Houston vs. Florida State Basketball Preview

The Houston Cougars gear up for another tough opponent in the Florida State Seminoles at the Toyota Center on Saturday.

Nov 26, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampso reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2025 Players Era Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Houston basketball will take on the Florida State Seminoles this Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., at the Houston Hoops Showdown, inside the Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas.

This matchup is another game to gain valuable experience and to boost Houston’s NIL fund, much like the Players Era Tournament, where the Cougars finished 2-1.

Houston is the projected favorite with a 93.3% chance to win, according to ESPN Analytics.

Florida State Overview

Florida State Seminoles guard Lajae Jones (10) goes up for two. The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Georgia Bulldogs at the Tucker Civic Center for a men’s basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. | Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Led by first-year head coach Luke Loucks, Florida State started the season strong by winning five of its first six games.

Loucks was a former Seminole, and after several seasons coaching between the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, he brings back a wealth of experience and knowledge from his time in the NBA.

Florida State’s lone loss through its first six games was in a narrow 78-76 defeat against the reigning National Champions, the Florida Gators, at Stephen C. O’Connell Center, in Gainesville, Fla.

While the Seminoles started out the season strong, they have struggled in recent games.

In their final game of November, the Seminoles suffered a blowout 95-59 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies, at the Benchmark International Arena, in Tampa, Fla.

The following week in the SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge, Florida State had a very similar loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, where they lost 107-73 at home.

Florida State has an experienced roster, including five seniors who have had a major impact in each and every game.

Senior Robert McCray V leads the team and averages 13.9 points and 7.1 assists per game.

The veteran guard is known for his ability to drive and kick out to open shooters, and also get to the rim and finish when needed.

Senior forward Chauncey Wiggins also has a major role on the team, and the 6-foot-10 big man averages 13.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Senior guards Lamar Jones and Kobe Magee also bring a lot of experience to the team, and the duo combines for 23.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.

Sophomore guard Martin Somerville is the main guy who is not an upperclassman who can greatly impact the game.

The young guard averages 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. His main scoring threat is from behind the arc, where he shoots 44.4 percent this season.

Florida State presents Houston with yet another early-season challenge, which will provide both teams with valuable experience that will help them down the stretch.

The Cougars' focus this week has been to be more connected on the defensive end. Expect for Houston to come out hungry to have a good showing at the Toyota Center on Saturday evening.