HOUSTON – The University of Houston revealed on Saturday its all-time starting lineup for its men’s basketball program, as voted on by their fans.
This was to help commemorate the 75th year of UH Athletics. The all-time starting lineup was revealed at halftime of Houston’s 76-66 win over Wichita State.
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POINT GUARD: Rob Williams
• First Cougar to be named NCAA Tournament Regional Most Outstanding Player (1982)
• 1982 All-America Second-Team selection
• 1981 All-America Honorable Mention
• 1981 USBWA District Player of the Year
• Three-time All-Southwest Conference First-Team honoree (1982, 1981, 1980)
• 1981 Southwest Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player
• Two-time Southwest Conference All-Tournament Team member (1982, 1981)
• Ranked among Houston’s Top-10 career leaders in both scoring and assists
• Selected with the No. 19 pick of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets
SHOOTING GUARD: Otis Birdsong
• 2018 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
• 2000 Houston Athletics Hall of Honor inductee
• Four-year letterman from 1973 to 1977
• 1977 Consensus All-American
• 1977 Southwest Conference Player of the Year
• Southwest Conference Player of the Decade for the 1970s
• Remains the second-leading scorer in program history more than 40 years after his final collegiate game
• No. 2 player taken in the 1977 NBA Draft by the Kansas City Kings
• #10 jersey retired on Jan. 18, 1997
WING: Clyde Drexler
• 2004 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
• 1998 Houston Athletics Hall of Honor inductee
• Led Houston to two NCAA Final Fours and 1983 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game
• 1983 All-America First-Team selection after averaging 15.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a senior
• Three-year letterman from 1980 to 1983
• Member of the Southwest Conference All-Decade Team for the 1980s
• Remains the school career record-holder with 268 steals nearly 40 years after his final collegiate game
• Only player in school history with 1,000+ points, 900+ rebounds, 300+ assists and 250+ steals
• Selected with the No. 14 pick of the 1983 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers
• #22 jersey retired on Feb. 12, 1997
POWER FORWARD: Elvin Hayes
• 1990 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
• 2013 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
• 1974 Houston Athletics Hall of Honor inductee
• Led Houston to first two NCAA Final Four appearances in school history (1968-67)
• Continues to hold scoring and rebounding career, single-season and season game record more than 50 years after his final collegiate game
• 1968 National Player of the Year
• Three-time First-Team All-American (1968, 1967, 1966)
• Scored 39 points with 15 rebounds to lead No. 2 Houston to a 71-69 upset over No 1 UCLA inside the Houston Astrodome during the Game of the Century in front of nearly 53,000 fans (Jan. 20, 1968)
• First Cougar to be taken with No. 1 overall pick in NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets in 1968
• One of first two African-American basketball student-athletes in Houston history
• #44 jersey retired on Dec. 18, 1993
CENTER: Hakeem Olajuwon
• 2008 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
• 1998 Houston Athletics Hall of Honor inductee
• Led Houston to three NCAA Final Fours and two NCAA Tournament National Championship game appearances
• 1983 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player – Last student-athlete from a team which did not win the national championship to be so honored
• Only Cougar to be named NCAA Tournament Regional Most Outstanding Player twice (1984, 1983)
• 1984 Consensus All-American
• 1984 Southwest Conference Player of the Year
• Third player in NCAA history to lead nation in two statistical categories in 1983-84 (67.7 FG%; 13.5 rpg)
• Second Cougar to be taken with No. 1 overall pick in NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets in 1984
• #34 jersey retired on Feb. 12, 1997
HEAD COACH: Guy V. Lewis
• 2013 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
• 2007 College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
• 1998 Houston Athletics Hall of Honor inductee as coach
• 1971 Houston Athletics Hall of Honor inductee as student-athlete
• Assembled a 592-279 career record from 1956 to 1986
• Led Cougars to four Southwest Conference Tournament championships and two Southwest Conference regular-season titles
• Produced 15 All-Americans with 26 1,000-Point scorers, two NBA Draft No. 1 overall picks, 11 NBA Draft First-Round selections, and 29 NBA Draft selections