Wednesday, November 11
Houston, TX
7 p.m.
Jax State
at
#8 Houston
11/10/2026 9:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Coming off opening week of the 2026-27 season, the Jax State Men's Basketball team will head west for a tough road trip against No. 8 Houston on Wednesday night inside the Fertitta Center at 7 p.m.
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Wednesday's contest will be the Gamecocks first game against a ranked opponent in the AP Top-25 since Dec. 14, 2023, when Jax State fell to No. 23 Wisconsin 75-60. Additionally, the matchup will be head coach Ray Harper's seventh ranked opponent he has faced in his 11-year career in Jacksonville.Â
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The matchup will be the first between both programs and Jax State's ninth all-time game against a Big 12 team. The Gamecocks last game against a Big 12 squad was on Nov. 14, 2023, against West Virginia in a 70-57 loss.
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Jax State (1-1) enters this week after splitting contests between LaGrange and South Alabama last week, most recently coming off a double overtime loss to the Jaguars last Thursday on the road. The Gamecocks have scored a combined 203 points across both games, the most of any Conference USA team during the opening two competitions of the year. Additionally, Jax State has hit 33 three-pointers across those games, which is the most it has buried in a two-game stretch since the beginning of the millennium.
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A large part of the scoring flurry has come from veteran guards Jordan Stiemke and Chris Lockett Jr. The duo both rank in the top-ten in CUSA in points per game, with Stiemke contributing 22.0 (4th) and Lockett adding another 17.0 (9th). In his most recent outing against South Alabama, Stiemke dropped a career-high 27 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field, including six three-pointers.
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Lockett has emerged as one of the top passers in the league as well, boasting 18 assists with just two turnovers in his first two games as a Gamecock. The junior guard leads the league in dimes and ranks No. 4 in the country with his 9.0 average per game.
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Houston (2-0) comes into the midweek bout as one of the top teams in the country, ranking No. 3 overall on KenPom. The Preseason Big 12 Runner-Up is coming off an 86-68 victory against Cal at the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic on Nov. 8. Prior to that, the Cougars defeated La Salle 94-55 for their home opener.
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Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson holds an 831-361 all-time record, making him No. 4 in most victories by an active Division I coach. During his time in Houston, Sampson holds a 331-91 record in his 13 years with the program, including a pair of Final Four appearances in 2021 and 2025.
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The Cougars are led by senior guard Dedan Thomas Jr's 18.0 points per game, to go along with a 6.5 assists per game average. In his most recent outing against Cal, Thomas scored 20 points off 9-for-15 shooting from the field, as well as racking up eight assists in the win.Â
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Following the trip to Texas, Jax State will return home for an in-state matchup against the UAB Blazers on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. inside Pete Mathews Coliseum.
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Wednesday's contest will be the Gamecocks first game against a ranked opponent in the AP Top-25 since Dec. 14, 2023, when Jax State fell to No. 23 Wisconsin 75-60. Additionally, the matchup will be head coach Ray Harper's seventh ranked opponent he has faced in his 11-year career in Jacksonville.Â
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The matchup will be the first between both programs and Jax State's ninth all-time game against a Big 12 team. The Gamecocks last game against a Big 12 squad was on Nov. 14, 2023, against West Virginia in a 70-57 loss.
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Jax State (1-1) enters this week after splitting contests between LaGrange and South Alabama last week, most recently coming off a double overtime loss to the Jaguars last Thursday on the road. The Gamecocks have scored a combined 203 points across both games, the most of any Conference USA team during the opening two competitions of the year. Additionally, Jax State has hit 33 three-pointers across those games, which is the most it has buried in a two-game stretch since the beginning of the millennium.
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A large part of the scoring flurry has come from veteran guards Jordan Stiemke and Chris Lockett Jr. The duo both rank in the top-ten in CUSA in points per game, with Stiemke contributing 22.0 (4th) and Lockett adding another 17.0 (9th). In his most recent outing against South Alabama, Stiemke dropped a career-high 27 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field, including six three-pointers.
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Lockett has emerged as one of the top passers in the league as well, boasting 18 assists with just two turnovers in his first two games as a Gamecock. The junior guard leads the league in dimes and ranks No. 4 in the country with his 9.0 average per game.
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Houston (2-0) comes into the midweek bout as one of the top teams in the country, ranking No. 3 overall on KenPom. The Preseason Big 12 Runner-Up is coming off an 86-68 victory against Cal at the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic on Nov. 8. Prior to that, the Cougars defeated La Salle 94-55 for their home opener.
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Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson holds an 831-361 all-time record, making him No. 4 in most victories by an active Division I coach. During his time in Houston, Sampson holds a 331-91 record in his 13 years with the program, including a pair of Final Four appearances in 2021 and 2025.
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The Cougars are led by senior guard Dedan Thomas Jr's 18.0 points per game, to go along with a 6.5 assists per game average. In his most recent outing against Cal, Thomas scored 20 points off 9-for-15 shooting from the field, as well as racking up eight assists in the win.Â
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Following the trip to Texas, Jax State will return home for an in-state matchup against the UAB Blazers on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. inside Pete Mathews Coliseum.
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