WHO: #14/14 Arkansas Razorbacks (9-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. #8 Houston Cougars (10-1, 0-0 Big 12)
What: The longtime Southwest Conference rivals renew their rivalry at the Never Forget Tribute Classic.
When: Saturday – December 20 – 5:30 p.m. (ET) / 4:30 p.m. (CT)
Or: Fayetteville, Ark. • Bud Walton Arena – Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
How (to be continued):
– Television/Broadcast: CBS/Watch CBS/Paramount+ (Rich Waltz, Steve Lappas and Jon Rothstein)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 106 || XM: 190 || SXM app/Online Channel 960
– Live statistics
– Arkansas game notes
– Houston game notes
– SEC Men’s Basketball Release/Stats
FAYETTEVILLE – For the second straight Saturday, Arkansas will face a former Southwest Conference rival on a neutral field and a top 20 team as the No. 14 Razorbacks take on No. 8 Houston in the Never Forget Tribute Classic, played Saturday, December 20 at the Prudential Center (Newark, NJ). Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBS.
Last week, Arkansas defeated No. 16 Texas Tech, 93-86, in Dallas in the Revocruit Rematch. Add in games against Michigan State and Duke at Texas Tech and Houston and Arkansas round out their non-conference portion of teams that reached the Elite 8 last season. (In the championship, Arkansas will also face Elite 8 teams Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Alabama.)
After Houston, Arkansas will have nine days off before returning to Bud Walton Arena to host James Madison on December 29 (Monday). The alert is set for 7 p.m.
REMARKS:
- For the second year in a row, Arkansas will travel to the New York metro area in December as the Razorbacks take on the Houston Cougars on December 20 at the Prudential Center in Newark (home of the New Jersey Devils) in the Never Forget Tribute Classic. Last year, Arkansas beat Michigan at Madison Square Garden in New York in the Jimmy V Classic.
- This will be the first time Arkansas plays at the Prudential Center.
- The longtime SWC rivals (1976-1991) have only played three times since 1991 (when Arkansas left for the SEC). Arkansas leads the all-time series 22-18. The programs have met six times on neutral courts, with both teams winning three. Before leaving the SWC, Arkansas won seven in a row against the Cougars.
- Overall, Coach Cal is 17-3 against Houston – 16-3 at Memphis and 1-0 at UK, a victory in the 2019 NCAA Sweet 16.
- Coach Calipari is 2-0 all-time at the Prudential Center. His 2011 Kentucky team beat Ohio State in the NCAA Sweet 16, then beat North Carolina in the Elite 8.
- Did you know: In the early 1980s (January 1982 to March 1984), there was an eight-game stretch in which Arkansas and Houston were ranked in the top 20 in the country six times – Arkansas for all eight games and Houston six times. Houston has won 5 of eight. However, on March 4, 1984, #12 Arkansas defeated #2 Houston to end the Cougars’ streak of 39 consecutive games in the SWC. Joe Kleine led the Hogs with 22 points (10 of 10 FT).
- Trevon Brazile and Darius Acuff Jr. have been on fire in the last five games. Brazile is averaging 17.3 points, shooting 66.7% from 3-point range, averaging 7.2 rebounds and averaging 2.2 steals. Acuff is averaging 19.6 points, shooting 44.8% from 3-point range, averaging 8.2 assists and has only 8 turnovers.
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