Rankings show state of play is splendid
Houston takes over No. 1; Texas second
HOUSTON — For the first time in nearly 40 years, the University of Houston is ranked No. 1.
UH (6-0) moved into the top spot in the Associated Press men’s basketball poll released Monday. It’s the first time the Cougars have been No. 1 since the Phi Slama Jama era during the final three polls of the 1982-83 season.
When the USA Today Coaches Poll comes out later Monday, the Cougars are expected to be No. 1 as well.
“Not everybody gets to be ranked No. 1,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “I don’t know that was something I ever thought about. I don’t know if it was ever a goal to have an in-season No. 1 ranking.”
Houston received 45 of 63 firstplace votes to lead a Texas twostep at the top of the poll.
The Texas Longhorns moved up two spots to No. 2 received eight first-place votes. The rest of the top 5 includes Virginia, Arizona and Purdue. Baylor is No. 6.
Houston survived a Thanksgiving weekend of upsets, rallying in the final minute to beat Kent State 49-44. Some of the nation’s other top teams were not as lucky. North Carolina, the preseason No. 1, dropped consecutive games to Iowa State and in four overtimes to No. 18 Alabama, while No. 3 Kansas, No. 6 Gonzaga and No. 8 Duke also lost.
“We’re coming off a game where obviously we didn’t play very well, so that puts a little bit of a damper on it when you know
there’s other teams that are probably more worthy because of the way they are playing,” Sampson said. “But that’s just the way it goes. I certainly don’t think we’re the best team in the nation, because I think we’re a work in progress.”
The rise to No. 1 is the latest milestone in the Cougars’ resurgence under Sampson. Houston was a dominant program in the late 1960s with Elvin Hayes and the Hakeem Olajuwon/clyde Drexler-led Phi Slama Jama made three straight trips to the Final Four, including two championship game appearances, in the early 1980s. But prior to Sampson’s arrival in 2014, UH had made just four NCAA Tournaments in the previous 26 seasons.
Sampson inherited a team that went 13-19 in his first season at UH. After a pair of NIT appearances, the Cougars returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and have been back every year except for the Covid-canceled 2020 tournament. The past three trips have included 33- and 32-win seasons and runs to the Sweet 16, Final Four and Elite Eight.
With its highest preseason ranking (No. 3) in decades, the Cougars entered the season as a heavy favorite to play for the national title and ESPN currently projects them as the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The
Final Four will be held April 1 and 3 at NRG Stadium.
“I’m really happy for our fan base because they’ve been through some tough decades with our basketball program,” Sampson said. “They’ve seen the highest of the highs, especially the older fans. One of the most significant basketball games ever played was in the Astrodome (Game of the Century against top-ranked UCLA in 1968). That was Houston basketball. That’s who they were back then. They were one of the top programs in the nation. Then the next decade with the ’80s, it was almost a cultural phenomenon with Phi Slama Jama. After that it’s just kind of been hit or miss. So, for our fan base, it’s something to stick their chest out about.”
Along with Phi Slama Jama, the Cougars also were No. 1 for the final seven weeks of the regular season in 1967-68.
It’s also new for Sampson, who has a No. 1 team for the first time in his 34year coaching career.
Houston plays Norfolk State on Tuesday at Fertitta Center before facing Saint Mary’s in The Battleground 2K22 on Saturday in Fort Worth.
“I’m sure I’ll mention it to the team,” Sampson said of the No. 1 ranking. “I’m probably going to make more of an emphasis on those 23 turnovers we had Saturday.”