An Early Look At No. 8 Houston vs. No. 14 Arkansas
In this story:
Houston basketball is set to face the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday, Dec. 20, at 4:30 p.m., inside the Prudential Center, in Newark, N.J.
The Cougars hold a 2-1 all-time record over Arkansas in basketball, and they will matchup for the first time since 2017.
Houston opens up with a 78.3% chance to win, according to ESPN Analytics.
Houston vs. Arkansas Preview
Led by head coach John Calipari, the Razorbacks are off to a strong start to the 2025 season.
Arkansas is 9-2, with narrow losses to No. 4 Duke and No. 22 Michigan State.
They also have recorded two ranked wins this season, with a 89-80 victory over No. 6 Louisville and a 93-86 win over No. 16 Texas Tech.
One strength for Arkansas that continues to allow them to compete amongst the best teams in all of college basketball is its explosive offense.
The Razorbacks average an impressive 89.9 points per game, which is almost 12 points higher than Houston.
While their offense is one of the best in the country, the Razorbacks’ defense is what struggles at times.
Arkansas allows an average of 73.2 points per game, while the Cougars only allow 57.7 this season.
Players To Watch
Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. has made a splash in his first collegiate season by averaging 18.2 points per game.
The former five-star guard can do it all, and he is the Razorbacks primary scoring threat.
Senior forward Trevon Brazile is Arkansas' next leading scorer, averaging 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
The veteran big man is one of Calipari’s leaders on the court, and his presence on the low block is one of the reasons why this team has been successful.
The last player to watch is freshman guard Meleek Thomas. He is also in his first collegiate season, but the quick-twitch guard doesn’t play like a freshman.
This season, he averages 14.8 points, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Houston vs. Arkansas Overview
Both teams are very similar in the mix of talent they have on the court, with the veteran leadership presence, along with several talented freshmen that help lead the charge.
While the rosters are similar, each team plays a different style of basketball.
Arkansas’s offense will try to run the score up on Houston, and they will take almost anyone in a high-scoring game.
However, Houston’s defense ranks No. 2 in the country in scoring defense, which will be the Razorbacks’ greatest challenge so far this season.
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).