as the Wildcats hit on 64.4 percent (38-of-59) from the field. It was the highest field goal percentage since shooting 66.0 percent vs. Wake Forest on March 14, 2017.

MOST POINTS AT T-MOBILE CENTER

The 98 points scored against Mississippi State (11/20/25) in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Classic, which are the most by the Wildcats in 50 games at the T-Mobile Center topping the 87 scored in the first-ever game in the building against Florida A&M on Dec. 17, 2007.

HAGGERTY JOINS ELITE COMPANY

Junior P.J. Haggerty recorded his fourth 30-point game of the season in the loss at TCU (2/7/26), which is the most in a single season since Michael Beasley had a school-record 13 in 2007-08. His 18 games of 20 or more points tie Norris Coleman (1985-86) for fifth on the single season list. He is the first Wildcat to score in double digits in the first 24 games since Jacob Pullen in 2009-10, while his 560 points are the second-most through 24 games since Beasley's 617 points in 2007-08. He is the 36th Wildcat to eclipse 500 points in a single season.

HAGGERTY HAS RARE 30-10 GAME

Junior P.J. Haggerty had 31 points and a career-tying 10 rebounds vs. Tulsa (11/17/25) to become the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 to post a rare 30-point, 10-rebound double-double. He scored 27 of his 31 points in the second half, which are the fifth-most in any half.

TRIO OF 'CATS POST 20-POINT GAMES

K-State had three players record 20-point games in the win over Cal, as junior P.J. Haggerty led the way with 23 points to go with 21 from senior Khamari McGriff and 20 from senior Nate Johnson.
The trio is the first to each have 20-point games since Dean Wade (34 points), Kamau Stokes (23 points) and Barry Brown Jr. (21 points) did it against Iowa State on Dec. 29, 2017.

McGRIFF, CASTILLO GO PERFECT

Two Wildcats - senior Khamari McGriff and sophomore David Castillo - each went perfect from the field, becoming the 24th and 25th players in school history to go perfect from the field on 5 or more field goals in the 98-71 win over Bellarmine on Nov. 8. They are the first teammates to accomplish the feat in the same game.
Castillo scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range, while McGriff totaled 16 points on 8-of-8 field goals. Castillo is just the eighth Wildcat to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, joining his high school coach Clent Stewart who was in attendance.

NOTES ON 3/3 HOUSTON

Led by Hall of Fame head coach Kelvin Sampson, who is in his 12th season at Houston, the Cougars are playing perhaps the best basketball in the country with a 22-2 overall record and a tie for first in the Big 12 with a 10-1 mark. They have won 5 straight games overall, while are a perfect 12-0 at home.
Houston is averaging 78.3 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 34.1 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 61.2 points on 39.5 percent shooting, including 31.1 percent from 3-point range. The Cougars are out-rebounding their foes, 36.8 to 33.3, and turn the ball just 8.0 times per game. They are shooting 77.3 percent from the free throw line.
Houston ranks in the top 25 in 9 statistical categories, including first in turnovers/game, second in scoring defense, third in turnover margin (+6.7), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.92) and ninth in scoring margin (17.1).
Three players are averaging in double figures led by Freshman of the Year candidate Kingston Flemings, who is averaging 16.6 points on 50.7 percent shooting with team-highs in both assists (129) and steals (42). Senior Emanuel Sharp is averaging 16.3 points, including a team-high 65 made 3-pointers, while fellow senior Milos Uzan is averaging 11.2 points to go with 93 assists. Chris Cenac Jr. is averaging a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game.
Sampson, who is a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame, has won 820 games at Montana Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana and Houston. He has won 321 with the Cougars since taking over 2014-15, including 7 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 2 Final Fours. He is 13-4 all-time vs. K-State during his stints with Oklahoma and Houston.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be just the 11th meeting between K-State and Houston with each winning 5 games. The Cougars are 3-1 at home.
Houston has dominated the 2 meetings in Big 12 play, winning 74-52 at home in 2024 and 87-57 in Manhattan last season.

LAST 5 MEETINGS [2-3]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
3/14/1970	—/12	W	107-98	Lawrence+
1/23/1971	—/—	L	71-73	Manhattan
12/21/1974	—/—	W	91-90	Houston
1/27/2024	—/4	L	52-54	Houston*
1/11/2025	—/12	L	57-87	Manhattan*

+1970 NCAA Tournament
*Big 12 era

LAST MEETING:
12/12 HOUSTON 87, K-STATE 57 (Jan. 11, 2025)

A hot-shooting Houston team built a near insurmountable lead in the first half, as the No. 12/11 Cougars extended their winning streak to 8 games with an 87-57 win over K-State in the last meeting between the schools.
Houston connected on 57.6 percent (19-of-33) of its field goals in the opening half to build as much as a 24-point lead as the Cougars used a 16-2 run to flip a 4-point deficit (5-9) into a double-digit advantage (21-11) with 10:45 remaining. K-State was able to cut the deficit to 60-46 with a 12-4 run near the midway point of the second half but Houston responded with another 16-2 run to reestablish control of the game with 5 minutes left.

UP NEXT:
K-State returns home on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats play host to Baylor (13-10, 3-8 Big 12) at Bramlage Coliseum. Tip is set for 8 p.m., CT on ESPN2. The Bears lead the all-time series, 27-26, including an 11-11 mark at Bramlage Coliseum. Last season, the Wildcats lost twice to Bears, 70-62, in Waco and 70-56 in Kansas City.