# Houston Cougars men's basketball

The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. They compete as members of the Big 12 Conference. In addition to 26 NCAA tournament appearances, the Cougars have won 22 conference championships and have had several players and a coach elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

## History
### Early history (1945–56)

Although the University of Houston already had a women's basketball program, the Houston Cougars men's basketball program did not begin until the 1945–46 season. Alden Pasche was the team's first head coach. In their first two seasons, the Cougars won Lone Star Conference regular-season titles and qualified for postseason play in the NAIA Men's Basketball tournaments in 1946 and 1947. The Cougars had an all-time NAIA tournament record of 2–2 in two years.
During Pasche's tenure, the Cougars posted a 135–116 record. Under his leadership in 1950, the Cougars won the Gulf Coast Conference championship. Future College Basketball Hall of Fame coach Guy Lewis played for Pasche, eventually becoming an assistant coach before being handed the job upon Pasche's retirement.

### Guy Lewis era (1956–86)

Pasche retired after the 1955–56 season, and Houston assistant Guy Lewis was promoted to the head coaching position. Lewis, a former Cougar player, led Houston to 27 straight winning seasons and 14 seasons with 20 or more wins, including 14 trips to the NCAA tournament. His Houston teams made the Final Four on five occasions (1967, 1968, 1982–84) and twice advanced to the NCAA Championship Game (1983, 1984). Among the outstanding players who Lewis coached are Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Otis Birdsong, Dwight Jones, Dwight Davis, Don Chaney and Louis "Sweet Lou" Dunbar.
Lewis's UH teams twice played key roles in high-profile events that helped to popularize college basketball as a spectator sport. In 1968, his underdog, Elvin Hayes-led Cougars upset the undefeated and top-ranked UCLA Bruins in front of more than 50,000 fans at Houston's Astrodome. The game became known as the “Game of the Century” and marked a watershed in the popularity of college basketball. In the early 1980s, Lewis's Phi Slama Jama teams at UH gained notoriety for their fast-breaking, "above the rim" style of play as well as their overall success. These teams attracted great public interest with their entertaining style of play. At the height of Phi Slama Jama's notoriety, they suffered a dramatic, last-second loss in the 1983 NCAA Final that set a then-ratings record for college basketball broadcasts and became an iconic moment in the history of the sport. Lewis's insistence that these highly successful teams play an acrobatic, up-tempo brand of basketball that emphasized dunking brought this style of play to the fore and helped popularize it amongst younger players.
Houston lost in both NCAA Final games in which Lewis coached, despite his "Phi Slama Jama" teams featuring superstars Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. In 1983, Houston lost in a dramatic title game to the North Carolina State Wolfpack on a last-second dunk by Lorenzo Charles. The Cougars lost in the 1984 NCAA Final to the Georgetown Hoyas, led by Patrick Ewing. Lewis retired from coaching in 1986 at number 20 in all-time NCAA Division I victories, his 592–279 record giving him a .680 career winning percentage.
As a coach, Lewis was known for championing the once-outlawed dunk, which he characterized as a "high percentage shot", and for clutching a brightly colored red-and-white polka dot towel on the bench during games. Lewis was a major force in the racial integration of college athletics in the South during the 1960s, being one of the first major college coaches in the region to actively recruit African-American athletes. His recruitment of Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney in 1964 ushered in an era of tremendous success in Cougar basketball. The dominant play of Hayes led the Cougars to two Final Fours and sent shock waves through Southern colleges that realized that they would have to begin recruiting black players if they wanted to compete with integrated teams.

### Welcome to Conference USA (1996–2004)

After 21 years in the Southwest Conference, the Cougars joined Conference USA in 1996. Under head coach Alvin Brooks, the basketball program had a disappointing initial season in C-USA. The team went 3–11 against C-USA teams in 1996–97. The next season was even more futile. Brooks, who had led the Cougars since 1993, coached the Cougars to a rock bottom conference record of 2–14 in 1997–98. The last, and only other, time the Cougars recorded only two conference victories in a season was in 1950–51; their first season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
One of Houston's biggest sports icons and one of the Cougars best basketball players ever, Clyde Drexler was hired to coach the program that he led as a player to the 1983 NCAA Final as part of Phi Slama Jama. Basketball excitement was back on campus, and fans looked forward to the promising years to come. After just two seasons with minimal success, Drexler resigned as head coach citing his intention to spend more time with his family.
Ray McCallum was hired to do what Clyde Drexler could not—lead the Cougars to a winning season and earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. After losing seasons in each of his first two years, McCallum guided the Cougars to an 18–15 record in 2001–02. That season, the team won two conference tournament games and qualified for the National Invitation Tournament. However, the team regressed in the following season and failed to qualify for even their own C-USA tournament.

### Two steps forward, one step back (2004–07)

Tom Penders was named as the head coach of Cougars basketball in 2004. Known as "Turnaround Tom" for his reputation of inheriting sub-par basketball programs and making them better, Penders was hired to rebuild a program that recorded only one winning season in its last eight years. After a surprising debut season in 2004–05 that led to an NIT appearance, the team had high hopes to build on their relative success and make the NCAA tournament in 2006.
The 2005–06 season looked promising at the outset. The Cougars started their first game on a 30–0 scoring run against the Florida Tech Panthers. Less than two weeks later, the Cougars beat the nationally ranked LSU Tigers on the road and the Arizona Wildcats at home. The surprising wins earned the Cougars their first national ranking in several years. The team that seemed destined for an NCAA tournament berth failed to capitalize on their success and national recognition and began to stumble after a loss to South Alabama Jaguars in December. The Cougars won only one conference tournament game and had to settle again for another NIT bid.
Dubbed as "The Show," the 2006–07 Cougars entered the season with cockiness and strong expectations to finally make it into the NCAA tournament. A difficult schedule matched the Cougars with seven different teams that would end up qualifying for either the 2007 NCAA tournament or NIT. Houston lost three times to the Memphis Tigers and once each to Arizona, the Creighton Bluejays, the Kentucky Wildcats, South Alabama, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, and the VCU Rams. By going 0–9 against these quality teams, the Cougars proved they were not worthy of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Not surprisingly, two conference tournament wins against lower seeds and an unimpressive 18–15 overall record were not even enough to earn the team an invitation to the NIT.

### Team goal: NCAA tournament (2007–10)

In 2007–08 the team introduced a new nickname ("The Show—In 3D") and a slightly new uniform (a changed trim design). The team hoped to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992. Eight straight home games from November 21 to December 29 helped the Cougars get off to an 11–1 start. However, the team lost most of its critical games at the end of the season, including their last two games (both against the UTEP Miners). Houston received an invitation to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational tournament and defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Valparaiso Crusaders but lost to their conference rival, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, in the semifinal round.
The 2008–09 season began on November 11 with a two-point loss to the Georgia Southern Eagles; this was the first game of the Division I college basketball season and the opening game of the 2K Sports Classic tournament in Durham, North Carolina. A Cougars win would have meant a second round matchup with the Duke Blue Devils. Overall, the Cougars played a balanced home and away regular season schedule. Fifteen games (three in November, three in December, four in January, three in February, and two in March) were played at Hofheinz Pavilion. There were 14 away games (two in November, two in December, five in January, and five in February).
The 2009–10 team finished the regular season 15–15 and 7–9 in C-USA, finishing seventh place in the conference. Following a 93–80 win over East Carolina in the first round of the C–USA Tournament, the Cougars beat Memphis 66–65, ending a string of four tournament titles for the Tigers. In the next game, they defeated Southern Miss 74–66 to advance to the championship game. Finally, the Cougars beat #25 ranked UTEP 81–73 to earn the conference's bid to the NCAA tournament, their first since 1992. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Houston, seeded 13th, was defeated 89–77 by 4th-seeded Maryland.
Penders announced his resignation as Houston head coach on March 22, 2010.
The school hired James Dickey on March 21, 2010.

### Joining the American (2013–23)

Beginning with the 2013–14 season, Houston joined the newly created American Athletic Conference following the Big East realignment.
In March 2014, Dickey stepped down as head coach because of "private family matters". In four seasons with Houston, Dickey amassed a 64–62 record with no NCAA tournament appearances or conference titles.
On April 3, 2014, Houston hired Kelvin Sampson as the new Cougars head coach. Sampson had just become eligible to be a college coach again after receiving a five-year show cause penalty in 2008 for sanctions against him during his time as Indiana head coach. In 2014–15, Sampson's first season, Houston struggled again, finishing with a 13–19 record and 4–14 in the AAC.
The 2015–16 team led a resurgence, finishing 22–10 overall, 12–6 in conference, but lost in the AAC tournament and in the first round of the NIT.
In 2017–18, the Cougars compiled a 27–8 overall record, reaching the finals of the AAC tournament and winning a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984.
In 2018–19, the Cougars' success continued as they set a program record for wins with a 33–4 mark. They were AAC regular-season champions but fell in the finals of the conference tournament. They proceeded to the NCAA tournament, where they reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 35 years.
In 2020–21, the Cougars were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation. After winning the AAC Tournament, the Cougars were awarded a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament. UH defeated Cleveland State, Rutgers, Syracuse and Oregon State to achieve their first Final Four appearance since 1984. They would lose to eventual national champions Baylor in the Final Four.
During the 2021–22 season, the Cougars won the AAC regular season championship with a 15–3 conference record. They then defeated Cincinnati, Tulane and Memphis to win the conference tournament. With the conference championship, an overall record of 29–5 and ranked No. 15 in the nation, Houston received a #5 seed in the NCAA tournament. In the tournament, UH defeated UAB, Illinois and Arizona before losing to Villanova in the Elite Eight.
In 2022–23, the Cougars' last season in the AAC, the team reached the number one ranking in the AP Poll, marking the first time they had held the top spot since 1983.

### Hello Big 12

In September 2021, the University of Houston was invited to join the Big 12 Conference, along with Cincinnati, UCF and BYU. The Cougars began Big 12 play in the 2023–24 season. In their first year of play, the Cougars went 32–5 overall, 15–3 in conference play, to claim an outright regular season title.

## Conference affiliations

* Lone Star Conference (1945–1949)
* Gulf Coast Conference (1949–1950)
* Missouri Valley Conference (1950–1960)
* Independent (1960–1975)
* Southwest Conference (1975–1996)
* Conference USA (1996–2013)
* American Athletic Conference (2013–2023)
* Big 12 Conference (2023–present)

## Top 25 finishes

The Houston Cougars have finished ranked in the AP Poll and/or the Coaches Poll 16 times in the program's history.
| Season | Final Record | AP Poll | Coaches Poll |
| 1965–66 | 23–6 | | 14 |
| 1966–67 | 27–4 | 7 | 6 |
| 1967–68 | 31–2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1969–70 | 25–5 | 12 | 11 |
| 1970–71 | 22–7 | 14 | 18 |
| 1972–73 | 23–4 | 13 | 18 |
| 1977–78 | 25–8 | | 16 |
| 1982–83 | 31–3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1983–84 | 32–5 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017–18 | 27–8 | 21 | 22 |
| 2018–19 | 33–4 | 11 | 12 |
| 2019–20 | 23–8 | 22 | 23 |
| 2020–21 | 28–4 | 6 | 3 |
| 2021–22 | 32–6 | 15 | 7 |
| 2022–23 | 33–4 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023–24 | 32–5 | 3 | 3 |

## Rivalries

Rice is considered to be Houston's main rival, with the Bayou Cup trophy being awarded to the winner of the crosstown rivalry game. More recently, over the years in the AAC, rivalries have developed with Cincinnati and Memphis.
Other rivals include former Southwest Conference foes Baylor, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.

### Rice

Houston leads Rice in the series 66–18 through the 2023–24 season.

### SMU

Houston leads SMU in the series 58–34 through the 2023–24 season.

## Head coaches

| Coach | Tenure | Overall Record | Conference Record | Conference Regular Season Titles | Conference Tournament Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances |
| Alden Pasche | 1945–1956 | 135–116 (.538) | 63–55 (.534) | 4 | | 1 |
| Guy Lewis | 1956–1986 | 592–279 (.680) | 134–98 (.578) | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| Pat Foster | 1986–1993 | 142–73 (.660) | 70–38 (.648) | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Alvin Brooks | 1993–1998 | 54–84 (.391) | 26–46 (.361) | | | |
| Clyde Drexler | 1998–2000 | 19–39 (.328) | 7–25 (.219) | | | |
| Ray McCallum | 2000–2004 | 44–73 (.376) | 24–40 (.375) | | | |
| Tom Penders | 2004–2010 | 121–77 (.611) | 56–38 (.596) | | 1 | 1 |
| James Dickey | 2010–2014 | 64–62 (.508) | 26–40 (.394) | | | |
| Kelvin Sampson | 2014–present | 264–79 (.770) | 132–47 (.737) | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| Totals | Totals | 1,435–882 (.619) | | 12 | 8 | 25 |
Note: Through 2023–24 season.

## Postseason play
### NCAA Division I tournament results

The Cougars have appeared in 26 NCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 40–30. They have made six appearances in the Final Four of the tournament, which is the most of any team who has not won a national championship.
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1978 edition.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1956 | | Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | SMU Kansas State | L 74–89 L 70–89 |
| 1961 | | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Marquette Kansas State Texas Tech | W 77–61 L 64–75 L 67–69 |
| 1965 | | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Notre Dame Oklahoma State SMU | W 99–98 L 60–75 L 87–89 |
| 1966 | | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Colorado State Oregon State Pacific | W 82–76 L 60–63 W 102–91 |
| 1967 | | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Final Four National 3rd-place game | New Mexico State Kansas SMU UCLA North Carolina | W 59–58 W 66–53 W 83–75 L 58–73 W 84–62 |
| 1968 | | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Final Four National 3rd-place game | Loyola–Chicago Louisville TCU UCLA Ohio State | W 94–76 W 91–75 W 103–68 L 69–101 L 85–89 |
| 1970 | | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Dayton Drake Kansas State | W 71–64 L 87–92 L 98–107 |
| 1971 | | Regional Quarterfinals Regional Semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | New Mexico State Kansas Notre Dame | W 72–69 L 77–78 W 119–106 |
| 1972 | | Regional Quarterfinals | Texas | L 74–85 |
| 1973 | | Regional Quarterfinals | Southwestern Louisiana | L 89–102 |
| 1978 | (4Q) | First Round | (2L) Notre Dame | L 77–100 |
| 1981 | #8 | First Round | #9 Villanova | L 72–90 |
| 1982 | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #11 Alcorn State #3 Tulsa #2 Missouri #8 Boston College #1 North Carolina | W 94–84 W 78–74 W 79–78 W 99–92 L 63–68 |
| 1983 | #1 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | #8 Maryland #4 Memphis State #3 Villanova #1 Louisville #6 NC State | W 60–50 W 70–63 W 89–71 W 94–81 L 52–54 |
| 1984 | #2 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | #10 Louisiana Tech #6 Memphis State #4 Wake Forest #7 Virginia #1 Georgetown | W 77–70 W 78–71 W 68–63 W 49–47 $^{OT}$ L 75–84 |
| 1987 | #12 | First Round | #5 Kansas | L 55–66 |
| 1990 | #8 | First Round | #9 UC Santa Barbara | L 66–70 |
| 1992 | #10 | First Round | #7 Georgia Tech | L 60–65 |
| 2010 | #13 | First Round | #4 Maryland | L 77–89 |
| 2018 | #6 | First Round Second Round | #11 San Diego State #3 Michigan | W 67–65 L 63–64 |
| 2019 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #14 Georgia State #11 Ohio State #2 Kentucky | W 84–55 W 74–59 L 58–62 |
| 2021 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #15 Cleveland State #10 Rutgers #11 Syracuse #12 Oregon State #1 Baylor | W 87–56 W 63–60 W 62–46 W 67–61 L 59–78 |
| 2022 | #5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #12 UAB #4 Illinois #1 Arizona #2 Villanova | W 82–68 W 68–53 W 72–60 L 44–50 |
| 2023 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Northern Kentucky #9 Auburn #5 Miami (FL) | W 63–52 W 81–64 L 75–89 |
| 2024 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #16 Longwood #9 Texas A&M #4 Duke | W 86–46 W 100–95 $^{OT}$ L 51–54 |
| 2025 | #1 | First Round | #16 SIU Edwardsville | TBD |

### NIT results

The Cougars have appeared in 11 National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 5–11.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1962 | Quarterfinals | Dayton | L 77–94 |
| 1977 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Indiana State Illinois State Alabama St. Bonaventure | W 83–82 W 91–90 W 82–76 L 91–94 |
| 1985 | First Round | Lamar | L 71–78 |
| 1988 | First Round Second Round | Fordham Colorado State | W 69–61 L 61–71 |
| 1991 | First Round | Stanford | L 86–93 |
| 1993 | First Round | UTEP | L 61–67 |
| 2002 | Opening Round | Vanderbilt | L 50–59 |
| 2005 | Opening Round | Wichita State | L 69–85 |
| 2006 | First Round Second Round | BYU Missouri State | W 77–67 L 59–60 |
| 2016 | First Round | Georgia Tech | L 62–81 |
| 2017 | First Round | Akron | L 75–78 |

### CBI results

The Cougars have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) three times. Their combined record is 3–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2008 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Nevada Valparaiso Tulsa | W 80–79 W 91–67 L 69–73 |
| 2009 | First Round | Oregon State | L 45–49 |
| 2013 | First Round Quarterfinals | Texas George Mason | W 73–72 L 84–88 $^{OT}$ |

### NAIA tournament results

The Cougars have appeared in the NAIA tournament twice. Their combined record is 2–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1946 | First Round Second Round | High Point Indiana State | W 63–34 L 43–62 |
| 1947 | First Round Second Round | Montana State Arizona State–Flagstaff | W 60–58 L 42–44 $^{3OT}$ |

## Houston Cougars in the NBA draft

Houston has had 49 players selected in the NBA draft.
| Draft Year | Round | Pick (Overall) | Player | Position | Drafted by |
| 1947 | 5 | 49 | Charles Raynor | G | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1952 | 9 | 96 | Royce Ray | G | Rochester Royals |
| 1954 | 10 | 81 | Gary Shivers | C | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1955 | 8 | 69 | Don Boldebuck | C | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1956 | 6 | 46 | Don Boldebuck | C | Boston Celtics |
| 1956 | 13 | 70 | Arthur Helms | F | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1961 | 1 | 9 | Gary Phillips | G | Boston Celtics |
| 1961 | 2 | 15 | Ted Luckenbill | F | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1963 | 3 | 25 | Lyle Harger | F | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1965 | 14 | 101 | Jack Morgenthal | G | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1967 | 10 | 105 | Don Kruse | C | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1968 | 1 | 1 | Elvin Hayes | F/C | San Diego Rockets |
| 1968 | 1 | 12 | Don Chaney | G | Boston Celtics |
| 1969 | 2 | 20 | Ken Spain | C | Chicago Bulls |
| 1969 | 9 | 117 | George Reynolds | G | Detroit Pistons |
| 1970 | 11 | 183 | Melvin Bell | F | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1970 | 12 | 189 | Ollie Taylor | G | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1971 | 4 | 56 | Poo Welch | G | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1972 | 1 | 3 | Dwight Davis | F | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1973 | 1 | 9 | Dwight Jones | F/C | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1973 | 3 | 47 | Steve Newsome | F | Chicago Bulls |
| 1975 | 4 | 59 | Louis Dunbar | F | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1975 | 5 | 78 | Maurice Presley | C | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1976 | 5 | 78 | Dave Marrs | F | Houston Rockets |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | Otis Birdsong | G | Kansas City Kings |
| 1978 | 5 | 89 | Cecile Rose | G | New Jersey Nets |
| 1978 | 6 | 128 | Charles Thompson | F | Phoenix Suns |
| 1979 | 4 | 71 | Larry Rogers | F | New York Knicks |
| 1980 | 9 | 189 | Ken Williams | G | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1982 | 1 | 19 | Rob Williams | G | Denver Nuggets |
| 1982 | 6 | 136 | Lynden Rose | G | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1983 | 1 | 14 | Clyde Drexler | G/F | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1983 | 2 | 29 | Larry Micheaux | F | Chicago Bulls |
| 1984 | 1 | 1 | Akeem Olajuwon | C | Houston Rockets |
| 1984 | 1 | 24 | Michael Young | G/F | Boston Celtics |
| 1984 | 10 | 208 | Carl Lewis | G | Chicago Bulls |
| 1985 | 5 | 103 | Reid Gettys | G | Chicago Bulls |
| 1986 | 4 | 80 | Alvin Franklin | G | Sacramento Kings |
| 1987 | 1 | 23 | Cadillac Anderson | F/C | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1987 | 2 | 28 | Rickie Winslow | F | Chicago Bulls |
| 1988 | 2 | 26 | Rolando Ferreira | C | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1990 | 2 | 30 | Carl Herrera | F | Miami Heat |
| 1991 | 2 | 44 | Álvaro Teherán | C | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1994 | 2 | 52 | Anthony Goldwire | G | Phoenix Suns |
| 2001 | 2 | 51 | Alton Ford | C | Phoenix Suns |
| 2017 | 2 | 44 | Damyean Dotson | G | New York Knicks |
| 2021 | 1 | 25 | Quentin Grimes | G | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2023 | 1 | 8 | Jarace Walker | F | Washington Wizards |
| 2023 | 1 | 25 | Marcus Sasser | G | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2024 | 2 | 45 | Jamal Shead | G | Sacramento Kings |

## Individual awards
### All-Americans

Houston players have been named to an All-American team 21 times.

#### Key

| $^†$ | Consensus First-Team selection | Consensus First-Team selection | Consensus First-Team selection | Consensus First-Team selection | Consensus First-Team selection |
| $^‡$ | Consensus Second-Team selection | Consensus Second-Team selection | Consensus Second-Team selection | Consensus Second-Team selection | Consensus Second-Team selection |
| AP | Associated Press | USBWA | United States Basketball Writers Association |
| NABC | National Association of Basketball Coaches | UPI | United Press International |
| SN | The Sporting News | HAF | Helms Athletic Foundation |
| BT | Basketball Times | CV | Converse Yearbook |
| Year | Player | Position | Selector(s) |
| 1960 | Gary Phillips | G | HAF (2nd) |
| 1961 | Gary Phillips | G | USBWA (1st), CV (1st), HAF (2nd) |
| 1963 | Lyle Harger | F | HAF |
| 1966 | Elvin Hayes | F/C | SN (2nd), CV (2nd), HAF |
| 1967 | Elvin Hayes† | F/C | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes† | F/C | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) |
| 1968 | Ken Spain | C | CV (2nd) |
| 1970 | Ollie Taylor | G | HAF |
| 1972 | Dwight Davis | F | AP (2nd), CV (2nd), HAF |
| 1974 | Louis Dunbar | F | NABC (5th) |
| 1977 | Otis Birdsong† | G | AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st) |
| 1981 | Rob Williams | G | AP (3rd) |
| 1982 | Rob Williams | G | SN (2nd), HAF |
| 1983 | Clyde Drexler‡ | G/F | AP (2nd), USBWA (1st), UPI (3rd) |
| 1983 | Akeem Olajuwon | C | CV (2nd), BT (3rd), HAF |
| 1984 | Akeem Olajuwon† | C | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (2nd) |
| 1984 | Michael Young | G/F | AP (3rd), NABC (3rd), UPI (3rd), SN (2nd) |
| 2021 | Quentin Grimes | G | AP (3rd), USBWA (3rd), NABC (3rd), SN (3rd) |
| 2023 | Marcus Sasser† | G | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), SN (2nd) |
| 2024 | Jamal Shead† | G | AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), SN (1st) |
| 2025 | LJ Cryer | G | AP (3rd), USBWA (3rd), NABC (3rd), SN (3rd) |
Note: Honorable Mention selections are not included.

### Conference Player of the Year

The following Houston players have been named Conference Player of the Year while at UH.
| Season | Player | Position | Conference |
| 1976–77 | Otis Birdsong | G | Southwest |
| 1980–81 | Rob Williams | G | Southwest |
| 1982–83† | Clyde Drexler | G/F | Southwest |
| 1983–84 | Akeem Olajuwon | C | Southwest |
| 2020–21† | Quentin Grimes | G | The American |
| 2022–23 | Marcus Sasser | G | The American |
| 2023–24 | Jamal Shead | G | Big 12 |
† co-Player of the Year

### Conference Coach of the Year

The following Houston coaches have been named Conference Coach of the Year while at UH.
| Season | Coach | Conference |
| 1955–56 | Alden Pasche | Missouri Valley |
| 1982–83 | Guy Lewis | Southwest |
| 1983–84 | Guy Lewis | Southwest |
| 1991–92 | Pat Foster | Southwest |
| 2017–18 | Kelvin Sampson | The American |
| 2018–19 | Kelvin Sampson | The American |
| 2021–22 | Kelvin Sampson | The American |
| 2022–23 | Kelvin Sampson | The American |
| 2023–24 | Kelvin Sampson | Big 12 |
| 2024–25 | Kelvin Sampson | Big 12 |

## Individual honors
### Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees

The following Houston players and coaches have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
| Year Inducted | Name | Position | Tenure |
| 1990 | Elvin Hayes | F/C | 1965–1968 |
| 2004 | Clyde Drexler | G/F | 1980–1983 |
| 2008 | Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 1981–1984 |
| 2013 | Guy Lewis | Coach | 1953–1986 |

### Retired numbers

The Cougars have retired the numbers of six men's basketball players:
Houston Cougars retired numbers :
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure |
| 10 | Otis Birdsong | G | 1973–1977 |
| 22 | Clyde Drexler | G/F | 1980–1983 |
| 24 | Don Chaney | G | 1965–1968 |
| 34 | Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 1981–1984 |
| 42 | Michael Young | G/F | 1980–1984 |
| 44 | Elvin Hayes | F/C | 1965–1968 |