GAME 28 • vs. (15) CLEVELAND STATE • 7:15 p.m. (EDT) • NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND • MARCH 19, 2021 @UHCougarMBK UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON BASKETBALL ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS: 3204 Cullen Blvd. • Suite 2008 • Houston, TX • 77204 • Contact: Jeff Conrad ([email protected]) O: (713) 743-9410 | C: (713) 557-3841 • UHCougars.com #7/6 HOUSTON COUGARS (24-3 • 13-3 American) 2021 NCAA TOURNAMENT MIDWEST REGION SETTING the SCENE Nov. 25 LAMAR ESPN+ W, 89-45 FIRST ROUND Television: truTV Southwest Showcase (Fertitta Center) Carter Blackburn (PxP) Nov. 27 BOISE STATE ESPN+ W, 68-58 (15) CLEVELAND STATE VIKINGS (19-7 • 17-4 Horizon) Debbie Antonelli (analyst) Southwest Showcase (Fort Worth, Texas) Evan Washburn (reporter) Nov. 29 vs. #14/13 Texas Tech ESPN2 W, 64-53 vs. #7/6 (2) HOUSTON COUGARS (24-3 • 14-3 American) Dec. 5 SOUTH CAROLINA ESPN+ W, 77-67 7:15 p.m. (EDT) • Friday, March 19, 2021 Radio: 950 AM KPRC / TuneIn App Dec. 9 SAM HOUSTON STATE ESPN+ PPD Jeremy Branham (PxP) Dec. 12 RICE ESPN+ PPD Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind. Elvin Hayes (analyst) Dec. 15 * UCF ESPN2 PPD truTV • KPRC 950 AM Pregame show begins at 7 p.m. (EDT) Dec. 19 at rv/rv Alabama SECN+ Canceled Dec. 20 ALCORN STATE ESPN+ W, 88-55 Westwood One Radio Dec. 22 * TEMPLE ESPN+ W, 76-50 COUGARS READY for THIRD STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE Ted Emrich (PxP) • Winners of its last seven games and nine of its last 10, the Cougars will compete as Kyle Macy (analyst) Dec. 26 * at rv/rv UCF ABC W, 63-54 thee No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region against (15) Cleveland State Dec. 29 * at Tulsa ESPN2 L, 64-65 at 7:15 p.m. (EDT) Friday inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. • Houston punched its ticket to the Big Dance with three wins in as many days at the Series vs. CSU: First meeting Jan. 3 * at rv/rv SMU ESPN2 W, 74-60 American Athletic Conference Championship inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 6 * WICHITA STATE ESPN+ W, 70-63 including a 91-54 victory over Cincinnati in Sunday’s Title Game. Houston Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson Jan. 9 * TULANE ESPNU W, 71-50 • Junior guard Quentin Grimes led the Cougars with 19.7 points per game at The (UNC Pembroke ‘78) Jan. 14 * at USF ESPN2 PPD American Championship and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Career Record: 663-333 (32nd year) Jan. 17 * UCF ESPNU W, 75-58 He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by seniors DeJon Jarreau and Justin Houston Record: 163-63 (7th year) Jan. 20 * nr/rv TULSA ESPN+ W, 86-59 Gorham vs. CSU: First meeting Jan. 23 * at Temple CBS W, 68-51 • This will be Houston’s third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, a first since vs. Dennis Gates: First meeting Jan. 23 * CINCINNATI CBS PPD 1982-84. Jan. 28 * at Tulane ESPN W, 83-60 HEADLINES and STORYLINES CSU Head Coach: Dennis Gates Jan. 31 * SMU ESPN W, 70-48 • Cougars are playing as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region. That’s (California ‘01) the highest seeding the Cougars have earned since competing as the No. 2 seed and Career Record: 30-28 (2nd yr.) Feb. 3 * at ECU ESPN+ L, 73-82 advancing to the National Championships in the 1984 NCAA Tournament. CSU Record: 30-28 (2nd yr.) Feb. 6 OUR LADY of the LAKE ESPN+ W, 112-46 • Houston was well represented in the American Athletic Conference postseason vs. Houston: First meeting Feb. 10 * at USF ESPNU W, 82-65 awards... Junior guard Quentin Grimes was named Player of the Year and was a vs. Kelvin Sampson: First meeting Feb. 14 * MEMPHIS ESPN PPD unanimous First-Team selection. Senior guard DeJon Jarreau earned a place on the Feb. 17 * ECU ESPN+ PPD Second Team and was named Defensive Player of the Year. Senior forward Justin Gor- Up Next ham also was named to the Second Team and was recognized as Most Improved Player, Feb. 18 * at Wichita State ESPN2 L, 63-68 while sophomore guard Marcus Sasser was named to the Second Team. for Houston: ^ vs. (7) Clemson- Feb. 21 * CINCINNATI ESPN W, 90-52 • Junior guard Quentin Grimes became the seventh player in school history to be (10) Rutgers winner Feb. 25 * rv/– WKU ESPN2 W, 81-57 named conference Player of the Year. With his American Championship Most Outstand- NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Feb. 28 * USF ESPNU W, 98-52 ing Player honor last week, Grimes became only fifth Cougars in Houston history to Second Round receive Conference Player of the Year and Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors Time TBA • Date TBA March 7 * MEMPHIS CBS W, 67-64 in same season. Location TBA • City TBA American Athletic Conference Championship (Fort Worth, Texas) • Through March 14, Houston is one of only four teams to rank among KenPom.com’s Network TBA • 950 AM KPRC March 12 vs. (10) Tulane ESPN2 W, 77-52 Top-20 national leaders in both offensive AND defensive efficiencies... Cougars stand at ^ – with win over (15) Cleveland State March 13 vs. (3) Memphis ESPN2 W, 76-74 No. 8 offensively (119.6) and No. 16 defensively (89.4)... Houston joins Illinois (7th off., March 14 vs. (5) Cincinnati ESPN W, 91-54 5th def.), Michigan (6th off., 7th def.) and Gonzaga (1st off., 10th def.) • Through March 15, the Cougars lead the nation with a 37.0 field goal percentage NCAA Tournament First/Second Rounds defense mark, rank second with 57.9 points allowed per game and a +19.8 scoring March 19 vs. (15) Cleveland State truTV 6:15 p.m. margin and stand third with 14.3 offensive rebounds per game, fourth with a 27.5 NCAA Tournament Regionals 3-point field goal percentage defense mark, fifthin won-loss percentage (.889), sixth March 27-30 vs. TBA TBA TBA in rebounds per game (41.1), and eighth in rebounding margin (+9.1). Senior forward Justin Gorham ranks fifth nationally with 4.0 offensive rebounds per game. NCAA Tournament Final Four (Indianapolis) • Senior forward Justin Gorham leads The American with 9.0 rebounds per game April 3,5 vs. TBA TBA TBA and is consistent on both ends of the floor... Also leads the league with 4.0 offensive re- bounds per game and stands fourth with 5.0 defensive boards per contest... Only player Home Games played in Fertitta Center and listed in BOLD CAPS to rank among Top Four in both categories. Times are Central and subject to change • Junior guard Quentin Grimes leads the Cougars and ranks third in The American @UHCOUGARMBK Rankings listed as Associated Press/USA TODAY Coaches’ with 18.0 points per game and stands second on the team and eighth in the league All games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC • Subject to change with 6.0 rebounds per contest... One of only three student-athletes in The American to #ForTheCity rank among the league’s Top-8 leaders in both categories. #GoCoogs THE KELVIN SAMPSON RADIO SHOW HOUSTON COUGARS at a GLANCE (Starters based on last game) 7-8 p.m. • Mondays PROBABLE STARTERS Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl.-Exp. Hometown G-GS PPG RPG Other 0 Marcus Sasser G 6-1 200 So.-1L Red Oak, Texas 24-23 13.7 2.3 2.6 3FG/gm Head Coach Kelvin Samp- son holds his weekly radio show on 3 DeJon Jarreau G 6-5 185 r-Sr.-2L New Orleans, La. 26-26 11.0 5.5 4.3 apg Mondays, beginning Jan. 4. 24 Quentin Grimes G 6-5 205 Jr.-1L The Woodlands, Texas 25-25 18.0 6.0 3.3 3FG/gm Hosted by Jeremy Branham, 4 Justin Gorham F 6-7 235 r-Sr.-1L Columbia, Md. 26-26 8.6 9.0 4.0 orpg the show airs from 7 to 8 p.m., 32 Reggie Chaney F 6-8 225 Jr.-TR Tulsa, Okla. 27-8 4.9 2.8 65.3 FG% during the American Athletic Con- ference season. RESERVES Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl.-Exp. Hometown G-GS PPG RPG Other Each week, Coach Sampson and Jeremy discuss the latest news about 12 Tramon Mark G 6-5 180 Fr.-HS Dickinson, Texas 27-4 8.1 3.1 1.9 apg Houston Basketball, the American Athletic Conference, the NCAA and 55 Brison Gresham F/C 6-8 230 r-Sr.-2L New Orleans, La. 26-19 3.0 3.2 1.5 bpg more. Student-athlete and coaching and support staff guests also join 35 Fabian White Jr. F 6-7 230 Sr.-3L Atascocita, Texas 8-0 5.6 3.8 1.0 bpg Coach and Jeremy on shows throughout 13 J’Wan Roberts F 6-6 210 r-Fr.-RS St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 23-1 2.1 4.1 1.5 orpg Jan. 4 Feb. 15 the season. 5 Cameron Tyson G 6-2 200 r-So.-RS Bothell, Wash. 17-1 6.8 1.0 10 3s vs. OLLU (2/6) Jan. 11 Feb. 22 Fans can tune in to 950 AM KPRC or 1 Jamal Shead G 6-1 175 Fr.-HS Manor, Texas 23-2 3.6 1.0 1.7 apg Jan. 18 March 1 52 Kiyron Powell C 6-10 205 Fr.-HS Evansville, Ind. 12-0 2.7 2.4 1.2 orpg Jan. 25 March 8 listen via or the TuneIn app Feb.