Houston Cougars men's basketball facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Houston Cougars men's basketball |
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| University | University of Houston | ||
| First season | 1945–46; 80 years ago | ||
| All-time record | 1,470–887 (.624) | ||
| Head coach | Kelvin Sampson (11th season) | ||
| Conference | Big 12 Conference | ||
| Location | Houston, Texas | ||
| Arena | Fertitta Center (Capacity: 7,100) |
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| Nickname | Cougars | ||
| Student section | The Cage | ||
| Colors | Scarlet and Albino |
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| Uniforms | |||
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| 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 the NCAA tournament 26 times. They have also won 22 conference championships. Several of their players and coaches are in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Contents
- Team History: From Early Days to Today
- Where the Cougars Have Played: Conference Affiliations
- Top 25 Rankings: How High They've Climbed
- Who Are Their Biggest Rivals?
- Meet the Coaches: Leading the Team
- Postseason Play: NCAA Tournament Results
- Awards and Honors: Celebrating Success
- Hall of Fame and Retired Numbers
- More About the Cougars
Team History: From Early Days to Today
The Houston Cougars men's basketball team started in the 1945–46 season. This was even though the university already had a women's basketball team.
Starting Strong: The First Years (1945–1956)
Alden Pasche was the first head coach for the Cougars. In their first two seasons, they 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. College Basketball Hall of Fame coach Guy Lewis played for Pasche. Lewis later became an assistant coach and then head coach when Pasche retired.
The Guy Lewis Era: A Time of Legends (1956–1986)
After Coach Pasche retired, Guy Lewis took over in 1956. Lewis was a former Cougars player himself. He led Houston to 27 winning seasons in a row. His teams won 20 or more games in 14 seasons. They also went to the NCAA tournament 14 times.
Lewis's teams reached the Final Four five times (1967, 1968, 1982–84). They played in the NCAA Championship Game twice (1983, 1984). Famous players coached by Lewis include Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Clyde Drexler.
Lewis's teams helped make college basketball super popular. In 1968, his Cougars, led by Elvin Hayes, beat the top-ranked UCLA Bruins. More than 50,000 fans watched this game in Houston's Astrodome. It was called the “Game of the Century”.
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 loved to dunk! This exciting style made them very popular. Even though they were amazing, they lost in the 1983 NCAA Final. This dramatic, last-second loss set a record for college basketball TV ratings. It became a famous moment in sports history.
Houston lost both NCAA Final games under Lewis. In 1983, they lost to North Carolina State on a last-second dunk. In 1984, they lost to Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing. Lewis retired in 1986. He was known for encouraging the dunk shot. He also helped integrate college sports in the South. He was one of the first coaches to recruit African-American players.
New Conferences and New Coaches (1996–2010)
In 1996, the Cougars joined Conference USA. The team had some tough seasons at first. Clyde Drexler, a famous former Cougars player, became head coach in 1998. Fans were very 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 and played in the National Invitation Tournament. Then, Tom Penders became coach in 2004. He was known for turning teams around. In his first season, the Cougars made the NIT again.
The 2005–06 season started with big wins against nationally ranked teams. This gave the Cougars their first national ranking in years. However, they couldn't keep up the success and ended up in the NIT again. In 2009–10, the Cougars won the C-USA Tournament. This earned them a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992. Coach Penders resigned after that season.
Joining the American and Recent Success (2013–2023)
In 2013, Houston joined the new American Athletic Conference. James Dickey coached for four seasons before stepping down.
In 2014, Kelvin Sampson became the new head coach. Sampson quickly turned the team around.
- In 2017–18, they won a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984.
- In 2018–19, they set a team record with 33 wins. They reached the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. This was their first Sweet Sixteen in 35 years!
- In 2020–21, the Cougars were ranked as high as #5 in the country. They won the AAC Tournament and made it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. This was their first Final Four since 1984.
- In 2021–22, they won the AAC regular season and tournament titles. They reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.
- In 2022–23, the Cougars reached the number one ranking in the AP Poll. This was the first time since 1983!
Moving to the Big 12 Conference
In September 2021, the University of Houston was invited to join the Big 12 Conference. They started playing in the Big 12 in the 2023–24 season. In their first year, they won the regular season title!
In 2024–25, the Cougars had an amazing season. They won both the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament titles. They were a top seed in the NCAA tournament. They made it all the way to the national championship game! They had exciting wins against Purdue and Duke. In the final game, they narrowly lost to Florida 65–63.
Where the Cougars Have Played: Conference Affiliations
The Houston Cougars have been part of several different conferences over the years:
- Lone Star Conference (1945–1949)
- Gulf Coast Conference (1949–1950)
- Missouri Valley Conference (1950–1960)
- Independent (1960–1975)
- Southwest Conference (1975–1996)
- Conference USA (1996–2013)
- American Athletic Conference (2013–2023)
- Big 12 Conference (2023–present)
Top 25 Rankings: How High They've Climbed
The Houston Cougars have finished ranked in the top 25 of national polls 17 times. This shows how consistently good they have been!
| 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 |
Who Are Their Biggest Rivals?
The Cougars have some exciting rivalries! Their main rival is the Rice Owls. They play for the Bayou Cup trophy. In recent years, they've also had strong rivalries with Cincinnati and Memphis.
They also have rivalries with other teams from their old conference, the Southwest Conference. These include Baylor, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.
Battling Rice: The Bayou Cup
Houston leads Rice in their head-to-head games, with a record of 66 wins to 18 losses through the 2024–25 season.
Facing SMU: A Long-Standing Rivalry
Houston also leads SMU in their series, with 58 wins and 34 losses through the 2024–25 season.
Meet the Coaches: Leading the Team
Here's a look at the head coaches who have led the Houston Cougars men's basketball team.
| 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: Through 2024–25 season.
Postseason Play: NCAA Tournament Results
The Cougars have played in the NCAA tournament 26 times. Their total record in these tournaments is 45 wins and 31 losses. They have reached the Final Four seven times, which is the most for any team that hasn't won a national championship.
The NCAA started ranking teams for 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 |
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| 1961 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game |
Marquette Kansas State Texas Tech |
W 77–61 L 64–75 L 67–69 |
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| 1965 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game |
Notre Dame Oklahoma State SMU |
W 99–98 L 60–75 L 87–89 |
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| 1966 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game |
Colorado State Oregon State Pacific |
W 82–76 L 60–63 W 102–91 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 1970 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game |
Dayton Drake Kansas State |
W 71–64 L 87–92 L 98–107 |
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| 1971 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game |
New Mexico State Kansas Notre Dame |
W 72–69 L 77–78 W 119–106 |
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| 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 |
Awards and Honors: Celebrating Success
Top Coaches of the Year
Several Houston coaches have won national Coach of the Year awards.
- Guy Lewis won the Associated Press, Henry Iba, NABC, The Sporting News, and UPI Coach of the Year awards in 1968. He also won the AP award in 1983.
- Kelvin Sampson won the Associated Press, Henry Iba, and NABC Coach of the Year awards in 2024. He also won the Ben Jobe Award in 2022 and The Sporting News award in 2025.
Amazing Players of the Year
Houston players have also won many national Player of the Year awards.
- Elvin Hayes won the Associated Press, Sporting News, and UPI Player of the Year awards in 1968.
- Akeem Olajuwon won the Basketball Times and Helms Foundation Player of the Year awards in 1984. He was also the NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1983.
- Marcus Sasser won the Jerry West Award in 2023.
- Jamal Shead won the NABC Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2024.
- Joseph Tugler won the Lefty Driesell Award in 2025.
All-American Players
Houston players have been named to an All-American team 21 times. This means they were recognized as some of the best players in the country!
Understanding the Awards
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This means they were chosen for the First-Team by most major groups. | ||||
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This means they were chosen for the Second-Team by most major groups. | ||||
| AP | Associated Press | USBWA | United States Basketball Writers Association |
| NABC | National Association of Basketball Coaches | UPI | United Press International |
| SN | The Sporting News | HAF | Helms Athletic Foundation |
| BT | Basketball Times | CV | Converse Yearbook |
| Year | Player | Position | Selector(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Gary Phillips | G | HAF (2nd) |
| 1961 | Gary Phillips | G | USBWA (1st), CV (1st), HAF (2nd) |
| 1963 | Lyle Harger | F | HAF |
| 1966 | Elvin Hayes | F/C | SN (2nd), CV (2nd), HAF |
| 1967 | Elvin Hayes |
F/C | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes |
F/C | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) |
| Ken Spain | C | CV (2nd) | |
| 1970 | Ollie Taylor | G | HAF |
| 1972 | Dwight Davis | F | AP (2nd), CV (2nd), HAF |
| 1974 | Louis Dunbar | F | NABC (5th) |
| 1977 | Otis Birdsong |
G | AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) |
| 1981 | Rob Williams | G | AP (3rd) |
| 1982 | Rob Williams | G | SN (2nd), HAF |
| 1983 | Clyde Drexler |
G/F | AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), UPI (3rd) |
| Akeem Olajuwon | C | CV (2nd), BT (3rd), HAF | |
| 1984 | Akeem Olajuwon |
C | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (2nd) |
| Michael Young | G/F | AP (3rd), NABC (3rd), UPI (3rd), SN (2nd) | |
| 2021 | Quentin Grimes | G | AP (3rd), USBWA (3rd), NABC (3rd), SN (3rd) |
| 2023 | Marcus Sasser |
G | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), SN (2nd) |
| 2024 | Jamal Shead |
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 Awards
These Houston players were named the best player in their conference during their time at the University of Houston.
| 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 |
† co-Player of the Year
Conference Coach of the Year Awards
These Houston coaches were named the best coach in their conference while at the University of Houston.
| 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 |
Hall of Fame and Retired Numbers
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees
These Houston players and coaches are so famous, they've been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame!
| 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 Jersey Numbers
The Cougars have honored six of their best players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again!
| 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 Cougars
- Game of the Century
- Guy Lewis
- Phi Slama Jama
