Suffice to say, last year was quite the breakthrough for coach Kelvin Sampson and Houston Basketball. The program had been trending in a great direction in recent years, with a Sweet Sixteen run in 2019 and a run of solid finishes in AAC play. The program rose as high as #5 in the Top 25 last season, losing only three regular-season games before winning the AAC Tournament title. As a 2-seed, the Cougars marched all the way to the Final Four, their first trip in 37 years.
Success doesn’t come overnight, and Sampson has done a marvelous job of transforming this Cougars program from dormant to a national contender. Each of the last six seasons, Houston has won at least 21 games, finished at least top 3 in the AAC, and made a national tournament appearance, including three straight NCAA Tournaments. With the talent remaining on this roster and new talent joining the Cougars, it certainly looks like the success will continue in Houston.
Looking forward, the AAC is entering a period of transition, though it won’t see the Cougars depart for the Big 12 for a few more seasons. That leaves the conference in the firm hands of both Houston and Memphis, each of whom is expected to compete for the AAC crown this upcoming season. Sampson’s seventh season with the Cougars was clearly his greatest, ending in the Final Four, but could his eighth top even that?
Of course, things will look a bit different for Houston moving forward. Star guard Quentin Grimes was recently a first-round pick of the New York Knicks, and studs DeJon Jarreau and Justin Gorham have both graduated and moved on. There are a few new faces on campus for the Cougars, highlighted by Texas Tech transfer Kyler Edwards, who we’ll certainly talk more about very shortly. Assistant coach Alvin Brooks is also gone, taking over as head coach at Lamar.
Yet, these Cougars have a chance to do something special again this season, especially in an AAC that isn’t exactly the strongest conference at the moment. Let’s dive into this Cougars team and take a look at what we can expect to see from Houston this season.