BASKETBALL

If you shop online for clothes or furniture, sneakers or concert tickets, you’ve seen the option at checkout to “buy now, pay later” by breaking the cost into smaller installments over time.

If there’s anybody who knows a thing or two about the Houston Rockets’ #3 overall pick, Jabari Smith Jr., It’s his college head coach, Bruce Pearl.

The Houston Rockets have declined forward Jae’Sean Tate’s $1.8 million team option, which sets up Tate to become a restricted free agent, a league source confirmed to KPRC 2.

Houston Cougars star and the program’s winningest player Fabian White Jr. signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, which includes a summer league deal for the former Atascocita forward, a league source tells KPRC 2.

Mya Hollingshed was drafted to the Las Vegas Aces! Congrats, Mya!

KPRC 2 sports director Randy McIlvoy is in San Antonio for Thursday’s NCAA tournament matchup between the University of Houston and University of Arizona’s basketball teams. This is the Coogs third straight Sweet 16 appearance, and they’ll be battling a tough opponent.

March is one of the best months of the year because we get the Rodeo, our first taste of spring weather, and lots of college basketball!

In case you've ever looked at an NCAA Tournament bracket and wondered, "Where the heck is that school located?," we have just the quiz for you.

With the big NCAA Tournament tournament quickly approaching, don’t you want to be ready to blow your spouse’s mind by knowing exactly what’s going on?

John Walker III scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half and Texas Southern pulled away for an 87-62 victory over Alcorn State on Saturday in the championship game of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, earning the Tigers an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Humble native Seth Haynes has committed to the University of Arizona to play wheelchair basketball, five years after a car accident left him paralyzed.

Harris was the leading scorer and rebounder at the 1976 Olympics for the U.S., which won the silver medal.

Owls open basketball season with easy win over Pepperdine

There’ll be some NBA history made during Thursday night’s Houston Rockets/Utah Jazz game, and it happens to coincide with Filipino American Heritage Month.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the WNBA came out with its top 25 players ever from which fans can then select their choice for Greatest of All Time (GOAT).

If you’re not in front of a television and don’t want to miss a minute of Olympic action, coverage can be streamed right from your computer or phone.

If you’re not in front of a television and don’t want to miss a minute of Olympic action, coverage can be streamed right from your computer or phone.

The quest for a seventh consecutive gold medal continues tonight for Team USA women’s basketball. The team which has won 50 straight Olympic Games faces Japan starting at 11:40 p.m. Houston time.

There is one word that comes to mind when you hear Lisa Leslie’s name: baller.

Kendrick Perkins is known for many things, along them are strong opinions, vast knowledge of all things basketball, and giving back. The ESPN NBA analyst and Houston resident joined KPRC Sports Reporter Vanesa Richardson for a one-on-one on Sports Sunday.

Brittney Griner and Ariel Atkins are players with local ties on this year's Team USA women's basketball Olympic roster revealed on Monday morning.

One of Houston’s high school basketball rising stars, Jacold Cole, participated in Team USA’s Junior Nation Team mini-camp recently.

The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Class is one of history’s deepest, with legends like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett representing the modern era of basketball.

Shaquille O'Neal's youngest son Shaqir has committed to play his college basketball at Texas Southern University.

Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey has left Baylor to return home and take over the LSU women’s basketball team.

Since arriving in Waco in 2003 Scott Drew has built a winning culture on and off the court.

Haley Jones scored 17 points and Stanford beat Arizona 54-53, giving the Cardinal and coach Tara VanDerveer their first national championship in 29 years.

Who is America rooting for in the Final Four?

The “Whose House? Coog’s House!” chant can be heard at every University of Houston sporting event, but most don’t know that it dates back to 1988.

Both the University of Houston and Baylor University men’s basketball teams have made it to the Final Four at the NCAA tournament this year.

Mattress Mack gives out nearly 20,000 face masks FridayHOUSTON – In true “Mattress Mack” fashion, the business owner will send several University of Houston students to the Final Four game against Baylor this Saturday. Jim McIngvale and Gallery Furniture will also host a Coogs Pep Rally at the Gallery Furniture on North Freeway on Thursday at 11 a.m.During the pep rally, several UH students will win a round-trip charter flight to Indianapolis, tickets to the game and hotel accommodations. The public is welcome to show their Cougar pride in the parking lot of the pep rally. The lucky Final Four trip winners will board a private jet on Friday with the families of the UH coaches to attend the game.

Two Texas teams have reached the NCAA Final Four tournament in Indianapolis, and social media is buzzing with excitement.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)It’s not easy to bury a team as good as USC, let alone in a half, no matter how easy Gonzaga made it look. He asked Few the day before their game against the high-flying Trojans whether his defense was getting lost in the shuffle. “Obviously, I think he’s the best defender in the country,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. Then Baylor’s bout with the virus came late in the season, requiring a pause of three weeks plus. After everything else fans weathered throughout this wacky season, a few more days might finally deliver a national championship game worth the wait.

An all-Texas national-semifinal takes over Indianapolis on Saturday. No.1 seed Baylor, the champions of the south region will face the No. 2 seed Houston, the champions of the midwest region.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)SAN ANTONIO – One by one, South Carolina players walked through the confetti and climbed the ladder to cut down the net in the Alamodome. Zia Cooke scored 16 points and South Carolina used its stifling defense to advance to the Final Four for the third time, shutting down Texas for a 62-34 victory Tuesday night. Top-seeded South Carolina blocked 14 shots, nine by Laeticia Amihere, and held No. “It says they're locked in,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. South Carolina answered with a 3-pointer from Henderson to start the Gamecocks on the run that would put the game away.

A Supreme Court case being argued this week amid March Madness could erode the difference between elite college athletes and professional sports stars. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)San Antonio is home to the NCAA Women’s Tournament, and three Texas schools were represented in the Sweet 16. Here’s a look at how they did on the second weekend in San Antonio:TEXAS A&MThe Aggies and Gary Blair were the earliest to lose, bowing out in the Sweet 16 to Arizona. 1 seed UConn before DiDi Richards hurt her leg. #ncaaW pic.twitter.com/amSH91IEQV — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2021TEXASThe Longhorns pulled two huge upsets in the second round and Sweet 16, beating 3-seed UCLA and 2-seed Maryland on their way to the Elite 8.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS – Baylor had been on the cusp of the Final Four twice before under coach Scott Drew, falling to the eventual champion both times. Baylor is headed there for the first time in 71 years, getting 22 points from MaCio Teague and a dominating defensive performance from Davion Mitchell to beat Arkansas 81-72 on Monday night. The top-seeded Bears (26-2) appeared to be barreling toward ending their Final Four drought with a dominating start. That left the Bears short of the Final Four dating back to when the bracket was only eight teams. He gave Arkansas all kinds of trouble on the pick-and-roll in the second half, finishing with 12 points and six assists.

Houston Rockets' John Wall (1) drives on Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet (23) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 22, 2021, in Houston. But Wall had 19 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds, his first triple-double since March 17, 2016. The Rockets closed out the third quarter with an 88-86 lead and opened the fourth quarter on a 9-1 run to pull away. AdThe Raptors led 28-27 at the end of the first quarter. In their losing streak, Houston led after the first quarter only three times, including on Feb. 26 when they led the Raptors 31-30.

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Cougars’ late game win over Rutgers University had the campus buzzing Monday with talk of a sweet success. The Coogs advanced to the Sweet 16 to take on Syracuse Orange on Saturday. AdDutton also had the following message for Syracuse: “Get ready to lose.”Other students said they think the Coogs will make it all the way this year. “I think we’re going to go all the way. The University of Houston recently launched a retro line of gear in celebration of Phi Slama Jama.

Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo (7) shoots as Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) defends during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 19, 2021, in Houston. (Troy Taromina/Pool Photo via AP)(AP) – Frank Jackson had a season-high 23 points and the Detroit Pistons handed the Houston Rockets their franchise-record 19th straight loss, 113-100 on Friday night. It was fun being out there.”Jerami Grant added 18 points, Josh Jackson had 15, and Isaiah Stewart 13. Wall had 21 points and seven assists, Oladipo had 19 points, and Wood 18 points and 11 rebounds. Wood averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 62 games and 12 starts with Detroit last season before signing with Houston in the offseason.

HOUSTON – Danilo Gallinari scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half and the Atlanta Hawks beat Houston 119-107 on Tuesday night, dealing the Rockets a franchise record-tying 17th straight loss. “Our defense in the fourth quarter really gave us the win,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. Five Hawks scored in double figures by halftime, and six scored at least 10 in the game. Rockets: Houston is hopeful Wood (ankle) can return Wednesday against the Warriors. Rockets: Houston hosts Golden State on Wednesday night.

The Basketball season has come to a close as the State Finals have been decided! Now it's time for the fans to name their Player of the Year! The VYPE Houston Girl's Basketball Player of the Year Fan Poll is now live! All athlete polls and their content are only associated and created by VYPE Media and its staff. Please contact VYPE Media directly if you have any questions, comments, or concerns around our Fan Polls.

(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 Men’s Basketball Tournament. Here’s a look at which teams in Texas officially punched their tickets to the Big Dance Sunday.

(AP) – Karl Nicholas scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Texas Southern placed five in double-figure scoring to upset top-seeded Prairie View A&M 80-61 in the Southwest Athletic Conference championship game Saturday night. Texas Southern shot 51% (29 of 57), adding 19 of 27 at the free-throw line. Gillam and Hopkins each scored five during the burst in which TSU held Prairie View to 3-of-11 shooting and two turnovers. Prairie View shot 34% for the game (24 of71) and had just five assists. Texas Southern is 1-8 in the NCAA Tournament, defeating North Carolina Central in the 2018 First Four for its lone win.

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Jazz returned with a win, though not one they felt like celebrating. The only bright spot Snyder allowed was: “We executed the last three minutes.”Playing for the first time since March 3, the NBA leaders handed the Rockets their 15th straight loss. AdBojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson each scored 15 but the Jazz needed a late run to close out the Rockets. During the 16-2 run, the ragtag Rockets forced three Jazz misses in a row and then a trio of turnovers to make their comeback. Jazz: Utah now allows 5,600 fans in the arena, up from the 3,900 capacity before the break.

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 – Kelvin Sampson isn’t 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. “Kelvin is a great ambassador for our university and the city of Houston,” 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.

The Basketball season is drawing to a close as the State Finals rapidly approach! Now it's time for the fans to name their Player of the Year! The VYPE Houston Boy's Basketball Player of the Year Fan Poll is now live! All athlete polls and their content are only associated and created by VYPE Media and its staff. Please contact VYPE Media directly if you have any questions, comments, or concerns around our Fan Polls.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 22: Coby White #0 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a lay up ahead of P.J. Tucker #17 of the Houston Rockets during the third quarter of a game at the Toyota Center on February 22, 2021 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. During that second burst, Houston missed four shots, two of which were air balls, and had a turnover. Rockets: Oladipo missed his fourth straight game.

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett dunks next to Houston Rockets' John Wall (1) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in New York. (Wendell Cruz/Pool Photo via AP)NEW YORK (AP) – Julius Randle and rookie Immanuel Quickley each scored 22 points and the New York Knicks sent the Houston Rockets to a season-high fifth straight loss with a 121-99 victory Saturday night. “I thought the unselfishness was important and then we had a number of guys just step up and make shots,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. ... Ray Spalding scored two points in his Rockets’ debut after being called up from the Rockets’ NBA G League affiliate Friday and signed to a two-way contract. The Knicks said Robinson was evaluated by their medical staff Saturday and surgery was recommended.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and three-time WNBA champion Sue Bird will preside over The ESPYS two-hour broadcast airing June 21 on ESPN. Rapinoe and Bird are partners who share a household, which conveniently eases some logistics. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)LOS ANGELES Its a way different kind of year, and so The ESPYs will be, too. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and three-time WNBA champion Sue Bird will preside over the two-hour broadcast airing June 21 on ESPN. Comedy and music are always part of the show, and Wilson, Rapinoe and Bird will get a chance to show off a sense of humor.

We welcome you to the Countdown to the 2020 VYPE Awards presented by Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE -- Tramon Mark, DickinsonLong, rangy, two-way player -- Tramon Mark could do it all. ...Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is Houston's leading provider of orthopedic services, from sports medicine to joint replacement. Houston Methodist offers comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative services with a high standard of excellence for elite athletes, active adults and student athletes. Houston Methodist serves as the official health care provider for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Rice Athletics, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.

HOUSTON Heres whats happening from the Xfinity Sports Desk this week in the Houston area. You can watch coverage all week on KPRC 2 Sports. Only three teams had opened their facilities recently for limited access for voluntary workouts. The Houston Rockets, who decided to delay their return, will open the Toyota Center doors for the players and limited staffers. Keep it locked on KPRC 2 Sports and Click2houston.com/sports for all of your sports news from the Xfinity Sports Desk!