Houston Cougars Set to Face Old Southwest Conference Foe in Early Season Matchup

Before both teams were separated by conference, the Cougars and the Razorbacks resided in the old Southwest Conference together for 16 years from 1975–76 through 1990–91 before Arkansas decided to move to the Southeastern Conference after the 1990-91 season. 

The Razorbacks have faced the Cougars 40 times, and the Hogs own the advantage over the Cougars with a record of 22-18. As former conference opponents, the Razorbacks also take that advantage with a 21-16 record over the Cougars, and prior to leaving for the SEC, Arkansas had won seven straight in the series.

The teams have only faced off three times since being split apart into different conferences, with the Cougars finding success, winning two out of the three matchups. The last time both teams met came in 2017, when Houston beat the Razorbacks by a big margin in a 91-65 victory.

How do the Head Coaches feel about the Non-Conference Game?

Sampson was complimentary of Razorback's head coach, John Calipari, and the competitiveness of his basketball teams, believing the matchup could be a great test for the Cougars early on in their season.

“The great thing about piecing together a schedule is that you have to schedule teams who are going to test you." Sampson said in a statement. "When you play one of John’s teams, you know their fan base is going to travel. Prudential Center is going to be full of Razorback fans. Arkansas is one of the great programs in the country, and John is a Hall of Fame coach. This is a great opportunity to test ourselves early against one of the best programs in the country.”

Calipari heads into his second season as Arkansas' head coach, taking the Razorbacks to a Sweet 16 appearance a season ago. The Razorbacks' head coach echoed the same sentiments as Sampson, complimenting the Cougars' program and how the matchup could be good preparation for his squad.

"We look forward to facing a top-level program led by one of the best coaches in the country," Calipari said in a statement. "Kelvin and I have been friends for a long time. He has built an incredible program with a great culture at Houston. This game will be a great measuring stick for us as we wind down the nonconference part of the schedule and start to turn our attention to the SEC schedule.”