2024–25 Houston Cougars men's basketball team

2024–25 Houston Cougars men's basketball
2024–25 Houston Cougars men's basketball
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 7
AP	No. 6
Record	3–1 (0–0 Big 12)
Head coach	Kelvin Sampson (11th season);
Assistant coaches	K.C. Beard; Kellen Sampson; Quannas White;
Home arena	Fertitta Center
	Seasons ← 2023–24 2025–26 →

2024–25 Big 12 men's basketball standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
BYU	0	–	0	–	5	–	0	1.000
No. 16 Cincinnati	0	–	0	–	5	–	0	1.000
No. 1 Kansas	0	–	0	–	5	–	0	1.000
Arizona State	0	–	0	–	5	–	1	.833
Texas Tech	0	–	0	–	5	–	1	.833
Colorado	0	–	0	–	4	–	1	.800
TCU	0	–	0	–	4	–	1	.800
Utah	0	–	0	–	4	–	1	.800
No. 6 Houston	0	–	0	–	3	–	1	.750
No. 5 Iowa State	0	–	0	–	3	–	1	.750
West Virginia	0	–	0	–	3	–	1	.750
Kansas State	0	–	0	–	5	–	2	.714
No. 17 Baylor	0	–	0	–	4	–	2	.667
Oklahoma State	0	–	0	–	4	–	2	.667
UCF	0	–	0	–	4	–	2	.667
No. 24 Arizona	0	–	0	–	2	–	2	.500

† 2025 Big 12 tournament winner As of November 25, 2024 Rankings from AP poll

The 2024–25 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars are led by eleventh-year head coach Kelvin Sampson. The team plays their home games at the Fertitta Center as second-year members of the Big 12 Conference.

Previous season

The Cougars finished the 2023–24 season 28–3, 15–3 in Big 12 play to win the regular season championship in their first year in the conference. They defeated TCU and Texas Tech to advance to the Big 12 tournament championship game where they lost to Iowa State.^[1] They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the #1 seed in the South Regional. They defeated Longwood in the First Round and Texas A&M in overtime in the Second Round to advance to their fifth consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearance. There they were defeated by Duke after losing their starting point guard, Jamal Shead, to an ankle sprain during the game.^[2]

Offseason

Departing players

Houston Departing Players
Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Reason for departure
Jamal Shead	1	G	6'1"	200	Senior	Manor, TX	Graduated/declared for the 2024 NBA draft; selected 45th overall by the Sacramento Kings
Damian Dunn	11	G	6'5"	205	Senior	Kinston, NC	Graduated; transferred to Pittsburgh
Ryan Elvin	20	G	6'1"	170	Senior	Round Rock, TX	Walk-on; graduated

Incoming transfers

Houston Incoming Transfers
Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Previous school
Milos Uzan	7	G	6'4"	193	Junior	Las Vegas, NV	Oklahoma

2024 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Mercy Miller CG	Sherman Oaks, CA	Notre Dame High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Aug 30, 2021
Mercy Miller CG	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 85
Chase McCarty SF	Huntsville, AL	IMG Academy	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Oct 13, 2023
Chase McCarty SF	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82
Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 45
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 16, 2024.

Preseason

Big 12 Preseason Poll

	Big 12 Coaches	Points
1.	Kansas	215 (9)
2.	Houston	211 (5)
3.	Iowa State	194 (1)
4.	Baylor	185
5.	Arizona	179 (1)
6.	Cincinnati	140
7.	Texas Tech	135
8.	Kansas State	133
9.	BYU	116
10.	TCU	90
11.	UCF	83
12.	Arizona State	64
13.	West Virginia	62
14.	Oklahoma State	46
15.	Colorado	37
16.	Utah	30
Reference:^[3] (#) first-place votes

Pre-Season All-Big 12 Team

First Team

Player	School
Caleb Love	Arizona
LJ Cryer	Houston
J’Wan Roberts	Houston
Tamin Lipsey	Iowa State
Hunter Dickinson†	Kansas
† denotes unanimous selection Reference:^[3]

Second Team

Player	School
Norchad Omier	Baylor
Jeremy Roach	Baylor
Keshon Gilbert	Iowa State
Dajuan Harris Jr	Kansas
Coleman Hawkins	Kansas State
† denotes unanimous selection Reference:^[3]

Player of the Year: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
Co-Newcomer of the Year: Jeremy Roach, Baylor & Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State
Freshman of the Year: V. J. Edgecombe, Baylor

Roster

2024–25 Houston Cougars men's basketball team

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Name	Height	Weight	Year	Previous school	Hometown
G	0	Kordelius Jefferson	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	RS Fr	Martin HS	Arlington, TX
C	2	Cedric Lath	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	260 lb (118 kg)	RS So	Balboa School	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
G	3	Ramon Walker Jr.	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Sr	Shadow Creek HS	Pearland, TX
G	4	LJ Cryer	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	GS	Baylor	Katy, TX
F	5	Ja'Vier Francis	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Sr	Montverde Academy	New Orleans, LA
G	7	Milos Uzan	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jr	Oklahoma	Las Vegas, NV
G	8	Mylik Wilson	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	GS	Texas Tech	Rayville, LA
F	11	Joseph Tugler	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	So	Cypress Falls HS	Houston, TX
C	12	Jacob McFarland	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	RS Fr	Rancho Verde HS	Moreno Valley, CA
F	13	J'Wan Roberts	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	GS	Shoemaker HS	Saint Thomas, USVI
G	21	Emanuel Sharp	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	RS Jr	Bishop McLaughlin CHS	Tampa, FL
G	23	Terrance Arceneaux	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	RS So	Beaumont United HS	Beaumont, TX
F	24	Chase McCarty	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Fr	IMG Academy	Huntsville, AL
G	25	Mercy Miller	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Fr	Notre Dame HS	Sherman Oaks, CA

Head coach

Kelvin Sampson (UNC Pembroke)

Assistant coach(es)

K.C. Beard (Boise State)
Kellen Sampson (Oklahoma)
Quannas White (Oklahoma)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on

Injured
Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: September 2, 2024

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
October 27, 2024* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 4	No. 13 Texas A&M	W 79–64	−	18 – Cryer	9 – Tugler	4 – Wilson	Fertitta Center (5,981) Houston, TX
Non-conference regular season
November 4, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 4	Jackson State	W 97−40	1−0	16 – Cryer	7 – Tied	10 – Uzan	Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX
November 9, 2024* 8:30 p.m., ESPNU	No. 4	vs. No. 11 Auburn The Battleground 2k24	L 69–74	1–1	13 – Tied	7 – Roberts	4 – Uzan	Toyota Center (6,901) Houston, TX
November 13, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 8	Louisiana	W 91–45	2–1	14 – Arceneaux	6 – Roberts	5 – Uzan	Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX
November 22, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 7	Hofstra	W 80–44	3–1	17 – Tugler	9 – Miller	6 – Uzan	Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX
November 26, 2024* 7:00 p.m., TBS	No. 6	vs. No. 9 Alabama Players Era Festival Impact Tournament						MGM Grand Garden Arena Paradise, NV
November 27, 2024* 11:30 p.m., TBS	No. 6	vs. Notre Dame Players Era Festival Impact Tournament						MGM Grand Garden Arena Paradise, NV
November 30, 2024* TBA	No. 6	vs. Players Era Festival						MGM Grand Garden Arena Paradise, NV
December 7, 2024* 4:30 p.m., ESPN2		Butler Big East–Big 12 Battle						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
December 10, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Troy						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
December 18, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Toledo						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
December 21, 2024* 1:00 p.m., CBSSN		Texas A&M–Corpus Christi						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
Big 12 regular season
December 30, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Oklahoma State						Gallagher-Iba Arena Stillwater, OK
January 4, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+		BYU						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
January 6, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN2		TCU						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
January 11, 2025 5:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Kansas State						Bramlage Coliseum Manhattan, KS
January 15, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		West Virginia						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
January 18, 2025 11:00 a.m., CBSSN		at UCF						Addition Financial Arena Orlando, FL
January 21, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Utah						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
January 25, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2		at Kansas						Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS
January 29, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		at West Virginia						WVU Coliseum Morgantown, WV
February 1, 2025 5:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2		Texas Tech						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
February 4, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		Oklahoma State						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
February 8, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Colorado						CU Events Center Boulder, CO
February 10, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN		Baylor						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
February 15, 2025 1:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2		at Arizona						McKale Center Tucson, AZ
February 18, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2		at Arizona State						Desert Financial Arena Tempe, AZ
February 22, 2025 1:00 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2		Iowa State						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
February 24, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN		at Texas Tech						United Supermarkets Arena Lubbock, TX
March 1, 2025 3:30 p.m., CBS		Cincinnati						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
March 3, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN		Kansas						Fertitta Center Houston, TX
March 8, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN		at Baylor						Foster Pavilion Waco, TX
Big 12 tournament
March 11–15, 2025 TBA		vs.						T-Mobile Center Kansas City, MO
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time.

Source^[4]

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	Final
AP	4 (4)	8	7	6
Coaches	4 (4)	10	8	7

References

^ "#1/1 Men's Hoops Falls to #7/8 Iowa State in Big 12 Title Game". uhcougars.com. March 16, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
^ "#2/2 (1) Men's Hoops Falls to Duke in Sweet 16". uhcougars.com. March 29, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Kansas Selected As Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Favorite, KU's Dickinson Named Preseason Player of the Year". Big12sports.com. Big 12 Conference. October 10, 2024.
^ "2024–25 Men's Basketball Schedule". uhcougars.com. Retrieved June 16, 2024.

[1] "#1/1 Men's Hoops Falls to #7/8 Iowa State in Big 12 Title Game". uhcougars.com. March 16, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.

[2] "#2/2 (1) Men's Hoops Falls to Duke in Sweet 16". uhcougars.com. March 29, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.

[Big_12_Preseason_Poll/Honors-3] "Kansas Selected As Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Favorite, KU's Dickinson Named Preseason Player of the Year". Big12sports.com. Big 12 Conference. October 10, 2024.

[4] "2024–25 Men's Basketball Schedule". uhcougars.com. Retrieved June 16, 2024.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Houston Cougars men's basketball
Venues	Sam Houston Coliseum (select games; 1937–19??) Jeppesen Gymnasium (1946–1966) Delmar Fieldhouse (1966–1969) Fertitta Center (1969–present) Health and Physical Education Arena (2017–2018)
Rivalries	Rice SMU
Culture & lore	Shasta Phi Slama Jama Game of the Century "Cougar Fight Song" Spirit of Houston
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics