Keys For Houston to Defeat Cincinnati

After defeating the Bearcats once already, can the Cougars do it again with only one conference loss?

Jan 28, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) brings the ball up court against the TCU Horned Frogs during the second half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's Gameday at Fertitta Center.

Houston vs Cincinnati. Round 2.

What will the second matchup look like this time after the first one was 67-60 in favor of the Cougars? Can the Bearcats' defense force poor shots and collect enough stops to stay within striking distance, or will the Cougars’ offense run away with it?

In recent weeks, a freshman in Houston has consistently answered the call whenever he steps on the court and has been carrying his teammates when others can’t knock down shots. That’s going to be what the keys to this game are for head coach Kelvin Sampson and his troops.

More Flemings and a ton more from other shooters.

More Kingston Flemings

18-2
6-1 in @Big12Conference play

On to the next one

Presented by @Group1Auto #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/GZ5MZQ6zgG

— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) January 30, 2026

In the last three games alone, the San Antonio, Texas, native has posted 89 points of his own. Is that normal? Not all the time. Especially for one of the biggest brands in collegiate basketball over the last 10 years.  

It hasn’t always been pretty for the 6-foot-4 guard with a bumpy road along the way in his first season playing college basketball. There have been streaky moments where he has recorded single-digit scoring games. There have actually been four games in which he had fewer than 10 points.

Against Leigh, Flemings had only eight points in the season opener. Later down the line, he faced Syracuse, where he only registered nine points before scoring one point in that same week against Notre Dame. Jackson State also visited Houston, and during that game, the star scored only five points.

Since that moment, his game has spiraled upward, and he hasn’t turned back. Leadership has been one of the characteristics he has had to exhibit throughout conference play, and being a freshman says a lot about his game.

Over the next ten games, he played 24 or more minutes and 30 percent or better from the field. Additionally, he had five or more assists and two or more rebounds in that time span.

Texas Tech and TCU were the last two opponents he faced. Against Grant McCasland’s program, he etched his name in the books with his 42-point night before gifting TCU’s defense with a 27-point evening. No school wants to play him right now.

Last time he played the Bearcats, he posted 19 points in 38 minutes, going 7 of 18 from the field with 2 3-pointers. All the Cougars need is for him to stick to his identity and keep playing with that confidence, and the rest will play itself out.

More From Others

Over the last week of games, the Cougars have scored 69 of their 165 points from Flemings. He needs more help, and that starts with getting more production from the other starting four in the lineup.

Houston’s second leading scorer, Emanuel Sharp, also has to figure out how to continue riding his last couple of games of success into Saturday. As one of the other elite guards on this roster who is now a senior and one of the veterans of the team, he doesn’t need another 20-point showing after having two of those the last few games. But he has to establish himself as one of those guys who cannot be left unblocked.

Another player the Cougars have heavily relied on over the last few seasons is the senior guard, Milos Uzan, who has been quiet lately, with only 16 points in the last two appearances.

The 6-foot-4, Las Vegas native, needs to find his groove even though he averages 11.2 points with 2.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Sampson and Co. know how special a player he is, and that’s why they continue to push him with his minutes; he has got to break through the adversity. This season, he’s had nine games where he’s not been in double digits, so finding a way for him to be more involved helps create havoc for defenses.

Getting points from the bench would also be helpful to an offense that relies heavily on its starting five to carry them to the finish line. Overall, the Cougars are No. 310 in bench points per game with 16.8 in 20 games this season. Who could step up and increase those numbers to take the pressure off the others?

Tipoff begins at 11 a.m. on FOX between Houston and Cincinnati.