HOOPS AND HOPES
RICE MEN’S TEAMS HOUSTON
Coach: Kelvin Sampson, ninth season at Houston.
Last year’s record: 32-6, 15-3 AAC. Outlook: Houston won’t sneak up on anybody as it enters the season at No. 3 in both major polls, the highest for the program since Phi Slama Jama. In the past four years, UH has gone 116-22 with trips to the Sweet 16, Final Four and Elite Eight. While the Cougars have suffered key losses each season, one thing doesn’t change: Sampson’s teams are always among the best defensively (third nationally last season at 58.8 points per game) and rebounding (No. 12 at 32 per game).The return of preseason All-America guard Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark, both sidelined with injuries most of last season, and Jamal Shead gives UH one of the top backcourts in the country. Factor in a frontcourt with veterans J’Wan Roberts and Reggie Chaney, along with big-time recruits Jarace Walker and Terrance Arceneaux, and there’s a good reason the Cougars are legitimate contenders to play at home in the Final Four.
Player to watch: Shead, a 6-1 junior guard. When Sasser and Mark were out with injuries, Shead gained valuable experience, averaging 17.0 points, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals in the Cougars’ three NCAA Tournament wins. His 221 assists last season were the second most in program history.
Key games: Nov. 20 at Oregon, Dec. 10 vs. Alabama, Dec. 17 at Virginia, Jan. 8 at Cincinnati, Feb. 16 at SMU, Feb. 19 vs. Memphis, March 5 at Memphis. Coach: Scott Pera, sixth season at Rice. Last year’s record: 16-17 (7-11).
Outlook: The Owls advanced to the postseason a year ago for the first time since 2017. Rice leans on Quincy Olivari, who made 16 starts in 20 games before missing the rest of the season with an injury. Olivari was fourth on the team with 9.9 points and second in rebounding (6.0). Travis Evee added 13.6 points and was fourth in the league in 3-pointers made per game (2.6). At 6-11, Max Fielder provides height and was one of only two Owls to start all 33 games, leading the team with 7.7 rebounds. Seryee Lewis adds versatility to the frontcourt. Combo guard Alem Huseinovic spent the past two seasons at Nevada.
Player to watch: Olivari, a 6-3 junior guard. The Owls went 3-8 down the stretch after he missed the team’s final 11 games with a wrist injury.
Key games: Nov. 30 vs Prairie View A&M, Dec. 12 at Texas, Jan. 28 vs. UAB, Feb. 4 vs. North Texas, Feb. 18 vs. Western Kentucky.
TEXAS
Coach: Chris Beard, second season at Texas.
Last year’s record: 22-12 (10-8). Outlook: Ranked fifth in the last year’s Associated Press preseason Top 25, Texas failed to live up to massive expectations in coach Chris Beard’s first season. Still, the Longhorns won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2014 and recorded 22 wins for only the second time in the past 10 seasons. Texas returned five rotation players from last year’s team, got Big 12 Freshman of the Year Tyrese Hunter to transfer from Iowa State, and signed one of the nation’s best freshman classes. If the veterans and newcomers jell quickly, the 12th-ranked Longhorns should win enough to contend for a top-four seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Player to watch: Dillon Mitchell, a 6-8 freshman forward. The five-star McDonald’s All-American brings game-changing athleticism and an unrelenting motor to a team that wants to play faster this year.
Key games: Nov. 16 vs. Gonzaga, Dec. 1 vs. Creighton, Dec. 6 vs. Illinois, Jan. 11 vs. TCU, Jan. 28 at Tennessee, Feb. 6 at Kansas, Feb. 25 at Baylor.
TEXAS A&M
Coach: Buzz Williams, 4th season at A&M. Last year’s record: 27-13 (9-9).
Outlook: Last season the Aggies followed an eight-game losing streak in the middle of league play by winning 12 of their final 15 games. They narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament, fueling key returnees Wade Taylor IV, Henry Coleman III, Tyrece Radford and Manny Obaseki. A&M, which added transfers Julius Marble from Michigan State and Dexter Dennis from Wichita State, is trying to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and the first time under Williams.
Player to watch: Coleman, a 6-8 junior forward. His five double-doubles last season all came against SEC teams, and his 6.2 rebounds per game tied for the team lead.
Key games: Dec. 17 at Memphis, Jan. 7 vs. LSU, Jan. 21 at Kentucky, Feb. 15 vs. Arkansas, Feb. 21 vs. Tennessee.
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
Coach: Ron Cottrell, 32nd season at HCU. Last year’s record: 11-18 (6-8).
Outlook: The team is adjusting to the death of wing Darius Lee, who was killed by a stray bullet this past June in New York. Lee was a second-team All-Southland pick after leading the Huskies in scoring (18.2) and rebounding (8.3). Guard Brycen Long is an efficient outside shooter. Zach Iyeyemi and Bonke Maring, a 6-10 transfer from UTEP, will hold down the post. Forwards Tristan Moore, Deshon Proctor and Jason Thompson add experience to a team that will play two freshmen at point guard — Pierce Bazil and Andrew King. Player to watch: Maks Klanjscek, a 6-5 senior guard. The Maine transfer led the Black Bears in scoring (9.7) last season. Key games: Nov. 10 at Texas, Dec. 21 at Texas Tech, Dec. 30 vs. New Orleans, Jan. 21 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Feb. 4 vs. Nicholls.
TEXAS SOUTHERN
Coach: Johnny Jones, fifth season at TSU. Last year’s record: 19-13 (13-5).
Outlook: Last season’s team won its second First Four game in as many years and gained national respect when it pummeled 20th-ranked Florida 69-54 on the road. The program is looking to make its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. P.J. Henry is the reigning SWAC tournament MVP. John Walker III led a balanced team in scoring (10.2). Karl Nicholas, the SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2021-22. Jordan Gilliam started 16 games last season and is a valuable contributor. Redshirt Shaqir O’Neal likely will be in the rotation.
Player to watch: Grayson Carter, a 6-10 senior post. The former Georgetown player is expected to make the biggest impact among players who sat out last year.
Key games: Nov. 13 vs. Arizona State, Nov. 16 at Houston, Nov. 28 at Kansas, Jan. 2 vs.
Southern, Jan. 14 vs. Alcorn State.
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Coach: Byron Smith, seventh season at Prairie View.
Last year’s record: 8-19 (8-10).
Outlook: After winning the SWAC regular-season title three straight years, Prairie View stumbled to an eighth-place finish last season. Poor chemistry and too many close losses hampered the Panthers, who lost seven games by one possession, including a pair of one-point losses to TSU. The Panthers have a revamped roster to go with Will Douglas and three-year starter Jeremiah Gambrell, who is back to off guard after playing out of position last year at the point. Louisiana transfer Trajan Wesley takes over at the point.
Player to watch: Yahuza Rasas, a 6-7 graduate forward. A transfer from TSU, Rasas is a former All-SWAC performer.
Key games: Nov. 27 at Oklahoma State, Nov. 30 at Rice, Jan. 4 vs. Southern, Jan. 28 at TSU, March 4 vs. TSU.
WOMEN’S TEAMS HOUSTON
Coach: Ronald Hughey, ninth season at Houston.
Last year’s record: 18-16, 7-9 AAC. Outlook: Is this the season the Cougars finally make the NCAA Tournament? The Cougars have made consecutive WNIT appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 last season, and Hughey returns his five top scorers. Led by Laila Blair, the Cougars were picked to finish second in the preseason poll behind South Florida. “Enough of this knocking on the door,” Hughey said. “We need to pull the door open.” Blair and Britney Onyeje are 3-point threats who hit a combined 102 last season. Tiara Young and Bria Patterson nearly averaged double figures, and Tatyana Hill (7.3) is the top returning rebounder.
Player to watch: Blair, a 5-8 junior guard. A unanimous first-team All-AAC selection in the preseason, Blair is a playmaker who averaged a team-high 13.3 points and added 81 assists last season.
Key games: Nov. 19 vs. Florida State, Nov. 26 vs. Florida (at St. Petersburg, Fla.),
Dec. 4 at Kansas State, Dec. 30 vs. SMU, Jan. 18 vs. USF, Feb. 12 at USF.
RICE
Coach: Lindsay Edmonds, second season at Rice.
Last year’s record: 14-13 (8-9).
Outlook: Despite losing four of five starters from the previous year’s team, the short-handed Owls closed the 2021-22 season with nine wins over their final 15 games, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament. Injuries limited the Owls to an eight-player rotation much of last season, with three freshmen in the starting lineup. Returnees include second-team All-CUSA forward Ashlee Austin; Malia Fisher, who earned All-Freshman honors; and Destiny Jackson, an honorable mention all-conference performer in her first full season as the starting point guard.
Player to watch: Fatou Samb, a 6-4 junior center. The Cal transfer brings size and experience.
Key games: Nov. 27 at Texas A&M, Dec. 10 vs. Houston, Dec. 20 vs. Middle Tennessee, Feb. 2 vs. Louisiana Tech, Feb. 25 vs. Charlotte.
TEXAS
Coach: Vic Schaefer, third season as Texas.
Last year’s record: 29-7 (13-5).
Outlook: Texas will miss leading scorer Aliyah Matharu and its two heart-and-soul wings, Audrey Warren and Joanne Allen-Taylor. But Schaefer, who has guided Texas to two straight Elite Eight appearances, restocked through the transfer portal, nabbing BYU star Shaylee Gonzales and a few other established college veterans. Sophomores Rori Harmon and Aaliyah Moore will need to play like stars all season, but there’s enough depth surrounding them for No. 3 Texas to challenge for both a Big 12 title and a national championship.
Player to watch: Harmon, a 5-6 sophomore guard. Harmon established herself as one of the nation’s best two-way players as a freshman, averaging 11.4 points, 5.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.
Key games: Nov. 14 at UConn, Nov. 27 vs. Princeton, Jan. 15 vs. Iowa State, Jan. 22 at Baylor, Feb. 25 at Oklahoma.
TEXAS A&M
Coach: Joni Taylor, 1st season at A&M. Last year’s record: 14-15 (4-12).
Outlook: The Aggies are in their biggest rebuilding mode in nearly 20 years under Taylor, hired from Georgia to try to get A&M back to the NCAA Tournament after a string of 15 consecutive appearances was snapped last season under the now-retired Gary Blair.
The Aggies’ top three scorers last season were seniors, and guard Jordan Nixon, who earned notice in the 2021 NCAA Tournament because of her clutch play, chose not to return. Taylor said “we’re playing two totally different styles” compared with Blair’s approach — so the Aggies are in for a large learning curve this season.
Player to watch: Janiah Barker, a 6-4 freshman forward. The Georgian is the highest-ranked recruit in A&M history at No. 3 according to ESPN.
Key games: Nov. 17 at Duke, Dec. 29 at South Carolina, Jan. 12 vs. Tennessee, Jan. 15 vs. Mississippi State, Feb. 5 vs. LSU.
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
Coach: Donna Finnie, 10th season at HCU. Last year’s record: 16-11 (12-2).
Outlook: The Huskies look to build off their first Southland regular-season championship. Two of its pillars are preseason all-conference selections Kennedy Wilson, who averaged 8.2 points, and Julija Vujakovic. Vujakovic put up 9.1 points per game and anchored the Huskies’ nationally ranked defense with a team-high 45 steals from the forward position. Experience will be provided by forward N’Denasija Collins and centers Abbey Sutherland and Marilyn Nzoiwu. Among the incoming freshmen is guard Erin Maguire, the third Maguire sister to join the program. Enya Maguire is a junior who has started 14 games.
Player to watch: Jo Oly, a 6-0 freshman forward. Oly is a versatile player with the ability to score and who will fit into the defensive system.
Key games: Nov. 16 at LSU, Dec. 4 at Baylor, Dec. 21 at Texas, Jan. 21 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Feb. 18 vs. Lamar.
TEXAS SOUTHERN
Coach: Vernette Skeete, first season at TSU.
Last year’s record: 11-15 (11-7).
Outlook: First-year coach Skeete has a reliable player in Andriana Avent, a first-team All-SWAC selection in the backcourt. Avent was a scoring machine in her first year as a Tiger, averaging 18.1 points over 23 games. She had a streak of 20 straight double-figure games. Adding support for Avent is Alisa Knight, who started 19 games last season, averaging 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds with 37 steals. Zyan Reynolds, Skye Green and Ariana Taylor also should contribute. Skeete is replacing Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who completed three seasons in her second stint coaching the Tigers. Skeete was most recently co-associate head coach to Gary Blair at Texas A&M.
Player to watch: Avent, a 5-11 junior guard. If Avent continues to progress in her second year in the program, she should contend for conference player of the year.
Key dates: Dec. 14 at Arizona, Jan. 2 vs. Southern, Jan. 16 vs. Jackson State, Jan. 28 vs. Prairie View A&M, Feb. 25 at Jackson State.
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Coach: Sandy Pugh, fifth season at Prairie View.
Last year’s record: 13-16 (10-8).
Outlook: It all starts with first-team All-SWAC selection Diana Rosenthal, who led the team with 15.9 points per game and was third in the league in steals (2.3) last season. The squad returns its top four scorers, including Kennedy Paul (9.8) and Kennedi Heard (6.8). Tamiracle Taylor, who can play either guard spot, Mikayla Hutchinson and Jessica Soders are well-rounded players who can play multiple positions.
Player to watch: Gerlyn Smith, a 6-1 junior forward. Smith is expected to get extended minutes after averaging 8.7 points as a first-year Panther.
Key dates: Dec. 20 at Michigan State, Jan. 4 vs. Southern, Jan. 14 vs. Jackson State, Feb. 18 vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff, March 4 vs. TSU.