Doubling down: Mattress Mack places another $1 million on UH ahead of Cougarsโ March Madness debut
The Houston Cougars menโs basketball team boasts a 25-3 record and the top spot in the current AP poll. The squad is projected to be a tough out in the upcoming March Madness tournament, and Mattress Mack has bought in.
Jarace Walker lands in Top 10, Marcus Sasser goes 25th in 2023 NBA Draft
The Houston Cougars have had one of their most successful draft nights of all time, landing two of their star players in the top 25 picks of the 2023 NBA Draft. Freshman Jarace Walker will end up in Indiana on the Pacers, going 8th overall as part of a draft day trade.
UH Coogs head to Independence Bowl to face Raginโ Cajuns
University of Houston Football makes its 30th bowl appearance all-time when the Cougars face off against the Louisiana Raginโ Cajuns in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at 2 p.m., CT on Friday, Dec. 23, from Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
5 things for Houstonians to know for Tuesday, March 30
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)Here are things to know for Tuesday, March 30:1. The head of the CDC said she had a feeling of โimpending doomโ if people keep easing off. โThis is deadly serious,โ Biden said, urging governors to reinstate mask mandates and other restrictions that some states have been easing. After the activity, parents said they were told the children were rewarded with a few minutes of playtime. Houston tops Oregon State, reaches 1st Final Four since โ84Houston 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.
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.
Tale of the tape: Keys for UH, Oregon State for their Elite Eight matchup
The Houston Cougars are into the Elite 8, making history Saturday with a 62-46 thrashing of 11th-seed Syracuse. The Cougars are favorites to advance, but this Oregon State team wonโt be easy to knock off. Keys for the CougarsDefense is the name of the game for the University of Houston and theyโll need another stellar effort Monday night. UH has the best defensive field-goal percentage in the nation and has held opponents to just under 60 points per game. Ethan Thompson (15 ppg) has dominated on both ends and his physical play will be tested when he faces UH.
Mattress Mack places $1M NCAA bet on Houston Cougars
Houston personality and business owner Jim McIngvale placed a seven-figure bet on the Houston Cougars. The Gallery Furniture store owner known as โMattress Mackโ booked a late-night flight to Colorado, where he placed $1 million with DraftKings on the Univeristy Houston at 9-1 to win the NCAA Championship. This historic wager would net McIngvale $9 million, and follows his winning $3.46 million Super Bowl bet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to DraftKings, McIngvaleโs bet is one of the largest March Madness wagers on record. I look forward to having skin-in-the-game for the rest of March Madness and seeing these young men compete, especially after the tournament was cancelled last season.โ
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.
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.
Dana Holgorsen adds former Longhorns assistant to Cougars staff
FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2019, file photo, Houston coach Dana Holgorsen watches during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against SMU in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke, File)Houston Football head coach Dana Holgorsen announced on Wednesday the addition of Jay Valai to the Cougarsโ staff as the programโs cornerbacks coach. โJay is a Texas native that has coached at the college level as well as in the NFL,โ Holgorsen said. โIโm proud and honored to be a part of the staff at the University of Houston,โ Valai said. โIโm excited to get to work with Coach Holgorsen and the rest of our coaches.
Houston Cougars land commitment from standout running back
Oak Ridge running back Alton McCaskill announced plans to attend the University of Houston. HOUSTON โ The Houston Cougars signed their highest rated 2021 prospect Thursday. Oak Ridge running back Alton McCaskill announced heโll stay home to play for the Cougars. Oak Ridge Running Back Alton McCaskill commits to the University of Houston. 3 Star Oak Ridge running back picks Coogs over offers like USC, OK State and Ole Miss.
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.
White, Memphis overcome Houston rally for 30-27 win
(AP) โ Riley Patterson kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give Memphis a 30-27 win over Houston following the Cougarsโ improbable comeback on Saturday. Tune threw a 13-yard score to Marquez Stevenson early in the fourth after a 10-play, 75-yard drive. The game-tying drive ended when Tune threw an 18-yard scoring pass to Bryson Smith with 28 seconds to go. Brady White responded to lead Memphis (7-3, 5-3 American Athletic Conference) on a 5-play, 46-yard drive to set up Patterson. With the win, Memphis finished a second consecutive season undefeated at home for the first time in program history.
Doaks, Ridder help No. 6 Cincinnati run past Houston 38-10
Doaks rushed for a career-high 184 yards, Desmond Ridder ran for three scores and threw for another, and No. The Bearcats' read option with Doaks and Ridder kept the Cougars defense off balance all afternoon. โWeโre just opening holes for each other.โRidder capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard TD run to make it 14-0 in the second quarter. An acrobatic 34-yard catch by Bryson Smith led to Kyle Porter's 3-yard TD run that cut the Cougars' deficit to 14-7. Ridder added a 12-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.
Cougars prepare for No. 6 ranked Cincinnati
Head coach Dana Holgorsen and the Coogs will take on the Cincinnati Bearcats on their home turf, Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats lead the American Athletic Conference, currently at 3-0 in conference and 5-0 on the season. โUpfront theyโre senior, senior, senior, junior," Holgorsen continued, as he listed the number of upperclassmen on UCโs roster. Theyโre athletic, they play with great effort and they play well together as a team," said Holgorsen. The Coogs and Bearcats play this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Wilson throws 4 TDs in No. 14 BYUโs 43-26 win over Houston
(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)(AP) โ Down by double-digits late in the third quarter, BYU did not panic. 14 BYU rallied for a 43-26 win over Houston on Friday night. Wilson gave BYU the lead back with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Masen Wake with 10:35 left to make it 29-26 following a 2-point conversion pass from Wilson to Tyler Allgeier. Wilson threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Milne with three minutes remaining before Allgeier iced it with a 14-yard touchdown run with 1:40 left. Clayton Tune finished 21 of 31 for 310 yards and two touchdowns to lead Houston (1-1).
Houston Cougars football game against North Texas canceled due to COVID-19 related issues, UH says
HOUSTON โ The Houston Cougars continue their wait for the football season to start after the fifth game, in four weeks, has been either canceled or postponed due to COVID-related issues, according to the university. North Texas University announced Wednesday the team cannot play Saturdayโs game against Houston due to four positive tests at North Texas, with contact tracing leaving the team unable to have enough players to compete. We will continue to work to adjust our schedule with the hopes of playing as soon as we can.โNorth Texas played Houston Baptist on Sept. 5 and coming off a game against SMU last weekend. Houstonโs third game, with Memphis, was set to be played before the Tigers had to postpone the conference game due to a slew of positive tests. Both North Texas and Tulane have played this season, each playing the previous week.
Houston, FAU still waiting after virus disrupts 3 more games
The Houston Cougars are again without an opponent and still waiting to play their season opener as COVID-19 issues wiped out three more major college football games Wednesday. Tulsa's scheduled game at Arkansas State this week was also postponed. On Thursday, presidents' meetings will be held in both the Pac-12 and Mountain West, with both conferences eyeing late October starts to the football season after initially postponing all fall sports. The Cougars' next scheduled game is Oct. 8 at home against Tulane. The Mean Greenโs next scheduled game is their Conference USA opener at home Oct. 3 against Southern Miss.
Best, worst moments as Sooners protect home field against Cougars
4 Sooners protected their home field in the season opener against the Houston Cougars. Hurts continued his dominance, ending the game with 508 total yards, 20-23, 332 passing yards, 16 rushes, 176 yards and three touchdowns. Best OffenseLast season, the Oklahoma Sooners' offense averaged 59.1 points per game and 570.3 yards per game. By halftime, the Sooners racked up 370 total yards and 20 first downs. In the end, the Sooners finished with 686 total yards, 354 rushing yards and 332 passing yards.
UH celebrates historic win after clinching spot in Sweet 16
The University of Houston beat Ohio State 74-59 and clinched a spot in the Sweet 16. The last time the Houston Cougars menโs basketball team went to the Sweet 16 was in the Phi Slama Jama days back in 1984. 1, 2 and 3 seed will reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in a decade. But when youโre 33 and 3 , youโre really good at one thing and thatโs winning,โ said Coach Kelvin Sampson. Every 1-, 2- and 3-seed also reached the Sweet 16 in 2009, which was the first time that had happened since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Complete National Signing Day coverage for Houston, state of Texas
Best of the rest: Isaiah Chambers, DE, MacArthur High, Houston; Ross Blacklock, DT, Missouri City, Texas; Austin Myers, OT, Manvel, Texas; Sewo Olonilua, RB, Kingwood, Texas. On defense, the star of the class is McKinney, Texas, defensive end Justin Madubuike. Best of the rest: Devin Duvernay, WR, Sachse, Texas; Patrick Hudson, OL, Silsbee, Texas; Kameron Martin, RB, Port Arthur, Texas; Zach Smith, QB, Grandview, Texas. He had 56 tackles and four interceptions as La Vega went 16-0 and won a Texas Class 4A state championship. Now Gibbs has brought in different assistants and taken charge of bringing in 14 defensive players he liked.