Houston Cougars basketball

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Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars athletic logo
University University of Houston
Conference C-USA
Location Houston, TX
Head Coach Tom Penders (3rd year)
Arena Hofheinz Pavilion
(Capacity: 8,500)
Nickname Cougars
Colors scarlet red and albino white

             
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984
Conference Regular Season Champions
1956 (MVC)
1983, 1984, 1992† (Southwest)
†—Shared title


This article applies only to University of Houston men's basketball

The Houston Cougars Basketball team is the basketball team that represent the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, USA. The school's team currently competes in Conference USA. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1992. The Cougars are currently coached by Tom Penders.

Contents

[edit] Recent history

[edit] Welcome to Conference USA (1996-98)

After 21 years in the Southwest Athletic Conference, the Cougars joined Conference USA in 1996. Under head coach Alvin Brooks, the basketball program had a disappointing initial season in C-USA. The team went 3-11 against C-USA teams in 1996-97. The next season was even more futile. Brooks, who had led the Cougars since 1993, coahced the Cougars to a rock bottom conference record of 2-14 in 1997-98. The last, and only other, time the Cougars recorded only two conference victories in a season was in 1950-51; their first season in the Missouri Valley Conference.

[edit] Return to glory? (1998-00)

One of Houston's biggest sports icons and one of the Cougars best basketball players ever, Clyde Drexler was hired to coach the program that he led as a player to the 1983 NCAA Final as part of Phi Slamma Jamma. Basketball excitement was back on campus, and fans looked forward to the promising years to come. After just two seasons however, Drexler resigned as head coach to spend more time with his family.

[edit] Underachievers (2000-04)

Ray McCallum was hired to do what Clyde Drexler could not—lead the Cougars to a winning season and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. After losing seasons in each of his first two years, McCallum guided the Cougars to a 16-15 record in 2001-02. That season, the team won two conference tournament games and qualified for the National Invitation Tournament. However, the team regressed in the following season and failed to qualify for their own C-USA tournament.

[edit] Two steps forward, one step back (2004-07)

[edit] 2004-05

Tom Penders was named as the head coach of Cougars basketball in 2004. Known as "Turnaround Tom" for his reputation of inheriting sub-par basketball programs and making them better, Penders was hired to rebuild a program that recorded only one winning season in its last eight years. After a surprising debut season in 2004-05 that led to an NIT appearance, the team had high hopes to build on their relative success and make the NCAA Tournament in 2006.

[edit] 2005-06

The 2005-06 season looked promising at the outset. The Cougars started their first game on a 30-0 scoring run against Florida Tech. Less than two weeks later, the Cougars beat nationally ranked LSU on the road and Arizona at home. The suprising wins earned the Cougars their first national ranking in several years. The team that seemed destined for a NCAA Tournament birth failed to capitalize on their success and national recognition and began to stumble after a loss to South Alabama in December. The Cougars won only one conference tournament game and had to settle again for another NIT bid.

[edit] 2006-07

Dubbed as "The Show," the 2006-07 Cougars entered the season with cockiness and strong expectations to finally make it into the NCAA Tournament. A difficult schedule matched the Cougars with seven different teams that would end up qualifying for either the 2007 NCAA Tournament or NIT. Houston lost three times to Memphis and once to Arizona, Creighton, Kentucky, South Alabama, UNLV, and Virginia Commonwealth. By going 0-9 against these quality teams, the Cougars proved they were not worthy of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Not suprisingly, two conference tournament wins against lower seeds and an unimpressive 18-15 overall record were not even enough to earn the team an invitation to the NIT.

[edit] Recent records

As Conference USA member
Season Overall record* C-USA tournament record Postseason record Head coach
2006-07 18-15 (10-6) 2-1; Lost in final Tom Penders
2005-06 21-10 (9-5) 1-1; Lost in semifinal 1-1 in NIT Tom Penders
2004-05 18-14 (9-7) 0-1; Lost in first round 0-1 in NIT Tom Penders
2003-04 9-18 (3-13) Ray McCallum
2002-03 8-20 (6-10) 0-1; Lost in first round Ray McCallum
2001-02 18-15 (9-7) 2-1; Lost in semifinal 0-1 in NIT Ray McCallum
2000-01 9-20 (6-10) 0-1; Lost in first round Ray McCallum
1999-00 9-22 (2-14) 1-1; Lost in quarterfinal Clyde Drexler
1998-99 10-17 (5-11) 0-1; Lost in first round Clyde Drexler
1997-98 9-20 (2-14) 0-1; Lost in first round Alvin Brooks
1996-97 11-16 (3-11) 0-1; Lost in first round Alvin Brooks

* Overall record includes tournament/postseason results; Regular season conference record contained in parentheses

[edit] Postseason play

[edit] NCAA Men's Division I Tournament bids

Total Bids Last Bid Last Win Last Sweet 16 Last Elite 8 Last Final 4 Last Championship Game Last Championship
18 1992 1984 1984 1984 1984 1984 Never

[edit] National Invitational Tournament bids

Total Bids Last Bid Last Win Last Quarterfinal Last Semifinal Last Championship Game Last Championship
9 2006 2006 1977 1977 1977 Never

[edit] Notable players

† Played in the National Basketball Association (current players in bold)

‡ Played in the American Basketball Association

[edit] Retired numbers

The Cougars have retired the numbers of four men's basketball players: Otis Birdsong, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Elvin Hayes.

Birdsong played with the Cougars from 1973-1977

Drexler played with the Cougars from 1980-1983

Olajuwon played with the Cougars from 1981-1984

Hayes played with the Cougars from 1964-1968

[edit] See also

[edit] External link

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