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Houston Cougars men's basketball
2025–26 Houston Cougars men's basketball team
Houston Cougars primary logo.svg
University University of Houston
First season 1945–46; 80 years ago
All-time record 1,470–887 (.624)
Head coach Kelvin Sampson (12th season)
Conference Big 12 Conference
Location Houston, Texas
Arena Fertitta Center
(Capacity: 7,100)
Nickname Cougars
Student section The Cage
Colors Scarlet and Albino
         
Uniforms
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Home jersey
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Team colours
Home
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Away jersey
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Team colours
Away
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
1983, 1984, 2025
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2021, 2025
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2021, 2022, 2025
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1956, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1956, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2010, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Conference Tournament Champions
1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1992, 2010, 2021, 2022, 2025
Conference Regular Season Champions
1946, 1947, 1950, 1956, 1983, 1984, 1992, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

The Houston Cougars men's basketball team plays for the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. They compete in Division I college basketball. The team is part of the Big 12 Conference.

The Cougars have played in 26 NCAA tournaments. They have also won 22 conference championships. Several players and coaches from the team are in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Team History

The Houston Cougars men's basketball team started in the 1945–46 season. Their first coach was Alden Pasche.

Early Years (1945–1956)

In their first two seasons, the Cougars won titles in the Lone Star Conference. They also played in the NAIA Men's Basketball tournaments in 1946 and 1947. Coach Pasche led the team to a 135–116 record. In 1950, they won the Gulf Coast Conference championship. Guy Lewis, who later became a famous coach, played for Pasche. He then became an assistant coach before taking over.

The Guy Lewis Era (1956–1986)

Houston Cougars vs UCLA Bruins, Game of the Century, 1968
Houston's Don Chaney blocks a shot against UCLA in the 1968 Game of the Century.
Clyde Drexler as a Houston Cougars player
Clyde Drexler performs a slam dunk as a member of the Houston Cougars men's basketball team under Lewis.

When Coach Pasche retired in 1956, Guy Lewis became the head coach. Lewis was a former Cougars player. He led Houston to 27 winning seasons in a row. His teams had 14 seasons with 20 or more wins. They also made 14 trips to the NCAA tournament.

Lewis's teams reached the Final Four five times. These were in 1967, 1968, and from 1982 to 1984. They played in the NCAA Championship Game twice, in 1983 and 1984. Famous players coached by Lewis include Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Clyde Drexler.

In 1968, Lewis's Cougars played against the undefeated UCLA Bruins. More than 50,000 fans watched this game in the Astrodome. This game was called the “Game of the Century”. It made college basketball much more popular.

In the early 1980s, Lewis's teams were known as "Phi Slama Jama". They were famous for their fast-paced, "above the rim" style of play. They attracted many fans with their exciting dunks and overall success.

In the 1983 NCAA Final, Houston lost in a very close game. The North Carolina State Wolfpack won with a last-second dunk. In the 1984 NCAA Final, the Cougars lost to the Georgetown Hoyas. Lewis retired in 1986 with a great record of 592 wins and 279 losses.

Lewis was also known for supporting the slam dunk, which was once not allowed. He also carried a red-and-white polka dot towel during games. Lewis helped bring racial integration to college sports in the South. He was one of the first coaches to recruit African-American players. His recruitment of Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney in 1964 led to great success for the Cougars.

Joining Conference USA (1996–2004)

In 1996, the Cougars joined Conference USA. The team had a tough start in this new conference. Clyde Drexler, a former Cougars star, became the coach in 1998. Fans were excited, but Drexler resigned after two seasons to spend more time with his family.

Ray McCallum took over as coach. In 2001–02, the team had a winning record of 18–15. They won two conference tournament games and played in the National Invitation Tournament.

Building Up the Team (2004–2010)

Tom Penders became the head coach in 2004. He was known for improving basketball programs. In his first season (2004–05), the team made it to the NIT.

The 2005–06 season started well. The Cougars beat nationally ranked teams like the LSU Tigers and Arizona Wildcats. This earned them a national ranking for the first time in years. However, they struggled later in the season and again went to the NIT.

The 2006–07 team, called "The Show," had high hopes for the NCAA tournament. They played many strong teams but lost to all of them. This meant they did not get an invitation to the NCAA tournament or even the NIT.

Houston Cougars vs Valpo Crusaders CBI 2008
The Houston Cougars at the 2008 CBI.

In 2007–08, the team tried a new nickname, "The Show—In 3D." They hoped to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992. They started strong but lost important games at the end of the season. They played in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournament.

The 2009–10 team finished the regular season with a 15–15 record. They won the C–USA Tournament, beating Memphis and UTEP. This earned them a spot in the NCAA tournament, their first since 1992. They lost to Maryland in the first round. Coach Penders resigned in March 2010. James Dickey was hired as the new coach.

Joining The American (2013–2023)

In the 2013–14 season, Houston joined the new American Athletic Conference. Coach Dickey stepped down in March 2014.

KelvinSampson.RobertJosephCruz.RJCPictures
Sampson, courtside in 2023.

On April 3, 2014, Kelvin Sampson became the new Cougars head coach. In his first season (2014–15), Houston had a tough year. However, the team started to improve in 2015–16, finishing with a 22–10 record.

In 2017–18, the Cougars had a 27–8 record. They won a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984. In 2018–19, they set a new team record with 33 wins. They reached the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament, which was their first time in 35 years.

In 2020–21, the Cougars were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation. They won the AAC Tournament. They then made it to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament, their first since 1984. They lost to Baylor in the Final Four.

During the 2021–22 season, the Cougars won the AAC regular season championship. They also won the conference tournament. They reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

In 2022–23, their last season in the AAC, the Cougars reached the number one ranking in the AP Poll. This was the first time they were ranked number one since 1983.

The Alamodome after Houston's win over Duke in the 2025 Final Four in San Antonio
The Alamodome after Houston's 70–67 win over Duke in the 2025 Final Four in San Antonio.

Joining the Big 12 Conference

In September 2021, the University of Houston was invited to join the Big 12 Conference. The Cougars started playing in the Big 12 in the 2023–24 season. In their first year, they won the regular season title with a 32–5 record.

In the 2024–25 season, the Cougars had one of their best years ever. They won both the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles. They were a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. They made it to the national championship game, beating Purdue and Duke in close games. They lost a close championship game to Florida.

Conference History

The Houston Cougars have been part of several different conferences:

Top 25 Rankings

The Houston Cougars have finished in the top 25 rankings 17 times. These rankings come from the AP Poll and/or the Coaches Poll.

Season Final record AP Poll Coaches Poll
1965–66 23–6 14
1966–67 27–4 7 6
1967–68 31–2 1 1
1969–70 25–5 12 11
1970–71 22–7 14 18
1972–73 23–4 13 18
1977–78 25–8 16
1982–83 31–3 1 1
1983–84 32–5 5 5
2017–18 27–8 21 22
2018–19 33–4 11 12
2019–20 23–8 22 23
2020–21 28–4 6 3
2021–22 32–6 15 7
2022–23 33–4 2 6
2023–24 32–5 3 3
2024–25 35–5 2 2

Team Rivalries

The main rival for Houston is Rice. They play for the Bayou Cup trophy. In recent years, rivalries have also grown with Cincinnati and Memphis.

Other rivals include former Southwest Conference teams like Baylor, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.

Houston vs. Rice

Houston has a strong lead over Rice in their games, with a record of 66–18 through the 2024–25 season.

Houston vs. SMU

Houston also leads SMU in their games, with a record of 58–34 through the 2024–25 season.

Head Coaches

Coach Tenure Overall
record
Conference
record
Conference
regular
season
titles
Conference
tournament
titles
NCAA
tournament
appearances
Alden Pasche 1945–1956 135–116 (.538) 63–55 (.534) 4 1
Guy Lewis 1956–1986 592–279 (.680) 134–98 (.578) 2 4 14
Pat Foster 1986–1993 142–73 (.660) 70–38 (.648) 1 1 3
Alvin Brooks 1993–1998 54–84 (.391) 26–46 (.361)
Clyde Drexler 1998–2000 19–39 (.328) 7–25 (.219)
Ray McCallum 2000–2004 44–73 (.376) 24–40 (.375)
Tom Penders 2004–2010 121–77 (.611) 56–38 (.596) 1 1
James Dickey 2010–2014 64–62 (.508) 26–40 (.394)
Kelvin Sampson 2014–present 299–84 (.781) 151–48 (.759) 6 3 7
Totals 1,470–887 (.624) 13 9 26

Note: Records are through the 2024–25 season.

Postseason Games

NCAA Tournament Results

The Cougars have played in 26 NCAA tournaments. Their total record is 45 wins and 31 losses. They have reached the Final Four seven times. This is the most Final Four appearances for any team that has not won a national championship.

The NCAA started seeding teams in the tournament in 1978.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1956 Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game
SMU
Kansas State
L 74–89
L 70–89
1961 Regional quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game
Marquette
Kansas State
Texas Tech
W 77–61
L 64–75
L 67–69
1965 Regional quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game
Notre Dame
Oklahoma State
SMU
W 99–98
L 60–75
L 87–89
1966 Regional quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game
Colorado State
Oregon State
Pacific
W 82–76
L 60–63
W 102–91
1967 Regional quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional finals
Final Four
National 3rd-place game
New Mexico State
Kansas
SMU
UCLA
North Carolina
W 59–58
W 66–53
W 83–75
L 58–73
W 84–62
1968 Regional quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional finals
Final Four
National 3rd-place game
Loyola–Chicago
Louisville
TCU
UCLA
Ohio State
W 94–76
W 91–75
W 103–68
L 69–101
L 85–89
1970 Regional quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game
Dayton
Drake
Kansas State
W 71–64
L 87–92
L 98–107
1971 Regional quarterfinals
Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game
New Mexico State
Kansas
Notre Dame
W 72–69
L 77–78
W 119–106
1972 Regional quarterfinals Texas L 74–85
1973 Regional quarterfinals Southwestern Louisiana L 89–102
1978 (4Q) First round (2L) Notre Dame L 77–100
1981 #8 First round #9 Villanova L 72–90
1982 #6 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
#11 Alcorn State
#3 Tulsa
#2 Missouri
#8 Boston College
#1 North Carolina
W 94–84
W 78–74
W 79–78
W 99–92
L 63–68
1983 #1 Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
#8 Maryland
#4 Memphis State
#3 Villanova
#1 Louisville
#6 NC State
W 60–50
W 70–63
W 89–71
W 94–81
L 52–54
1984 #2 Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
#10 Louisiana Tech
#6 Memphis State
#4 Wake Forest
#7 Virginia
#1 Georgetown
W 77–70
W 78–71
W 68–63
W 49–47 OT
L 75–84
1987 #12 First round #5 Kansas L 55–66
1990 #8 First round #9 UC Santa Barbara L 66–70
1992 #10 First round #7 Georgia Tech L 60–65
2010 #13 First round #4 Maryland L 77–89
2018 #6 First round
Second round
#11 San Diego State
#3 Michigan
W 67–65
L 63–64
2019 #3 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
#14 Georgia State
#11 Ohio State
#2 Kentucky
W 84–55
W 74–59
L 58–62
2021 #2 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
#15 Cleveland State
#10 Rutgers
#11 Syracuse
#12 Oregon State
#1 Baylor
W 87–56
W 63–60
W 62–46
W 67–61
L 59–78
2022 #5 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
#12 UAB
#4 Illinois
#1 Arizona
#2 Villanova
W 82–68
W 68–53
W 72–60
L 44–50
2023 #1 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
#16 Northern Kentucky
#9 Auburn
#5 Miami (FL)
W 63–52
W 81–64
L 75–89
2024 #1 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
#16 Longwood
#9 Texas A&M
#4 Duke
W 86–46
W 100–95 OT
L 51–54
2025 #1 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
#16 SIU Edwardsville
#8 Gonzaga
#4 Purdue
#2 Tennessee
#1 Duke
#1 Florida
W 78–40
W 81–76
W 62–60
W 69–50
W 70–67
L 63–65

NIT Results

The Cougars have played in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 11 times. Their record is 5 wins and 11 losses.

Year Round Opponent Result
1962 Quarterfinals Dayton L 77–94
1977 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Indiana State
Illinois State
Alabama
St. Bonaventure
W 83–82
W 91–90
W 82–76
L 91–94
1985 First round Lamar L 71–78
1988 First round
Second round
Fordham
Colorado State
W 69–61
L 61–71
1991 First round Stanford L 86–93
1993 First round UTEP L 61–67
2002 Opening round Vanderbilt L 50–59
2005 Opening round Wichita State L 69–85
2006 First round
Second round
BYU
Missouri State
W 77–67
L 59–60
2016 First round Georgia Tech L 62–81
2017 First round Akron L 75–78

CBI Results

The Cougars have played in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) three times. Their record is 3 wins and 3 losses.

Year Round Opponent Result
2008 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Nevada
Valparaiso
Tulsa
W 80–79
W 91–67
L 69–73
2009 First round Oregon State L 45–49
2013 First round
Quarterfinals
Texas
George Mason
W 73–72
L 84–88 OT

NAIA Tournament Results

The Cougars have played in the NAIA tournament twice. Their record is 2 wins and 2 losses.

Year Round Opponent Result
1946 First round
Second round
High Point
Indiana State
W 63–34
L 43–62
1947 First round
Second round
Montana State
Arizona State–Flagstaff
W 60–58
L 42–44 3OT

NBA Draft Picks

Houston has had 49 players chosen in the NBA draft.

Draft year Round Pick (overall) Player Position Drafted by
1947 5 49 Charles Raynor G Baltimore Bullets
1952 9 96 Royce Ray G Rochester Royals
1954 10 81 Gary Shivers C Baltimore Bullets
1955 8 69 Don Boldebuck C Minneapolis Lakers
1956 6 46 Don Boldebuck C Boston Celtics
13 70 Arthur Helms F St. Louis Hawks
1961 1 9 Gary Phillips G Boston Celtics
2 15 Ted Luckenbill F Philadelphia Warriors
1963 3 25 Lyle Harger F Los Angeles Lakers
1965 14 101 Jack Morgenthal G Philadelphia 76ers
1967 10 105 Don Kruse C Los Angeles Lakers
1968 1 1 Elvin Hayes F/C San Diego Rockets
1 12 Don Chaney G Boston Celtics
1969 2 20 Ken Spain C Chicago Bulls
9 117 George Reynolds G Detroit Pistons
1970 11 183 Melvin Bell F Baltimore Bullets
12 189 Ollie Taylor G Cleveland Cavaliers
1971 4 56 Poo Welch G Atlanta Hawks
1972 1 3 Dwight Davis F Cleveland Cavaliers
1973 1 9 Dwight Jones F/C Atlanta Hawks
3 47 Steve Newsome F Chicago Bulls
1975 4 59 Louis Dunbar F Philadelphia 76ers
5 78 Maurice Presley C Portland Trail Blazers
1976 5 78 Dave Marrs F Houston Rockets
1977 1 2 Otis Birdsong G Kansas City Kings
1978 5 89 Cecile Rose G New Jersey Nets
6 128 Charles Thompson F Phoenix Suns
1979 4 71 Larry Rogers F New York Knicks
1980 9 189 Ken Williams G Dallas Mavericks
1982 1 19 Rob Williams G Denver Nuggets
6 136 Lynden Rose G Los Angeles Lakers
1983 1 14 Clyde Drexler G/F Portland Trail Blazers
2 29 Larry Micheaux F Chicago Bulls
1984 1 1 Akeem Olajuwon C Houston Rockets
1 24 Michael Young G/F Boston Celtics
10 208 Carl Lewis G Chicago Bulls
1985 5 103 Reid Gettys G Chicago Bulls
1986 4 80 Alvin Franklin G Sacramento Kings
1987 1 23 Cadillac Anderson F/C San Antonio Spurs
2 28 Rickie Winslow F Chicago Bulls
1988 2 26 Rolando Ferreira C Portland Trail Blazers
1990 2 30 Carl Herrera F Miami Heat
1991 2 44 Álvaro Teherán C Philadelphia 76ers
1994 2 52 Anthony Goldwire G Phoenix Suns
2001 2 51 Alton Ford C Phoenix Suns
2017 2 44 Damyean Dotson G New York Knicks
2021 1 25 Quentin Grimes G Los Angeles Clippers
2023 1 8 Jarace Walker F Washington Wizards
1 25 Marcus Sasser G Memphis Grizzlies
2024 2 45 Jamal Shead G Sacramento Kings

Individual Awards

National Coach of the Year Awards

Several Houston coaches have won national awards for being the best coach.

National Player of the Year Awards

Houston players have also won national awards for being the best player.

All-Americans

14 Houston players have been named to an All-American team. This means they were recognized as some of the best players in the country.

Key to All-American Selections

dagger Chosen as a top player by most major groups
double-dagger Chosen as a second-tier top player by most major groups
AP Associated Press UPI United Press International
NABC National Association of Basketball Coaches USBWA United States Basketball Writers Association
SN The Sporting News
Year Player Position Selector(s)
1961 Gary Phillips G USBWA (1st)
1967 Elvin Hayesdagger F/C AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st)
1968 Elvin Hayesdagger F/C AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st)
1972 Dwight Davis F AP (2nd)
1974 Louis Dunbar F NABC (5th)
1977 Otis Birdsongdagger G AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st)
1981 Rob Williams G AP (3rd)
1983 Clyde Drexlerdouble-dagger G/F AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), UPI (3rd)
1984 Akeem Olajuwondagger C AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (2nd)
Michael Young G/F AP (3rd), NABC (3rd), UPI (3rd)
2021 Quentin Grimes G AP (3rd), USBWA (3rd), NABC (3rd), SN (3rd)
2023 Marcus Sasserdagger G AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), SN (2nd)
2024 Jamal Sheaddagger G AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), SN (1st)
2025 LJ Cryer G AP (3rd), USBWA (3rd), NABC (3rd), SN (3rd)

Note: Honorable Mention selections are not included.

Conference Player of the Year

The following Houston players were named the best player in their conference:

Season Player Position Conference
1976–77 Otis Birdsong G Southwest
1980–81 Rob Williams G
1982–83† Clyde Drexler G/F
1983–84 Akeem Olajuwon C
2020–21† Quentin Grimes G The American
2022–23 Marcus Sasser G
2023–24 Jamal Shead G Big 12

† means co-Player of the Year (shared the award).

Conference Coach of the Year

The following Houston coaches were named the best coach in their conference:

Season Coach Conference
1955–56 Alden Pasche Missouri Valley
1982–83 Guy Lewis Southwest
1983–84
1991–92 Pat Foster
2017–18 Kelvin Sampson The American
2018–19
2021–22
2022–23
2023–24 Big 12
2024–25

Individual Honors

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

These Houston players and coaches are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor in basketball.

Year inducted Name Position Tenure Ref.
1990 Elvin Hayes F/C 1965–1968
2004 Clyde Drexler G/F 1980–1983
2008 Hakeem Olajuwon C 1981–1984
2013 Guy Lewis Coach 1953–1986

Retired Numbers

The Cougars have retired the numbers of six men's basketball players. This means no other player on the team will wear these numbers again, honoring the players' great achievements.

Houston Cougars Retired Numbers
No. Player Pos. Tenure Ref.
10 Otis Birdsong G 1973–1977
22 Clyde Drexler G/F 1980–1983
24 Don Chaney G 1965–1968
34 Hakeem Olajuwon C 1981–1984
42 Michael Young G/F 1980–1984
44 Elvin Hayes F/C 1965–1968

More About the Team

  • Game of the Century
  • Guy Lewis
  • Phi Slama Jama
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