| Houston Cougars men's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | University of Houston | ||
| First season | 1945–46; 80 years ago | ||
| All-time record | 1,435–882 (.619) | ||
| Head coach | Kelvin Sampson (11th season) | ||
| Conference | Big 12 Conference | ||
| Location | Houston,Texas | ||
| Arena | Fertitta Center (capacity: 7,100) | ||
| Nickname | Cougars | ||
| Student section | The Cage | ||
| Colors | Scarlet and white[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament runner-up | |||
| 1983, 1984 | |||
| NCAA tournament Final Four | |||
| 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2021 | |||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | |||
| 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2021, 2022 | |||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1956, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |||
| 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 | |||
TheHouston Cougars men's basketball team represents theUniversity of Houston inHouston,Texas, inNCAADivision I men'sbasketball competition. They compete as members of theBig 12 Conference. In addition to 26NCAA tournament appearances, the Cougars have won 22 conference championships and have had several players and a coach elected to theBasketball Hall of Fame.
Although the University of Houston already had a women's basketball program, the Houston Cougars men's basketball program did not begin until the 1945–46 season.Alden Pasche was the team's first head coach. In their first two seasons, the Cougars wonLone Star Conference regular-season titles and qualified for postseason play in theNAIA Men's Basketball tournaments in1946 and1947. The Cougars had an all-time NAIA tournament record of 2–2 in two years.
During Pasche's tenure, the Cougars posted a 135–116 record.[2] Under his leadership in 1950, the Cougars won theGulf Coast Conference championship. FutureCollege Basketball Hall of Fame coachGuy Lewis played for Pasche, eventually becoming an assistant coach before being handed the job upon Pasche's retirement.
Pasche retired after the 1955–56 season, and Houston assistantGuy Lewis was promoted to the head coaching position.[3] Lewis, a former Cougar player, led Houston to 27 straight winning seasons and 14 seasons with 20 or more wins, including 14 trips to theNCAA tournament. His Houston teams made the Final Four on five occasions (1967, 1968, 1982–84) and twice advanced to theNCAA Championship Game (1983, 1984).[4] Among the outstanding players who Lewis coached areElvin Hayes,Hakeem Olajuwon,Clyde Drexler,Otis Birdsong,Dwight Jones,Dwight Davis,Don Chaney andLouis "Sweet Lou" Dunbar.
Lewis's UH teams twice played key roles in high-profile events that helped to popularize college basketball as a spectator sport. In 1968, his underdog, Elvin Hayes-led Cougars upset the undefeated and top-ranked UCLA Bruins in front of more than 50,000 fans at Houston'sAstrodome. The game became known as the “Game of the Century” and marked a watershed in the popularity of college basketball.[5] In the early 1980s, Lewis'sPhi Slama Jama teams at UH gained notoriety for their fast-breaking, "above the rim" style of play as well as their overall success. These teams attracted great public interest with their entertaining style of play. At the height of Phi Slama Jama's notoriety, they suffered a dramatic, last-second loss in the 1983 NCAA Final that set a then-ratings record for college basketball broadcasts and became an iconic moment in the history of the sport.[6] Lewis's insistence that these highly successful teams play an acrobatic, up-tempo brand of basketball that emphasizeddunking brought this style of play to the fore and helped popularize it amongst younger players.[7]
Houston lost in both NCAA Final games in which Lewis coached, despite his "Phi Slama Jama" teams featuring superstarsClyde Drexler andHakeem Olajuwon. In 1983, Houston lost in a dramatic title game to theNorth Carolina State Wolfpack on a last-second dunk byLorenzo Charles. The Cougars lost in the 1984 NCAA Final to theGeorgetown Hoyas, led byPatrick Ewing. Lewis retired from coaching in 1986 at number 20 in all-time NCAA Division I victories, his 592–279 record giving him a .680 career winning percentage.
As a coach, Lewis was known for championing the once-outlaweddunk,[8] which he characterized as a "high percentage shot", and for clutching a brightly colored red-and-white polka dot towel[9] on the bench during games. Lewis was a major force in the racial integration of college athletics in the South during the 1960s, being one of the first major college coaches in the region to actively recruit African-American athletes.[10] His recruitment ofElvin Hayes andDon Chaney in 1964 ushered in an era of tremendous success in Cougar basketball. The dominant play of Hayes led the Cougars to two Final Fours and sent shock waves through Southern colleges that realized that they would have to begin recruiting black players if they wanted to compete with integrated teams.
After 21 years in theSouthwest Conference, the Cougars joinedConference USA in 1996. Under head coachAlvin Brooks,[11] 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, coached the Cougars to a rock bottom conference record of 2–14 in 1997–98.[12] The last, and only other, time the Cougars recorded only two conference victories in a season was in 1950–51; their first season in theMissouri Valley Conference.
One ofHouston's biggest sports icons and one of the Cougars best basketball players ever,Clyde Drexler was hired[13] to coach the program that he led as a player to the 1983 NCAA Final as part ofPhi Slama Jama. Basketball excitement was back on campus, and fans looked forward to the promising years to come. After just two seasons with minimal success, Drexler resigned as head coach citing his intention to spend more time with his family.[14]
Ray McCallum was hired[15] to do what Clyde Drexler could not—lead the Cougars to a winning season and earn a spot in theNCAA tournament. After losing seasons in each of his first two years, McCallum guided the Cougars to an 18–15 record in 2001–02. That season, the team won two conference tournament games and qualified for theNational Invitation Tournament.[16] However, the team regressed in the following season and failed to qualify for even their own C-USA tournament.
Tom Penders was named as the head coach of Cougars basketball in 2004.[17] 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.
The 2005–06 season looked promising at the outset. The Cougars started their first game on a 30–0 scoring run against theFlorida Tech Panthers. Less than two weeks later, the Cougars beat the nationally rankedLSU Tigers on the road and theArizona Wildcats at home.[18] The surprising wins earned the Cougars their first national ranking in several years. The team that seemed destined for an NCAA tournament berth failed to capitalize on their success and national recognition and began to stumble after a loss toSouth Alabama Jaguars in December. The Cougars won only one conference tournament game and had to settle again for another NIT bid.
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 theMemphis Tigers and once each to Arizona, theCreighton Bluejays, theKentucky Wildcats, South Alabama, theUNLV Runnin' Rebels, and theVCU Rams. By going 0–9 against these quality teams, the Cougars proved they were not worthy of anat-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Not surprisingly, 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.
In 2007–08 the team introduced a new nickname ("The Show—In 3D") and a slightly new uniform (a changed trim design). The team hoped to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since1992. Eight straight home games from November 21 to December 29 helped the Cougars get off to an 11–1 start. However, the team lost most of its critical games at the end of the season, including their last two games (both against theUTEP Miners). Houston received an invitation to theinauguralCollege Basketball Invitational tournament and defeated theNevada Wolf Pack and theValparaiso Crusaders but lost to their conference rival, theTulsa Golden Hurricane, in the semifinal round.[19]
The2008–09 season began on November 11 with a two-point loss to theGeorgia Southern Eagles; this was the first game of the Division I college basketball season and the opening game of the 2K Sports Classic tournament inDurham, North Carolina.[20] A Cougars win would have meant a second round matchup with theDuke Blue Devils.[21] Overall, the Cougars played a balanced home and away regular season schedule. Fifteen games (three in November, three in December, four in January, three in February, and two in March) were played atHofheinz Pavilion. There were 14 away games (two in November, two in December, five in January, and five in February).
The2009–10 team finished the regular season 15–15 and 7–9 in C-USA, finishing seventh place in the conference. Following a 93–80 win overEast Carolina in the first round of the C–USA Tournament, the Cougars beatMemphis 66–65, ending a string of four tournament titles for the Tigers. In the next game, they defeatedSouthern Miss 74–66 to advance to the championship game. Finally, the Cougars beat #25 rankedUTEP 81–73 to earn the conference's bid to theNCAA tournament, their first since 1992.[22] In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Houston, seeded 13th, was defeated 89–77 by 4th-seededMaryland.[23]
Penders announced his resignation as Houston head coach on March 22, 2010.[24]
The school hiredJames Dickey on March 21, 2010.[25]
Beginning with the 2013–14 season, Houston joined the newly createdAmerican Athletic Conference following theBig East realignment.
In March 2014, Dickey stepped down as head coach because of "private family matters".[26] In four seasons with Houston, Dickey amassed a 64–62 record with no NCAA tournament appearances or conference titles.
On April 3, 2014, Houston hiredKelvin Sampson as the new Cougars head coach.[27] Sampson had just become eligible to be a college coach again after receiving a five-year show cause penalty in 2008 for sanctions against him during his time asIndiana head coach.[27] In2014–15, Sampson's first season, Houston struggled again, finishing with a 13–19 record and 4–14 in the AAC.
The2015–16 team led a resurgence, finishing 22–10 overall, 12–6 in conference, but lost in theAAC tournament and in the first round of theNIT.
In2017–18, the Cougars compiled a 27–8 overall record, reaching the finals of theAAC tournament and winning a game in theNCAA tournament for the first time since 1984.
In2018–19, the Cougars' success continued as they set a program record for wins with a 33–4 mark. They were AAC regular-season champions but fell in the finals of theconference tournament. They proceeded to theNCAA tournament, where they reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 35 years.
In2020–21, the Cougars were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation. After winning the AAC Tournament, the Cougars were awarded a #2 seed in theNCAA tournament. UH defeated Cleveland State, Rutgers, Syracuse and Oregon State to achieve their first Final Four appearance since1984.[28] They would lose to eventual national championsBaylor in the Final Four.[29]
During the2021–22 season, the Cougars won the AAC regular season championship with a 15–3 conference record. They then defeated Cincinnati, Tulane and Memphis to win theconference tournament. With the conference championship, an overall record of 29–5 and ranked No. 15 in the nation, Houston received a #5 seed in theNCAA tournament. In the tournament, UH defeated UAB, Illinois and Arizona before losing to Villanova in the Elite Eight.
In2022–23, the Cougars' last season in the AAC, the team reached the number one ranking in the AP Poll, marking the first time they had held the top spot since1983.
In September 2021, the University of Houston was invited to join theBig 12 Conference, along with Cincinnati, UCF and BYU. The Cougars began Big 12 play in the 2023–24 season. In their first year of play, the Cougars went 32–5 overall, 15–3 in conference play, to claim an outright regular season title.
The Houston Cougars have finished ranked in theAP Poll and/or theCoaches Poll 16 times in the program's history.[30]
| 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 |
Rice is considered to be Houston's main rival, with the Bayou Cup trophy being awarded to the winner of the crosstown rivalry game. More recently, over the years in the AAC, rivalries have developed withCincinnati andMemphis.
Other rivals include former Southwest Conference foesBaylor,TCU,Texas,Texas A&M, andTexas Tech.
Houston leadsRice in the series 66–18 through the 2023–24 season.[31]
Houston leadsSMU in the series 58–34 through the 2023–24 season.[32]
| 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 | 264–79 (.770) | 132–47 (.737) | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| Totals | 1,435–882 (.619) | 12 | 8 | 25 | ||
Note: Through 2023–24 season.
The Cougars have appeared in 26NCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 40–30. They have made six appearances in the Final Four of the tournament, which is the most of any team who has not won a national championship.
TheNCAA began seeding the tournament with the1978 edition.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | SMU Kansas State | L 74–89 L 70–89 | |
| 1961 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Marquette Kansas State Texas Tech | W 77–61 L 64–75 L 67–69 | |
| 1965 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Notre Dame Oklahoma State SMU | W 99–98 L 60–75 L 87–89 | |
| 1966 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Colorado State Oregon State Pacific | W 82–76 L 60–63 W 102–91 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 1970 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Dayton Drake Kansas State | W 71–64 L 87–92 L 98–107 | |
| 1971 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | New Mexico State Kansas Notre Dame | W 72–69 L 77–78 W 119–106 | |
| 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 Game | #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 Game | #10 Louisiana Tech #6 Memphis State #4 Wake Forest #7 Virginia #1 Georgetown | W 77–70 W 78–71 W 68–63 W 49–47OT 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 100–95OT L 51–54 |
| 2025 | #1 | First Round | #16 SIU Edwardsville | TBD |
The Cougars have appeared in 11National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 5–11.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Quarterfinals | Dayton | L 77–94 |
| 1977 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Indiana State Illinois State Alabama St. Bonaventure | W 83–82 W 91–90 W 82–76 L 91–94 |
| 1985 | First Round | Lamar | L 71–78 |
| 1988 | First Round Second Round | Fordham Colorado State | W 69–61 L 61–71 |
| 1991 | First Round | Stanford | L 86–93 |
| 1993 | First Round | UTEP | L 61–67 |
| 2002 | Opening Round | Vanderbilt | L 50–59 |
| 2005 | Opening Round | Wichita State | L 69–85 |
| 2006 | First Round Second Round | BYU Missouri State | W 77–67 L 59–60 |
| 2016 | First Round | Georgia Tech | L 62–81 |
| 2017 | First Round | Akron | L 75–78 |
The Cougars have appeared in theCollege Basketball Invitational (CBI) three times. Their combined record is 3–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Nevada Valparaiso Tulsa | W 80–79 W 91–67 L 69–73 |
| 2009 | First Round | Oregon State | L 45–49 |
| 2013 | First Round Quarterfinals | Texas George Mason | W 73–72 L 84–88OT |
The Cougars have appeared in theNAIA tournament twice. Their combined record is 2–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | First Round Second Round | High Point Indiana State | W 63–34 L 43–62 |
| 1947 | First Round Second Round | Montana State Arizona State–Flagstaff | W 60–58 L 42–443OT |
Houston has had 49 players selected in theNBA draft.[33][34]
Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year
|
The Sporting News Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year Award
UPI College Basketball Coach of the Year
|
Houston players have been named to anAll-American team 21 times.[35][36]
| † | Consensus First-Team selection | ||||
| ‡ | Consensus Second-Team selection | ||||
| 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 | SN (3rd) |
Note: Honorable Mention selections are not included.
The following Houston players have been named Conference Player of the Year while at UH.[37]
| 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
The following Houston coaches have been named Conference Coach of the Year while at UH.[38]
| 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 |
The following Houston players and coaches have been enshrined in theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
| Year Inducted | Name | Position | Tenure | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Elvin Hayes | F/C | 1965–1968 | [39] |
| 2004 | Clyde Drexler | G/F | 1980–1983 | [40] |
| 2008 | Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 1981–1984 | [41] |
| 2013 | Guy Lewis | Coach | 1953–1986 | [42] |
The Cougars have retired the numbers of six men's basketball players:
| Houston Cougars retired numbers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Ref. | |
| 10 | Otis Birdsong | G | 1973–1977 | [43] | |
| 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 | ||
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