What No. 5 Houston Needs to Do to Leave Allen Fieldhouse With a Win

The Cougars are set to face the Kansas Jayhawks in one of college basketball's toughest road environments.

Feb 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) drives to the basket against Utah Utes forward Seydou Traore (0) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The No. 5 Houston Cougars have one final hurdle in what's been one of the nation's most demanding three-game gauntlets. After falling short against No. 4 Iowa State and No. 2 Arizona, head coach Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars will travel to Allen Fieldhouse to take on the No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks.

Because of their recent struggles, the Cougars fell three spots in the AP Poll's most recent top-25. The game against the Jayhawks gives Houston a chance to stabilize its NCAA Tournament résumé before the final week and a half of conference play.

If Houston is going to get a win in Lawrence on Monday night, they'll need to get more production on the offensive side of the ball. That begins with some of their star players showing out in potentially the most important game of the season.

It's worth noting that history will be made no matter what on Monday night. The Cougars haven't lost three straight games since 2017, yet they'll walk into a building where Bill Self is 40-0 on Big Monday. The Jayhawks also haven't lost back-to-back home games since the late-80's

The Cougars Need to Set the Tone Immediately

Feb 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) drives to the basket against Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In the last two games, Houston has trailed both of its opponents in the early minutes. While the defense has eventually settled in, the offense has continued to struggle against some of the tougher defenses in the Big 12. Getting ahead of the Jayhawks, especially in Lawrence, is going to be vital to the Cougars' success.

Houston's offensive production starts with its talented freshmen. Guard Kinston Flemings and forward Chris Cenac Jr. have been catalysts for Houston's best stretches of basketball this season. Flemings currently leads the Cougars in points per game (16.6), assists (5.2), and steals (1.6). Cenac Jr. has taken a more balanced approach to his game with 9.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

The Cougars don't necessarily need Flemings to take over the game, as he did in his 42-point performance against No. 16 Texas Tech, but they'll need both him and Cenac Jr. to be major factors in this top-15 matchup. In their recent loss, the two freshmen combined to shoot 10 of 28 from the floor and 1 of 9 from the three-point line.

While the production from Houston's underclassmen is important, Sampson will likely need the veterans on his roster to step up as well. Emanuel Sharp, Joseph Tugler, and Milos Uzan have been integral to the Cougars' success this season and will likely be called on to steady Houston's starting five in a tough environment.

Sharp, in particular, has been a standout offensive piece for the Cougars averaging 16.4 points per game. His 37.9 percent mark from the three-point line ranks the second highest among Houston's starting five. If the Cougars can get the senior guard into a rhythm early, they should have no trouble finding some early offense against Kansas.