ESPN experts project the AAC, Anonymous coach gives insight

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Lunardi: Houston had been to one NCAA tournament in 24 years before Kelvin Sampson took over. Since laying his foundation, Sampson has won 83 games the past three years and was on his way to a third straight single-digit NCAA seed (the last one in a rebuilding year). Two years ago, Sampson led the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 since Phi Slama Jama and it won’t be a surprise if they find their way back to the second weekend in 2021. With the loss of UConn to the Big East, Houston and Cincinnati are the only programs left in the American that have won a national championship. And only the Cougars can be certain of seeing their name on the board when the next Selection Sunday rolls around.

Ummm…when did this happen?

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So Medcalf predicts ECU to finish 8th in the league and still predicts Jayden Gardner to win Player of the Year? How does that work?

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I didn’t realize the team shot under 45% on 2s in conference play…yuck. The offense should be a lot better this year.

The conference race should be good with UH, Memphis, SMU & Cincy looking like the top 4. AAC should be a 4-5 bid league yearly if the sos at the bottom can improve.

something that caught my eye was the anonymous coach basically saying we had a legit 4 and 5 last year and we dont this year …its particularly interesting to me because this a coach we are going to be playing against … curious if opposing teams are going to putting that on their scouting reports as to what to try and exploit

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Yea that entire quote is interesting because it almost sounds like they don’t think the team will be as good this year. The front court holding up will make break the season imo. I know some believe we are deep there but it worries me.

Even though we don’t have Harris’ shot blocking/rebounding this year we should be fine at the 5 relative to last year between Gresham, Chaney, Powell and maybe even Roberts.

The 4 is a massive question mark though.

I don’t think there’s any question that losing Nate and Fabian were massive losses. We should be able to make up for the loss of Nate in a lot of respects given how much depth we have at guard/wing (other than the fact Nate would have helped cover up the questions marks at the 4). Losing Fabian was a really big blow that seems harder to make up based on our roster.

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When did UH win a Natti ? ? ? ? ?

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You know, I missed that. Maybe he was talking all sports so our 16 Golf National Championships must be what he is referring to.

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Yes, our Coogs lost the national championship game to an underrated, talented North Carolina State squad 54 - 52 at the conclusion of the 1982 - 83 season in a loss that will forever haunt many of us. However, “Phi Slama Jama” finished the regular season ranked #1 in both the Associated Press and Coach’s polls, and in my heart I know we were clearly the better team. Unfortunately, sports history has proven time and time again that the best team doesn’t always win. :slightly_frowning_face:

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If Sampson wins a Natty then I think the NC state memory will finally be put to rest

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Nothing can ease the memory of that lose for those of us that watched it.

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It’s a consolation natty… kinda like UCFs. Just go with it.

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UH basketball :basketball: has won the equivalent of a national championship - the Game of the Century.
This may seem strange to younger people but beating unbeaten and top-ranked UCLA 71-69 in the Astrodome when the Big E Elvin Hayes scored 39 points and outplayed arguably the greatest college player of all-time Lew Alcindor was at the time bigger than winning a national championship game.
The game was played before a record 52,000-plus fans on Jan. 20, 1968 and was the first college basketball regular-season game to be nationally televised in prime time.
The game ended UCLA’s then NCAA-record 47-game winning streak and put UH basketball on the national map. Many publications refer to that 1967-68 UCLA basketball team as the greatest of all-time and UH beat them. Alcindor was three-time college player of the year and was 88-2 in college, both two-point losses.
How many people can name without looking it up who won the national championship in 1986 or 1991 or even 2008. But when you mention the Game of the Century in the Astrodome, college basketball enthusiasts know Houston beat UCLA.
Even now when UH is on TV the announcers constantly bring up the game. The gift that keeps giving.
Having to take one or the other I would take winning that game over a nationally title. The game was that significant.
Even if UH had won the natty the following year but lost the game in the Dome, that championship would be ancient history and few people would remember. But winning the Game of the Century lives on.
And UH has two regular-season No. 1 rankings, but I do want the Cougars to win the NCAA basketball tournament at some point. With coach Sampson at the helm the probability gets better each year.

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Wasn’t there a year pre-tourney, where we were voted national champions?

At the end of the '82 - '83 season prior to March Madness.

One of the greatest games of all time, no doubt, but it is still not an accurate statement… That game was no more the championship game than beating Louisville in the Final Four. And no I am not comparing the Louisville team to the 68 Bruins.

UH has two BB games that seem to be brought up during the BB season and one in particular during the NCAA Tournament.

Just once I would not see Jim valvano running around jumping up and down on the BB court after their upset victory over PSJ.

Don’t be surprised again that it will be replayed sometime during the BB Tournament.