Why Houston Kept Chase McCarty On the Bench During Win vs. Cincinnati

Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty was not seen on the court during the 76-54 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats. Here's why.

Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty (24) grabs a rebound during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Fertitta Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The No. 10 Houston Cougars' Saturday afternoon hosting of the Cincinnati Bearcats at the Fertitta Center went as expected with Kelvin Sampson's Coogs coming out on top with a 76-54 win, boosting the team to 19-2 on the year as they continue to climb back from a recent conference loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Houston forward Chris McCarty, however, did not take the court during the game, and according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, MRI results showed a left wrist sprain for the Huntsville, Alabama native.

McCarty suffered the injury during Houston's midweek victory over the TCU Horned Frogs Wednesday night.

Coogs Dominate Bearcats Minus McCarty

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson talks with guard Kingston Flemings (4) during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With no surgery required on the injured area, McCarty was listed as doubtful leading up to the game, and Coach Sampson chose to prioritize recovery during the game against the Bearcats.

With McCarty only averaging 3.4 points per game and only playing more than 20 minutes on the floor once in the entire season, his absence wasn't exactly one that stood out, but he has still definitely had his points of production for the Cougars in the 2025-26 season.

The freshman forward's standout performance came against the New Orleans Privateers mid-December, where he scored 15 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes of action during the 99-57 win.

McCarty had averaged five points per game dating back to the 77-48 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers on January 13, scoring at least five points in each game aside from the contest against TCU that he was injured in, still getting the lone three-pointer that he attempted to fall during his one minute on the hardwood.

Despite McCarty's absence, the Cougars were still able to handle their business with 16 points from Milos Uzan, giving Houston their 38th consecutive over unranked competition, as well as their 16th straight game in front of the hometown crowd at the Fertitta Center.

Emanuel Sharp contributed with 13 points of his own, as did Chris Cenac Jr. and Isiah Harwell.

The Cougars took the lead early in the first half with a three-point bucket by Sharp five minutes into the game to make it 6-4, and after a three-pointer by Houston's Mercy Miller to make it a 30-18 lead in the latter part of the first half, the team's lead never returned to single digits for the remaining 22 minutes.

Houston remains second in the Big 12 Conference behind the undefeated Arizona Wildcats with a 19-2 overall record and a 7-1 conference record.

The Coogs will stay in Space City for their next matchup, a Wednesday night showdown with the UCF Knights at 6:00 PM, hopefully with McCarty 100 percent and back on the floor.