University of Houston ranked 2nd in the country in ESPNโs early poll for next college hoops season
The college basketball season just ended, but itโs never too early to dream about next seasonโs possibilities, especially with such a bright future expected for University of Houston menโs basketball!
Gonzaga's bid for a perfect season moves on to Final Four
Gonzaga (30-0) has been an offensive juggernaut rarely seen in college basketball. AdโEveryone wants us to keep moving forward, but thatโs not how we roll,โ Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. That doesnโt lessen our desire to win this game, the next game or win two more games.โThe next one won't be easy. The Bears were embroiled in one of the darkest scandals in college basketball history, when Patrick Dennehy was murdered by teammate Carlton Dotson in 2003. They played in the Final Four.โ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25
Houston tops Oregon State, reaches 1st Final Four since โ84
Yes, Houston is going back to the Final Four for the first time since the famed โPhi Slama Jamaโ era after Monday night's 67-61 win against Oregon State. And Houston knocked down enough free throws late while holding Oregon State without a basket during a critical 3 1/2 minutes. Fittingly, it was DeJon Jarreau โ the American Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year who led the effort that stymied Oregon State star Ethan Thompson โ who was named the most outstanding player of the Midwest Region. โIt was right there within our grasp with the effort we showed in the second half,โ Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. They held the Beavers to 35% shooting in the first half before Oregon State found some openings.
Houston tops Oregon State, reaches 1st Final Four since โ84
INDIANAPOLIS โ Houston overcame a blown 17-point lead to hold off Oregon State 67-61 on Monday night in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Final Four for the first time in 37 years. Grimesโ 3 from near the top of the arc finally steadied the Cougars, and Houston knocked down enough free throws down the stretch while holding Oregon State without a basket during a critical 3 1/2 minutes. AdMarcus Sasser scored 20 points to lead Houston while Grimes added 18. Fittingly, it was DeJon Jarreau -- the American Athletic Conferenceโs defensive player of the year who led the effort that stymied Oregon State star Ethan Thompson -- who was named the most outstanding player of the Midwest Region. They held the Beavers to 35% shooting in the first half before Oregon State found some openings.
What To Watch: men's, women's regional finals start Monday
... Oregon State opponents are shooting just 31.3% overall and 23.1% from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament. That Missouri squad lost a regional final to an Oklahoma team coached by Kelvin Sampson, whoโs now at Houston. โฆ Arkansas is in a regional final for the first time since 1995, when it lost to UCLA in the championship game. โฆ Arkansasโ Justin Smith is averaging 20.3 points and 11 rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games. Arizona and Indiana are both in an NCAA regional final for the first time.
Houstonโs defense locks in, beats Syracuse 62-46 in NCAAs
Now it's taken coach Kelvin Sampson's team somewhere new: the program's deepest NCAA Tournament run since the days of Olajuwon, Drexler and the famed โPhi Slama Jama." Quentin Grimes scored 14 points and Houston's defense locked down on surging Buddy Boeheim, helping the Cougars beat Syracuse 62-46 on Saturday night in the Sweet 16 while holding the Orange to their lowest point total in an NCAA Tournament game. That sent the second-seeded Cougars through to their first regional final in 37 years, earning a matchup with No. โItโs the best defense that that weโve seen this year and they deserved to win,โ coach Jim Boeheim said. Syracuse had shot at least 52% each time while making 29 3-pointers โ but there would be no repeat of that unexpected 2016 Final Four run thanks to Houston's defense.
Tale of the Tape: Keys for UH and Syracuse in the Sweet 16 tonight
UH is here and two wins from a return trip to the Final Four that would end a 37 year drought. HOUSTON COUGARS ( 26-3)Last meeting against Syracuse: 1982, lost at Syracuse in the regular season 92-87. Any player entering this program and who wants to play for Coach Sampson better embrace defense. SYRACUSE ORANGEMEN ( 18-9)Head Coach: Jim Boeheim has his team in the Sweet 16 for a 20th time. Randyโs Prediction: UH wins 74-67 to advance to the Elite 8
Grimes helps No. 2 seed Houston rally past Rutgers, 63-60
The Cougars play No. By the time the first half ended, and the Scarlet Knights had forged a 30-27 lead, Rutgers and Houston each had two regulars mired in foul trouble. AdChaney took a seat with his fourth with 15:45 left and the Scarlet Knights went on the attack. And by the time there was 10 minutes to go, the Scarlet Knights had meticulously built a 50-40 lead. UP NEXTThe Cougars play the Orange next weekend for a spot in the Elite Eight.
Houston beats Cleveland State 87-56 as Sampson ties Wooden
(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)(AP) โ Quentin Grimes scored 18 points and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson tied John Wooden on the career victories list as the Cougars beat 15th-seeded Cleveland State 87-56 in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night. 2 seed Houston has won eight straight and will face seventh-seeded Clemson or 10th-seeded Rutgers in the Midwest Region's second round on Sunday. AdD'Moi Hodge scored 11 points and Torrey Patton had eight points and eight rebounds for the Vikings (19-9). Cleveland State had won at least one game in each of its two previous tourney appearances, beating Indiana (1986) and Wake Forest (2009). โThatโs a one seed, I'm telling you,โ Vikings coach Dennis Gates said.
LIST: Local teams who made this yearโs NCAA Menโs Basketball Tournament
(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson celebrates with the team following Houston's win over Cincinnati an NCAA college basketball game in the final round of the American Athletic Conference men's tournament Sunday, March 14, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)This weekend, the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, and the University of Texas won their respective conference tournament championships. But those were not the only Texas teams headed to the 2021 NCAA Menโs Basketball Tournament. Hereโs a look at which teams in Texas officially punched their tickets to the Big Dance Sunday.
GALLERY: No. 7 Houston takes AAC tourney with 91-54 win over Cincy
7 Houston beat Cincinnati 91-54 on Sunday in the third consecutive American Athletic Conference tournament championship game between the two teams. AdThe Bearcats had won the previous two AAC title game matchups before last yearโs tournaments were canceled because of COVID-19 after Houston had won its second consecutive AAC regular-season title. This was the most lopsided AAC tournament final game, surpassing SMU's 15-point win over Cincinnati in 2017. The Bearcats got to their fourth consecutive AAC tournament title game with a 60-59 win over the top-seeded Shockers in their semifinal game Saturday. AdHouston: The Cougars are going to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament.
UH menโs basketball coach Kelvin Sampson signs contract extension through 2026-2027 season
Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars looks on during a semifinal game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against the Wichita State Shockers at Amway Center on March 10, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. HOUSTON โ Kelvin Sampson isnโt leaving Houston anytime soon. Sampson, who is coming off his sixth consecutive 20-win season, has signed a contract extension with the University of Houston through the 2026-2027 season. โKelvin is a great ambassador for our university and the city of Houston,โ University of Houston Board of Regents Chairman and Rockets owner Tilman J. Fertitta said. Sampson and the Coogs are hoping for a deep run in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
#5 Cougars upset on the road by East Carolina
(AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA โ Jayden Gardner and East Carolina didnโt get to savor a sea of court-storming home fans after claiming a huge upset. East Carolina shot 47% and made 11 of 24 3-pointers -- and more impressively, the Pirates led for the last 12-plus minutes against a Houston team that struggled to make much of anything after halftime. Thatโs the programโs highest ranking since the 1983-84 season that ended with the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Cougars reaching the NCAA title game. but we werenโt any of those things tonight.โECU: East Carolina hadnโt won since beating Tulane at home on Dec. 22. UP NEXTHouston: The Cougars host NAIA program Our Lady of the Lake on Saturday, a game added to the schedule Wednesday.
No. 11 Houston uses big first half to cruise past UCF 75-58
11 Houston used a dominant first half to cruise to a 75-58 win over UCF on Sunday. Houston (11-1, 6-1 American Athletic Conference) won its fourth straight game since its loss to Tulsa. โIt was a great game for us,โ Houston guard DeJon Jarreau said. โThey made a lot of shots to start the first half off and kind of knocked us back,โ UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. Sampson passed former Houston coach Tom Penders.
UH guard Caleb Mills opts to transfer and leave the Cougars program
Houston's Caleb Mills (2) drives the ball against East Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greenville, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)HOUSTON โ University of Houston sophomore guard Caleb Mills has chosen to transfer for personal reasons and will no longer compete with the Cougars. Head coach Kelvin Sampson made the announcement prior to Wednesdayโs game against American Athletic Conference rival Wichita State in Houston. โI am grateful to coach Sampson, my coaches and teammates for the opportunities in Houston,โ Mills said. In 2020-21, Mills averaged 9.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in four games.
All UH basketball players, some coaches have had COVID-19, team confirms
HOUSTON โ The Houston Cougars have missed multiple games this season due to COVID-19. According to head coach Kelvin Sampson, all 15 players and some coaches have tested positive for COVID-19 at some point. โMost of them have already tested positive and gone through isolation,โ said Sampson. โTheyโve passed all the tests and have had consecutive negative tests after that.โAccording to Sampson, none of the players are currently positive and coming back out of quarantine protocol. Sampson said Houston will use eight to nine players Sunday against Alcorn University.
UH Cougars climb to No. 6 in AP Poll
8 in the USA Today Coachesโ poll. This is the highest Houston has been ranked in the AP poll since finishing the 1983-84 season at No. It is the highest ranking for the Cougars in the USA Today Coachesโ poll since checking in at No. During the 2018-19 season, the Cougars appeared in the AP Top 10 for three straight weeks, eventually finishing at No. Prior to the 2020-21 season, the Cougars stood in both national preseason polls for the first time since November 1983.
UH menโs basketball pause all team-related activities due to COVID-19 issues
HOUSTON โ The University of Houston Menโs Basketball program has paused all team-related activities due to recent positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing, Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman announced Tuesday morning. The Cougars were scheduled to play two games inside the Fertitta Center this week in Sam Houston State (7 p.m., Wednesday) and Rice (1 p.m., Saturday). Both of those games are now postponed. โThese are challenging times, but the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans will always remain our main priority.โ Pezman said. โAs we pause, I encourage all fans to remember to wear masks and socially distance at all times in your daily lives.