Oklahoma State @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 8, 2018 ) Houston 63, Oklahoma State 53

Oklahoma State will again be without the services of guard Isaac Likekele when it visits Houston on Sunday. Likekele, the only player in the nation averaging at least five rebounds, five assists and 2.9 steals, helped the Cowboys to a 7-0 start but missed the last two games - home losses to Georgetown (81-74) and Wichita State (80-61) - because of illness.

“He’s making progress,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton told reporters. “... I don’t anticipate him playing. He is doing better. He hasn’t practiced, but he’s been around the last couple days, which is progress from the four or five days prior to that when he was sequestered for a little while." The Cougars have won four straight after a 71-63 victory over Texas-Arlington on Wednesday behind a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds from 6-5 guard Nate Hinton, who leads the team in offensive boards with 3.1 per game. "Nate Hinton is the heart and soul of this team,'' Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told reporters while Hinton said: "I try to focus on defense and rebounding and being a leader on the team.'' The Cougars won at Stillwater, Okla., 63-53 last season in the first meeting since 1965.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (7-2): The Cowboys miss Likekele, who averages 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.9 steals while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor. Senior guard Lindy Waters III also scores 13.7 points and had a career-high 29 against Georgetown before recording 11 versus Wichita State. Yor Anei, a 6-10 sophomore forward, averages 2.9 blocks while swatting away 17 percent of opponents' two-point field goal attempts, and also contributes 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds.

ABOUT HOUSTON (6-2): Hinton (13.6 points, team-best 9.3 rebounds) has recorded back-to-back double-doubles and boasts three in his last four games. Quentin Grimes (club-high 16.9 points per game), the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, has averaged 18 points during the winning streak and is shooting 52 percent from the field in his last two games. Fabian White Jr. (10.8 points), DeJon Jarreau (10.6) and freshman Caleb Mills (10.0) add scoring depth with Mills totaling 17 versus Arlington.

TIP-INS

1. The Cougars are 38-2 at home since 2017-18, losing to BYU 72-71 on Nov. 15 and to Central Florida 69-64 on March 2 - snapping a 33-game winning streak in Houston.

2. Oklahoma State has won three straight away from home - their longest such streak since winning five consecutive Big 12 road games in 2017.

3. Houston was 10th nationally in offensive rebounds per game entering Saturday with 14.5.

PREDICTION: Houston 80, Oklahoma State 72