The LSU Tigers men’s basketball team has been making some notable headlines as of late, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.Per reports from college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, LSU is finalizing an agreement with the Houston Cougars to play a neutral non-conference game at some point early next season, with an official date set to be announced at a later point. Though the contest will officially be listed in the NCAA's NET as a "neutral" matchup, the game is set to be played at the Toyota Center in Houston, only a nine-minute drive from the Cougars' home arena on campus.Regardless, it will mark a massive early-season test for head coach Will Wade and the Tigers against one of the best programs and coaches in the country. Beating Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars will be far from an easy task, but it's also a chance for LSU to make a big statement while earning what will likely be a Quad 1 win in the process.LSU vs. Houston All-Time Series HistoryHouston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson speaks during a practice session press conference ahead of the south regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn ImagesDespite never being in the same conference, this will mark the 21st all-time meeting between the Tigers and Cougars, with Houston leading the series 11-9, according to Basketball Reference.The most recent meeting came in December 2018 at the Fertitta Center, as No. 24 Houston came away with an 82-76 win at home behind 18 points from Galen Robinson Jr. against an LSU team that featured multiple future NBA players, most notably Naz Reid. A lot has changed for both programs since then, but as the cliche goes, the more things change the more they stay the same. Wade and Sampson were the two head coaches in the last meeting between LSU and Houston, and will now be roaming the sidelines for the matchup once again this fall.That year marked the second-best season in program history for LSU. Despite that early loss to Houston, the Tigers ended up finishing the year with a 28-7 record, the second-most wins in a single season ever for the team. LSU would end up earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament but would eventually fall to Michigan State in the Sweet 16.If history can even somewhat repeat itself this upcoming season, Wade's first year back would be a resounding success.Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow