AAC Basketball: 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

11. Robert Gray

The Cougars were in fantastic shape early in Kelvin Sampson’s tenure because of players like Gray. A 6’2 guard originally from Forest City, North Carolina, he made his way on campus in 2015 after spending a year at Howard College nearby in Texas. He grew into one of Houston’s first true stars in recent memory, helping to begin the program’s transformation into a yearly contender. Gray had three very solid seasons in the AAC with the Cougars.

As a sophomore, Gray averaged 16.0 points and shot the ball relatively well. He became a full-time starter in the backcourt for the rest of his career and his offensive production only increased. Gray was over 20 points a game as a junior and ran the point for much of his senior season, accumulating 4.4 assists per game in that final collegiate year. That season also saw him lead the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly a decade. Gray had a career-high 39 points in their first-round win over San Diego State before it all came to an end on a Michigan buzzer-beater in round two.

Gray led the AAC in points per game in each of his upperclassmen seasons and was also First Team All-AAC for each of those campaigns. As previously mentioned, he was one of the first major weapons that Sampson brought on campus in his turnaround of Houston’s basketball program. The Cougars were 71-29 with Gray on the roster which was a major improvement over the seasons prior.