UH and Texas A&M square off

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is the Associated Press coach of the year for men's college basketball.

The Associated Press has announced its annual women's college basketball player and coach of the year awards and will announce the men's awards Friday.

It’s not a stretch to say Shead should be high on the list of greatest athletes in Houston sports history, given the traits he has shown.

Stanford has hired Kyle Smith away from Washington State to take over its struggling men’s basketball program.

Emanuel Sharp started overtime with a 3-pointer that put top-seeded Houston ahead to stay as the Cougars advanced to the Sweet 16 by topping ninth-seeded Texas A&M 100-95.

Emanuel Sharp started overtime with a 3-pointer that put top-seeded Houston ahead to stay as the Cougars advanced to the Sweet 16 by topping ninth-seeded Texas A&M 100-95.

LJ Cryer and Damian Dunn scored 17 points each as top-seeded Houston built a quick double-digit lead and pounded 16 seed Longwood 86-46 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

UH opens Friday night vs. Longwood University in the South Region in Memphis

As expected following a Big 12 regular season title and advancing to the Big 12 tournament final, the Cougars were chosen as the No. 1 seed in the South Region.

Milan Momcilovic had 18 points and Keshon Gilbert scored 16 as No. 7 Iowa State used a big second-half to rout No. 1 Houston 69-41 in the Big 12 Tournament final.

L.

Houston went right to the top in its first Big 12 season.

Houston remains atop the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for the third consecutive week.

Houston point guard Jamal Shead has been voted by Big 12 coaches as the conference’s player of the year.

Saturday’s 3 p.m. tip should be an electric atmosphere not only because it’s the last home game of the season at Fertitta Center, but because there is plenty more to earn.

Houston still has a tight grip on No. 1 in the AP Top 25 while Kansas is out of the top 10 for the first time in three seasons.

Jamal Shead hit a short follow shot with 0.4 seconds left and No. 1 Houston beat Oklahoma 87-85 on Saturday night, giving coach Kelvin Sampson a victory over one of his former schools.

A new set of rules for the block/charge call in college basketball has helped open up the game.

Now it’s Houston’s turn at the top of The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

Jamal Shead had 26 points, including 20 in the second half, and No. 2 Houston took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 73-65 win over No. 6 Iowa State.

It’s been a rough few days for the headliners in the AP Top 25.

Purdue is still atop the AP Top 25 but Houston has jumped Kansas into second place as the last unbeaten team in Division I men’s college basketball.

LJ Cryer scored 18 points and No. 6 Houston used a 19-4 run in the first half to take control on the way to a 65-49 victory over Houston to advance in the Charleston Classic.

Shaka Smart was voted the AP men's basketball coach of the year after leading Marquette to regular-season and Big East Tournament titles.

Houston was the lone No. 1 seed left in the tournament for about 30 minutes on Friday night, until its own run ended with an 89-75 loss to Miami in the Sweet 16.

Coaches across college basketball are looking at ways to evolve to deal with recruiting, roster management and athletes who can earn money.

For top-seeded Houston, any hope of winning a national title may come down to Marcus Sasser’s ailing groin.

With All-American Marcus Sasser watching from the bench, top-seeded Houston shook off Northern Kentucky for a 63-52 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

University of Houston fans forecast a victory ahead of their first game in the 2023 NCAA Men's Division I basketball tournament

At the University of Houston, you can hear cheers and chants complimented by a flag of forecasted victory.

Houston has received the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region for the NCAA Tournament.

Jamal Shead had 16 points and nine assists as top-ranked Houston advanced to its fifth American Athletic Conference championship game in a row with a 69-48 win over Cincinnati.

UCLA has climbed to No. 2 behind Houston in the latest Associated Press men's college basketball poll.

Marcus Sasser scored 22 points to help top-ranked Houston beat East Carolina 76-57 and clinching outright possession of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.

Marcus Sasser weighed many factors in deciding whether to return for his senior season at Houston.

Houston returned to No. 1 in the AP men’s college basketball poll for the third time this season while Northwestern and Texas A&M barged into the rankings after each had a pair of impressive wins last week.

Houston returned to No. 1 in the AP men’s college basketball poll for the third time this season while Northwestern and Texas A&M barged into the rankings after each had a pair of impressive wins last week.

Jarace Walker had a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds and No. 3 Houston rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Cincinnati 75-69.

Houston and Kansas remain firmly atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll after a record weekend of Top 25 losses.

Houston and Kansas remain firmly atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll after a record weekend of Top 25 losses.

Jarace Walker scored 17 points and No. 5 Houston used runs in each half and the nation’s best scoring defense to beat No. 2 Virginia 69-61.

Cougars remain unbeaten and will host #8 Alabama on Saturday

Houston and Texas remain firmly entrenched atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll.

J’Wan Roberts scored 15 points, Marcus Sasser added 13 and top-ranked Houston held on to beat Saint Mary’s 53-48.

Houston is the No. 1 team in the AP men's college basketball poll.

Cougars roll Northern Colorado in opener as Sampson wins 700th

The Houston Cougars are a potential Final Four team next season, and their program just got much better.

Guard Marcus Sasser will withdraw from NBA draft consideration and return to UH.

The college basketball season just ended, but it’s never too early to dream about next season’s possibilities, especially with such a bright future expected for University of Houston men’s basketball!

Here are things to know for Monday, March 28:

KPRC 2 Sports Director Randy McIlvoy has final thoughts and observations from the Elite Eight.

Houston is out of the NCAA Tournament, yet the Cougars look built to stay around as a power program for a long time.

Insiders, here’s your chance to win free tickets to the University of Houston's Sweet 16 game against Arizona.

As the University of Houston men's basketball team prepares for the Sweet 16, there will also be an official watch party for Cougars fans to watch the big game.

Taze Moore scored 21 points, Jamal Shead added 18 and Houston, a Final Four team last season, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with a 68-53 win over Illinois.

The Cougars are heading to Pittsburgh to compete in March Madness for yet another year.

Kyler Edwards had 20 points with six 3-pointers and 18th-ranked Houston advanced to its fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference championship game with an 86-66 semifinal win over Tulane.

University of Houston men’s basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson has been named a semifinalist for college basketball’s Naismith Coach of the Year award.

Kelvin Sampson won AAC Coach of the Year for the third time for good reason.

The American Athletic Conference has named University of Houston men’s basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson as its Coach of the Year.

J’Wan Roberts’ dunk with 1.3 seconds remaining in double overtime gave No. 14 Houston a stirring 76-74 victory over Wichita State.

University of Houston men's basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson has been named to the watch list for college basketball's Naismith Coach of the Year award.

Taze Moore had 14 points and seven rebounds, Fabian White Jr. added 12 points, and No. 14 Houston snapped a two-game losing streak with a 70-52 win over Central Florida.

Fabian White Jr. scored 16 of his career high-tying 21 points in the first half and No. 6 Houston beat Tulane 73-62 on Wednesday night for its 11th straight victory.

Auburn remains No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the second straight week.

Kyler Edwards scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half and Josh Carlton added 13 points and 15 rebounds as No. 7 Houston beat UCF 63-49 on Saturday night for its 10th straight victory.

Kyler Edwards had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and No. 10 Houston used a big first half to defeat East Carolina, 79-36.

Preseason No. 1 Gonzaga has climbed back to the top of The Associated Press men’s basketball poll, ending Baylor’s five-week run.

Kyler Edwards made seven 3-pointers as part of his 29 points, and No. 11 Houston held off several rallies by Tulsa for a 66-64 win on Saturday night.

Josh Carlton had 22 points and 12 rebounds as No. 12 Houston beat Wichita State 76-66.

Josh Carlton had a career-high 30 points with 11 rebounds and No. 12 Houston beat South Florida 83-66.

Fabian White Jr. had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Jamal Shead scored 14 points to lead depleted No. 12 Houston past Temple 66-61 on Sunday night.

Jamal Shead scored 18 points and Fabian White had 15 points and 10 rebounds as No. 14 Houston beat Oklahoma State 72-61 on Saturday in the lone game of the scheduled Hoop Hype XL College Basketball Showcase doubleheader at Dickies Arena.

Josh Carlton had 17 points and nine rebounds, Jamal Shead added 16 points and No. 14 Houston beat Louisiana-Lafayette 71-56 on Tuesday night.

JD Davison’s putback dunk with 33 seconds left and a final defensive stop gave No. 9 Alabama a 83-82 victory over 14th-ranked Houston on Saturday night.

Tramon Mark tied a career high with 22 points, Josh Carlton added 17 and No. 15 Houston won its third straight, beating Bryant 111-44.

Fabian White Jr. scored 21 points and No. 12 Houston rode a dominating first half to a 70-52 win over Butler in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.

Marcus Sasser scored 26 points, Kyler Edwards added 18 points and six rebounds, and No. 15 Houston routed Rice 79-45.

Marcus Sasser scored 25 points, Taze Moore added 12 and No. 15 Houston rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half to defeat Hofstra 83-75 in overtime.

Jared Butler scored 17 points to lead five Baylor players in double figures, and the Bears roared to a 78-59 victory over Houston in the Final Four.

Gonzaga has given fans the NCAA championship game they wanted with a shot for the ages.

As he prepares for the Final Four game against Baylor, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson grew emotional talking about his father.

Somebody will be doing a joyful Texas two-step after Baylor and Houston meet Saturday night in the Final Four.

Gonzaga (30-0) has been an offensive juggernaut rarely seen in college basketball. Ad“Everyone wants us to keep moving forward, but that’s not how we roll,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. That doesn’t lessen our desire to win this game, the next game or win two more games.”The next one won't be easy. The Bears were embroiled in one of the darkest scandals in college basketball history, when Patrick Dennehy was murdered by teammate Carlton Dotson in 2003. They played in the Final Four.”___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25

Yes, Houston is going back to the Final Four for the first time since the famed “Phi Slama Jama” era after Monday night's 67-61 win against Oregon State. And Houston knocked down enough free throws late while holding Oregon State without a basket during a critical 3 1/2 minutes. Fittingly, it was DeJon Jarreau — the American Athletic Conference's 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. “It was right there within our grasp with the effort we showed in the second half,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. They held the Beavers to 35% shooting in the first half before Oregon State found some openings.

INDIANAPOLIS – 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. Grimes’ 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 Conference’s 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.

... Oregon State opponents are shooting just 31.3% overall and 23.1% from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament. That Missouri squad lost a regional final to an Oklahoma team coached by Kelvin Sampson, who’s now at Houston. … Arkansas is in a regional final for the first time since 1995, when it lost to UCLA in the championship game. … Arkansas’ Justin Smith is averaging 20.3 points and 11 rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games. Arizona and Indiana are both in an NCAA regional final for the first time.

Now it's taken coach Kelvin Sampson's team somewhere new: the program's deepest NCAA Tournament run since the days of Olajuwon, Drexler and the famed “Phi Slama Jama." Quentin Grimes scored 14 points and Houston's defense locked down on surging Buddy Boeheim, helping the Cougars beat Syracuse 62-46 on Saturday night in the Sweet 16 while holding the Orange to their lowest point total in an NCAA Tournament game. That sent the second-seeded Cougars through to their first regional final in 37 years, earning a matchup with No. “It’s the best defense that that we’ve seen this year and they deserved to win,” coach Jim Boeheim said. Syracuse had shot at least 52% each time while making 29 3-pointers — but there would be no repeat of that unexpected 2016 Final Four run thanks to Houston's defense.

UH is here and two wins from a return trip to the Final Four that would end a 37 year drought. HOUSTON COUGARS ( 26-3)Last meeting against Syracuse: 1982, lost at Syracuse in the regular season 92-87. Any player entering this program and who wants to play for Coach Sampson better embrace defense. SYRACUSE ORANGEMEN ( 18-9)Head Coach: Jim Boeheim has his team in the Sweet 16 for a 20th time. Randy’s Prediction: UH wins 74-67 to advance to the Elite 8

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.

(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)(AP) – Quentin Grimes scored 18 points and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson tied John Wooden on the career victories list as the Cougars beat 15th-seeded Cleveland State 87-56 in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night. 2 seed Houston has won eight straight and will face seventh-seeded Clemson or 10th-seeded Rutgers in the Midwest Region's second round on Sunday. AdD'Moi Hodge scored 11 points and Torrey Patton had eight points and eight rebounds for the Vikings (19-9). Cleveland State had won at least one game in each of its two previous tourney appearances, beating Indiana (1986) and Wake Forest (2009). “That’s a one seed, I'm telling you,” Vikings coach Dennis Gates said.

(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.

7 Houston beat Cincinnati 91-54 on Sunday in the third consecutive American Athletic Conference tournament championship game between the two teams. AdThe Bearcats had won the previous two AAC title game matchups before last year’s tournaments were canceled because of COVID-19 after Houston had won its second consecutive AAC regular-season title. This was the most lopsided AAC tournament final game, surpassing SMU's 15-point win over Cincinnati in 2017. The Bearcats got to their fourth consecutive AAC tournament title game with a 60-59 win over the top-seeded Shockers in their semifinal game Saturday. AdHouston: The Cougars are going to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament.

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.

(AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – Jayden Gardner and East Carolina didn’t 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. That’s the program’s highest ranking since the 1983-84 season that ended with the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Cougars reaching the NCAA title game. but we weren’t any of those things tonight.”ECU: East Carolina hadn’t 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.

11 Houston used a dominant first half to cruise to a 75-58 win over UCF on Sunday. Houston (11-1, 6-1 American Athletic Conference) won its fourth straight game since its loss to Tulsa. “It was a great game for us,” Houston guard DeJon Jarreau said. “They made a lot of shots to start the first half off and kind of knocked us back,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. Sampson passed former Houston coach Tom Penders.

Houston's Caleb Mills (2) drives the ball against East Carolina during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greenville, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)HOUSTON – University of Houston sophomore guard Caleb Mills has chosen to transfer for personal reasons and will no longer compete with the Cougars. Head coach Kelvin Sampson made the announcement prior to Wednesday’s game against American Athletic Conference rival Wichita State in Houston. “I am grateful to coach Sampson, my coaches and teammates for the opportunities in Houston,” Mills said. In 2020-21, Mills averaged 9.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in four games.

HOUSTON – 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. “Most of them have already tested positive and gone through isolation,” said Sampson. “They’ve passed all the tests and have had consecutive negative tests after that.”According 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.

8 in the USA Today Coaches’ poll. This is the highest Houston has been ranked in the AP poll since finishing the 1983-84 season at No. It is the highest ranking for the Cougars in the USA Today Coaches’ poll since checking in at No. During the 2018-19 season, the Cougars appeared in the AP Top 10 for three straight weeks, eventually finishing at No. Prior to the 2020-21 season, the Cougars stood in both national preseason polls for the first time since November 1983.