The University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center this weekend as it plays host to American Athletic Conference rival Memphis at 2:30 p.m., Saturday.

The Cougars have won their last 37 games inside the Fertitta Center for the nation's second-longest active streak. Only #2/1 Gonzaga's current 64-game streak ranks longer.
 
#6/7 Houston enters Saturday's game following a tough 85-83 loss at SMU in Dallas on Wednesday night. The setback snapped the Cougars' season-long 12-game winning streak and was the program's first American Athletic Conference loss in its first 10 games. The 9-0 start in American play was the longest since the 1983-84 squad began 15-0 in Southwest Conference play.
 
Under Head Coach Kelvin Sampson's leadership, the Cougars have bounced back well following losses. Houston has won its last 23 games following a regular-season loss and not lost back-to-back regular-season games since falling in three straight on Jan. 14-21, 2017.
 
Senior guard Kyler Edwards leads the available Cougars with 14.0 points per game. The Arlington, Texas, native is one of only two players to rank among The American's Top-11 leaders in both scoring and rebounding.
 
Graduate forward Josh Carlton stands second on the team with 12.0 points per game and tops the team with 6.4 rebounds per contest. The Winterville, N.C., native leads the Cougars and the league with a 62.5 field goal percentage and 3.3 offensive rebounds per game and stand fourth in the conference with 6.4 rebounds per contest.
 
Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead led all players with 12 assists against SMU on Wednesday and leads The American with 5.4 assists per game.
 
MILESTONES
• With Houston's next win, graduate forward Fabian White Jr. will set a school record with the 110th win of his Houston career and break out of a tie with Houston great Michael Young (109 wins, 1980-84). White recently moved past forward Brison Gresham (45 wins, 2018-21) as the winningest player in Fertitta Center history earlier this season.
• In addition to his victory totals, White needs to compete in only two more games to tie point guard Galen Robinson Jr. for the school record with 137 career games played.
 
AMONG the BEST
• Through games of Feb. 9, Houston leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense (36.5).
• The Cougars also rank among the nation's Top-25 statistical leaders in scoring margin (+19.4, 3rd), scoring defense (57.8, 5th), winning percentage (90.0, 8th), offensive rebounds (13.5 orpg, 12th), assist-turnover ratio (1.46, 15th), 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.9, 16th), rebounding margin (+7.4, 16th), blocked shots (5.4, 16th) and turnover margin (+4.1, 17th).
 
STREAKING NATIONALLY
With Monday's release, the Cougars were ranked in the Associated Press poll for the 40th consecutive week, extending their school record. Houston has been ranked in every AP poll since Jan. 20, 2019.
 
It also marks the 91st week in which the Cougars appeared in the Top 10 in program history.
 
This is the fifth straight season under Sampson in which the Cougars were ranked for at least one week. Houston finished at No. 6 in the final AP and at No. 3 in the final Ferris Mowers Coaches polls a year ago after advancing to the sixth NCAA Final Four in school history.
 
ABOUT MEMPHIS
• Memphis enters Saturday's game with a 13-8 overall record and 7-4 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The Tigers stand in third in the latest league standings.
• Memphis has posted a 2-5 record in road games this season and is 3-6 in all non-home games.
• In its most recent action, Memphis enjoyed an 80-69 win over Tulane in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday night.
• Against Tulane, freshman center Jalen Duren led the Tigers with 15 points and added 12 rebounds, while senior forward DeAndre Williams scored 14 points with a game-high 13 rebounds... Senior guard Tyler Harris came off the bench to post 14 points with four 3-pointers, while junior guard Lester Quinones added 11 points with three assists. Senior guard Alex Lomax topped all players with five assists in the win.
• This season, Duren leads the Tigers with 11.12 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.  Williams is a close second with 11.07 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Lomas is tops with 3.3 assists per game.
• Head Coach Penny Hardaway is in his fourth year at Memphis and overall as a collegiate head coach.
• Hardaway has compiled a 76-40 record at Memphis during his career.
• Hardaway has posted a 1-5 record against Houston during his career with all six previous meetings coming during his Memphis tenure.
• Hardaway has posted a 1-5 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with all six previous meeting coming during Sampson's Houston tenure.
• 2003 graduate of Memphis.
 
SERIES HISTORY vs. MEMPHIS
• Memphis owns a 33-20 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1956-57 season.
• Saturday's game is the first of two meetings during the regular season between the two schools. Houston will visit FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., in the regular-season finale on March 6.
• Houston has won the last three games and five of the last six against the Tigers. Only a 60-59 Memphis win in Memphis, Tenn., on Feb. 22, 2020, prevents a longer Houston winning streak.
• In the most recent meeting, Houston enjoyed a 76-74 win in The American Championship Semifinals inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 13, 2021.
• This is the 28th straight season in which the two schools will play at least once.
• Teams have been conference rivals in three leagues... Completed in Missouri Valley Conference from 1950-51 through 1959-60 season and played twice each year through 1962-63 season after Houston began competition as an independent.
• Competed as Conference USA rivals from 2005-06 season through 2012-13... Began playing as American Athletic Conference rivals during 2014-15 season.
• Series started with an 87-78 Memphis win in Houston on Dec. 8, 1956.
at Home: Memphis owns a 12-10 record against the Cougars in games played in Houston.
• Houston has won the last three meetings in Houston and four of the last five, including a 67-64 victory on March 7, 2021, inside the Fertitta Center in the most recent meeting
• In the first meeting in Houston in the series, the Tigers took an 87-78 victory in Houston on Dec. 8, 1956.
in Fertitta Center: Houston owns a 3-0 lead in the series against Memphis in games played inside the Fertitta Center.
• In the last meeting in the Fertitta Center, the Cougars grabbed a 67-64 win on March 7, 2021, in the regular-season finale for both teams.