Two former league rivals matchup in New Jersey as part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic. Both ranked nationally in the Top 15, Houston and Arkansas each have a major opportunity against each other on Saturday, with both teams close to conference play. Which of these teams takes advantage and comes out on top in Newark?
The recent work out of Houston (10-1) has been brilliant both this season and in the recent past, as the Cougars advanced to the national title game last year. Kelvin Sampson knows that the past is in the past and he’s gotten great work out of a new crop of talent this year. Houston’s lone loss came to Tennessee by just three points in Las Vegas, but they now face one of their most significant tests to date.
Certainly not perfect or even great at times, Arkansas (9-2) hasn’t shied away from challenge either. The Razorbacks had a few tough showings albeit in wins during November while also falling to both Duke and Michigan State. However, Arkansas has really come into their own since the beginning of December, picking up monumental wins over Louisville and Texas Tech in recent weeks.
Houston vs. Arkansas: When and Where
Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025, 5:30 pm ET
Location: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Houston vs. Arkansas: Where to Watch or Stream
Watch: CBS
Streaming: FuboTV
Houston vs. Arkansas: Betting Odds
Spread: N/A
Moneyline: N/A
Total: N/A
Houston vs. Arkansas: Series History
All-time series: Arkansas leads 22-18
Last meeting: Houston 91, Arkansas 65 (December 2, 2017)
Projected Starting Lineups
Houston Cougars
Emanuel Sharp (17.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Kingston Flemings (14.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.9 apg)
Milos Uzan (11.2 ppg, 5.1 apg)
Chris Cenac Jr. (9.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg)
Joseph Tugler (7.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.1 bpg)
Arkansas Razorbacks
Darius Acuff Jr. (18.2 ppg, 6.1 apg)
Trevon Brazile (15.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
Karter Knox (9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
D. J. Wagner (8.2 ppg, 2.8 apg)
Nick Pringle (5.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
The recent work out of Arkansas has been especially impressive, putting up a boatload of points during their four-game winning streak, but Houston’s defense is a different animal. The Cougars pride themselves on their defensive play and have been getting just enough from Sharp, Uzan and the rest of this offense. The freshman combination of Cenac and Flemings has been a major part of Houston’s early success but they’ll need everyone on board to stop an Arkansas team that’s coming to town pretty hot. It’s all about if the Razorbacks can control the pace of this game or if Houston’s defense will take charge again.
Do the Razorbacks continue their recent trend of fantastic play and get what would be their most impressive win of the season? Will the strong defense from Houston show up and take control of this game?