Previewing Houston’s Road Test Against Baylor

One week down. Several to go.

Houston survived its tricky first week to open up conference play in the Big 12, and so far, so good.

Coach Kelvin Sampson’s roster collides with coach Scott Drew’s squad on Saturday, January 10 at 12 p.m. on NBCSN and Peacock.

For the Cougars, they have been terrific on the defensive end and have limited their first two opponents to under 70 points, which is quite an accomplishment in a league with so many caliber stars who will one day play professional basketball in the NBA or elsewhere.

The Bears are going to have to have one of their best days on offense in front of the home crowd because there is a chance that they can drop another conference game, and that’s not the start they want to have when being evaluated to get into the NCAA Tournament.

As it currently stands, Houston is 2-0 in the Big 12, while Baylor sits at - and will want to defend home court and add an awesome Quad 1 opportunity to the resume. According to ESPN Analytics, the experts are giving the Cougars a 65.8 percent chance to win.

The last time both schools met, the Bears lost to the Cougars 65-61 on March 8, 2025. At home, the Bears are 0-2 against the Cougars and 1-1 on the road, with the average number of points scored in the all-time series being 68. The largest margin of victory is 76-65, and the smallest is 65-61, which speaks to how tight these games can be and sets up an awesome matchup.

Houston vs Baylor Preview

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Drew is a veteran coach who will likely find a way to lead the program back into March Madness. In his tenure, he has led the Bears to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, with the first in 2008, and the program cut down the nets in 2021 with the win over Gonzaga. He sent the school to five Sweet Sixteens and three Elite Eights. So, that’s what Houston is going to face. An experienced man.

Sampson is in his 12th season with Houston and is hoping to punch a ticket back to the national championship game. He’s coached the school to seven NCAA appearances since the 2017-18 season. He’s also coached in two Final Fours and has appeared in seven consecutive NCAA tournaments, including six straight Sweet 16s. The two Final Fours were in 2021 and 2025. Impressive.

Drew’s unit is averaging 90.7 points this season to go along with its 41.4 rebounds, 17.7 assists, 7.2 steals, and 5.4 blocks. From the field, Baylor is shooting 49.6 percent, 35.5 percent from three, and 74.2 percent from the charity stripe.

Meanwhile, Sampson’s offense is 44.7 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from deep and 76.3 percent from the free-throw line. Tallying 15.7 assists, 8.9 steals, and 3.9 blocks is also notable for what’s to come this weekend.

Players To Watch

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Drew has a ton of playmakers that he added to the roster over the years, and the top six scorers are all guards. Those men include Cameron Carr, Tounde Yessoufou, Dan Skillings, Obi Agbim, Isaac Williams Ⅳ and Michael Rataj.

Sampson’s group has a bunch of young guys that he saw something special in, and some veterans that returned from last year’s team that made it to the national championship game.

Young guys in the group include freshman Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr., while the veterans include seniors Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp, and junior Joseph Tugler.

Buckle up and lock in for this in-state college basketball game.