Houston

Georgia Southern Beats Houston in First Competitive Game

Press Release — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:10:15 -0500

MEN'S BASKETBALL HOLDS OFF HOUSTON 65-63

DURHAM, N.C. --- Georgia Southern held Houston scoreless for the final 2:42 and got a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds from senior Trumaine Pearson (Stuart, Fla.) to win 65-63 Monday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The game, which opened the 2008-09 season, was a part of the 2K Sports Classic benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer. The Eagles will now play the winner of Duke-Presbyterian Tuesday night at 9 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

"It was obviously a hard-fought win," said GSU head coach Jeff Price. "You had two teams with a lot of new players early in the season and two teams that really struggled offensively. We were really solid on the defensive end. Our zone was good in the first half and we had to get stops in the second half with our man-to-man and we did."

GSU held a 65-50 lead with just under four minutes left on a tip-in by senior Julian Allen (Waterbury, Conn.). Desmond Wade hit a long 3-pointer with 2:42 to play, but the Cougars missed their last three shots and committed two turnovers in the final 1:31.

"You could really tell our defense was way ahead of our offense at this point in the season," said Price. "I thought our zone threw them off in the first half then we switched defenses a little bit in the second half. Our man-to-man, when we had to get stops at the end of the game, we did. We showed a lot of heart and were really scrappy."

Five of Georgia Southern's six newcomers saw action, including junior Sandy Perry (Perth Amboy, N.J.) who scored 12 on 6-of-10 shooting.

"I thought Sandy Perry was really good - he stood out and played well," said Price. "Antonio Hanson struggled a little bit from the field but he's going to be a good player. We played our two freshmen in the first half - not a lot - but we wanted them to get a feel for the game. We just have to continue to play those guys."

Pearson notched his first career double-double and shot 7-for-10 from the floor, including 2-for-3 from long range.

"He's been outstanding," said Price. "He's shown consistency through two scrimmages and now the first game so we're really happy with his play."

- GSU -

Cheerleader of the Day: Houston Cougars

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:54:15 -0500

Cheerleader of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, CHN has access to thousands of great college & NBA basketball photos. Each day, along with our daily Big Picture, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader (or Dancer) of the Day. In September & October, we'll be rolling out some girls of the gridiron.

Houston Cougars

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

- Watch all of CHN's favorite College Basketball Videos!

Conference USA Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:59:49 -0500

HTML clipboard

Conference Rank: 11th

10 year average: 8th

Conference USA Page

All-CUSA Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Stefon Jackson	UTEP	Sr
G	Robert Vaden	UAB	Sr
G	Tyreke Evans	Memphis	Fr
G	Jermaine Taylor	Central Florida	Sr
F	Jerome Jordan	Tulsa	Jr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Robert Vaden High-Major All-Americans Stefon Jackson Jerome Jordan Jermaine Taylor Ben Uzoh Robert Vaden Jeremy Wise All-Freshman Team Tyreke Evans		Points: Stefon Jackson 23.6 Rebounds: Jerome Jordan 7.9 Assists: Jeremy Wise 4.2 Team: Memphis 79.9

Conference USA Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

?	Memphis**	CUSA	1	NCAA
47	UAB	CUSA	2	NCAA
68	Southern Miss	CUSA	3	NIT
75	UTEP	CUSA	4	NIT
106	Tulsa	CUSA	5
119	Marshall	CUSA	6
131	UCF	CUSA	7
137	Houston	CUSA	8
185	Tulane	CUSA	9
221	East Carolina	CUSA	10
260	SMU	CUSA	11
285	Rice	CUSA	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the CUSA?

Other CUSA Content

Head Coach Interviews

Larry Eustachy: Southern Miss

Mack McCarthy: East Carolina

Other

Rise & Fall: CUSA

Top Non-BCS Players: Vaden/Evans

Top Centers: Jerome Jordan

Conference USA on National TV

College Football: Houston @ Marshall Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:05:42 -0400

Two games on the schedule for tonight, with both being conference affairs that the road team could definitely use to stay in their respective divisional races. Houston, despite a slow start to the season, may be the only thing standing between Tulsa and a cakewalk to the Conference USA title game. And in the wide-open MAC East, Buffalo could cement themselves as one of the favorites while dealing Ohio a devastating blow with a win in Athens. At the least, it'll give people a commercial break diversion from opening night in the NBA.

Buffalo @ Ohio 7:30 PM EST on ESPNU

Two teams that are in the middle of the pack when it comes to total offense face off in Athens. Buffalo (3-4, 1-2 MAC) ranks slightly ahead of the Bobcats (2-6, 1-3) in total offense (7th to Ohio's 8th), but when looking at the quarterbacks it's hard to figure out how Ohio has the league's fifth-ranked pass offense. Buffalo's Drew Willy ranks third in the conference in passing and has fourteen touchdown passes to just four interceptions on the year. Boo Jackson runs the show for Frank Solich's Bobcats and is the league's seventh-ranked passer. But with nine touchdowns and eight picks on the year, Jackson has had issues valuing the football at times.

In fact that could be said for Ohio as a whole, given their ranking of twelfth in the MAC in turnover margin. Along with that is the fact that the Bobcats are dead last in the league in penalties, giving up some sixty-seven yards per game. This shouldn't be as ugly as Ohio's last national television appearance (a hard-to-watch close loss at Temple), but the Bulls should win this game. But given the state of the MAC East (each team has at least two conference losses), it wouldn't be a surprise if Coach Solich beat fellow Husker Turner Gill.

Houston @ Marshall 8PM EST on ESPN2

Quick: which team leads Conference USA in pass offense? You're probably thinking Tulsa, and while they do lead the league in scoring and total offense the answer is actually Kevin Sumlin's Houston Cougars (4-3, 3-0 Conference USA). Led by QB Case Keenum, the Cougars average an impressive 403 yards/game through the air, and that's been a key reason for their current four-game win streak. Another key for Houston of late has been turnovers. In losses to Oklahoma State, Air Force and Colorado State the Cougars were rather generous with the football. That's changed and as a result the offense has been all the more effective.

As for the Thundering Herd (3-4, 2-1), they still entertain thoughts of winning the West Division despite a disappointing loss at UAB last week. And it helps that they get both Houston and Tulsa at home. But if a mediocre defense (7th in total defense, 11th in sacks) can't step up and an offense led by WR Darius Passmore and RB Darius Marshall doesn't stay on the field longer than they have this year (time of possession: 27:10; ranks 11th in C-USA) this one could get ugly. Marshall hangs in there for a bit but the Cougars make it four straight losses for Mark Snyder's Herd.

- Tyrone Willingham out at Washington.

Not really big news here, for Willingham was 11-32 in four years in Seattle. Injuries and a lack of depth did in Willingham, who will finish out the season while AD Scott Woodward begins his search for a new head coach. It's been said that former USC assistant and Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin is interested in the position. There were also rumors earlier in the season that the Huskies could talk to Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel, who is an alum and coached there under Don James.

- Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton out for the regular season.

Due to a wrist injury suffered in the Wildcats' loss at Indiana on Saturday, star running back Tyrell Sutton will miss the remainder of the regular season. Sutton will have surgery today, and his injury became bigger when it was announced that QB C.J. Bacher is questionable for their game at Minnesota due to a leg injury.

- Wisconsin TE Travis Beckum also done for the year.

A tough year for Beckum, who just couldn't stay healthy after a hamstring injury cost him time early, has come to an end thanks to a broken fibula suffered in the Badgers' win over Illinois. Surgery was a success for Beckum, who was a favorite to win the Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end before the season began.

- The bye week couldn't come at a better time for Virginia Tech.

It's bad enough that the Hokie offense has been scuffling all year long. But to add ankle injuries to both Tyrod Taylor ans Sean Glennon is to add injury to insult. Cory Holt, who was listed on the depth chart as a wide receiver, finished the 30-20 loss at Florida State. Both Taylor and Glennon are questionable right now for their game next Thursday against Maryland.

Holt went 3-6 for 28 yards and a touchdown in the game, but the Seminole defense (especially the line) had their way with Tech all afternoon. But instead of simply focusing on fixing the offense, head coach Frank Beamer and offensive coordinator Brian Stinespring have to worry about the health of their quarterbacks.

State of '08: Texas

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:15:15 -0400

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

TEXAS

TEXAS - Easy one here. Texas has made ten straight NCAA Tournaments under Rick Barnes, and have reached the Sweet Sixteen or better fives times.

TEXAS A&M - From 1988 to 2004, A&M was a horrendous BCS program that managed justt one NIT appearance. But thanks to Billy Gillispie, A&M has won at least 20 games and made the postseason in four straight seasons. The future of the program is a bit less certain under Mark Turgeon.

TEXAS TECH - In Bob Knight's six full seasons, the Red Raiders made 4 NCAA Tournaments and reached the NIT semifinals. Last year's team was destined to miss the postseason regardless of who the coach was, and its hard to project what type of coach Pat Knight will be.

BAYLOR - Scott Drew took over a broken program at the start of the 03-04 season, but has managed to turn things around. Last year the team won 21 games and reached the Big Dance. Many pundits expect a Top 25 squad this year. Not bad considering the 21-53 record from '04 to '07.

UTEP - Since 2004, a year after Billy Gillispied took over, UTEP has made two NCAA Tournaments and the CBI. The Niners should once again make a postseason push (probably NIT or CBI) in 2009.

6. HOUSTON - Its been over 15 years since Houston last made the NCAA Tournament, but Tom Penders teams have been consistently competitive. His four teams have all won at least 9 games in Conference USA, and 3 made the postseason (2 NITS and the CBI last year).

7. NORTH TEXAS - Johnny Jones has quietly transformed UNT from a consistent loser into a consistent winner. The Mean Green made the Big Dance in 2007 after rolling through the Sun Belt Tournament, and were solid last year, going 17-11 against D1 teams. Once again in 2008, North Texas should be dangerous in league play.

8. SAM HOUSTON STATE - Last year's Bearkats fizzled out after a great start, and late-season SLC tournament success has been hard to come by recently. But overall, this has been the most consistently solid SLC team over the last decade, and one of the only league teams capable of knocking off big-name non-conference opponents.

9. RICE - The program finally parted ways with 16-year coach Willis Wilson, whose teams varied from good to horrible and anywhere in between. From '03 to '05, the Owls finished in the RPI Top 100, but have gone steadily downhill since. Last year's 3-27 finish was an unfortunate end to Wilson's tenure.

10. STEPHEN F AUSTIN - SFA's great 26 win season, which included wins over Oklahoma and Top 100 San Diego, came out of nowhere considering the Lumberjacks were a sub-200 RPI team the previous three seasons. SFA is the 2009 favorite to accomplish what they couldn't last year, winning the Southland tournament.

11. TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI - Ronnie Arrow did a masterful job in his tenure at TAMU-CC, turning a green D1 program into a 20-win program. But after making the Dance in 2007, Arrow left, and its hard to tell whether the program can regain a decent level of success under Perry Clark.

12. TCU - In six seasons under Neil Dougherty, TCU never finished over .500 in either the CUSA or MWC, although the 2005 team did sneak into the NIT. Former Kent State coach Jim Christian was hired in the off-season to turn things around.

13. LAMAR - In the last 7 seasons, Lamar has finished .500 or better in the SLC six times, but have never really been able to put together a dangerous postseason run.

14. UT-ARLINGTON - After making the NCAAs last year, UTA is once again one of the league favorites. In the previous 9 seasons though, the Mavs won just a single SLC Tourney game.

15. SMU - The last time SMU was any good was 2003, and the last time SMU was Tournament good was 1993. Matt Doherty was brought in to turn things around, but his teams have gone 7-25 in CUSA play.

16. UTSA - Once one of the more consistently solid Southland teams, UTSA simply hasn't been good the past few seasons. A 2009 .500 finish in the league would be a step in the right direction.

17. UTPA - Considering they've been stuck as an independent for a decade now, UTPA's minimal success isn't that bad. They've been able to beat a good amount of the in-state Southland members over the years, but haven't beaten a Top 200 team since December of 2004.

18. TEXAS STATE - In '06 & '07, this was one of the worst programs in the country, with just 8 D1 wins. That makes last year's 10-16 D1 record shockingly good.

19. TEXAS SOUTHERN - After winning the SWAC in 2003, there hasn't been much to cheer about at Texas Southern. The team has hovered around 300 in the RPI.

20. PRAIRIE VIEW - Like Texas Southern above, Prairie View hasn't been good since 2003.. but unlike Texas Southern who has at least been decent in SWAC play, the Panthers have been atrocious.

*Houston Baptist will also join D1 this season

Last: Tennessee - Next: Utah

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

College Football: Clemson @ #21 Wake Forest Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:06:18 -0400

While none of the three matchups taking place before Saturday will approach the hype surrounding the Red River Rivalry and LSU/Florida games, they are intriguing affairs nonetheless. The ACC Atlantic took another turn last weekend with Maryland getting shut out by Virginia, so the Thursday night battle between Clemson and Wake Forest is back to setting the tone for the divisional race. Also taking place on Thursday is UAB visiting a Houston team that may be the only challenger to explosive Tulsa in Conference USA's West Division.

On Friday, Louisville visits old foe Memphis in a game that probably does more to spark the emotions of the fans (especially Memphis, since they were the ones left behind when Big East expansion took place) since it's no longer a conference game. If anything, these games are options for commercial breaks during baseball's League Championship Series (Phillies in an upset, and they'll face the Red Sox in the World Series). Here's a preview of the three games on tap for Thursday and Friday night.

Clemson @ #21 Wake Forest 7:30 PM EST on ESPN

A season that looked destined to go up in flames suddenly has new life as the Clemson Tigers look to win in Winston Salem for the second consecutive time (third consecutive win in the series). The question on offense is: what's been up with "Thunder and Lightning"? The running back tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, touted as the nation's best backfield heading into 2008, hasn't exactly lived up to the hype. In losses to Alabama and Maryland, the duo hasn't been able to produce the kind of numbers worthy of such hype.

So who's to blame? I think both would be honest in stating that they haven't been as productive as they were in 2007, but there could be other reasons (playcalling, the new clock rules, the number of weapons on the offense) for the drop. Luckily for the Tigers, Wake Forest ranks ninth in the conference in rush defense. Just as important as that issue is the amount of focus the Tigers head into a game with. In the opener it was if the preseason hype got into their heads, and actual execution was thrown out the window in the embarassing defeat to Alabama. As for Maryland, Thunder and Lightning combined for 31 yards in the second half and the team as a whole essentially fell asleep while the Terrapins stole a road win.

As for the Demon Deacons, they've had to deal with the issue of holding onto the football despite their 3-1 record. Five turnovers against Navy in their last home game cost them dearly, digging a whole that proved too deep to crawl out of. But overall the Deacs still lead the conference in turnover margin, thanks in large part to a playmaking defense that has already forced seventeen turnovers. QB Riley Skinner leads the conference in pass efficiency (Clemson QB Cullen Harper is 2nd), but the running game needs to step up to supplement the ACC's top-ranked passing attack.

Just when you expect Clemson to complete the freefall, they turn it around and go on a win streak that saves the season and keeps the wolves away from Tommy Bowden's door. But can they go on the road and defeat a team still upset about their last effort? It'll be close, but Wake gets the win.

UAB @ Houston 8PM EST on CBS College Sports

The Blazers are fighting to stay out of the cellar in Conference USA's East Division, but they look to be in serious trouble tonight as they visit a Houston team with the league's second-best offense. QB Case Keenum has had some spectacular games this season, making it hard to believe that he's just a sophomore. Keenum, who has thrown for 385 yards per game, may be licking his chops at the sight of Conference USA's worst pass defense.

Any hope for the Blazers will depend on their ability to run the football and control the clock. QB Joe Webb is among the league leaders in both rushing yards per game and total offense, and the Blazers are fourth in Conference USA in rush offense. And with Houston ranking dead last in rush defense, some yards could be had for Neil Calloway's team via the ground. But the Cougars will win because UAB lacks the weapons needed to keep up with Kevin Sumlin's team for all four quarters.

Friday: Louisville @ Memphis 8PM EST on ESPN2

Not only have the Cardinals looked better this year; they've also looked tougher thanks to a running game led by backs Victor Anderson and Brock Bolen. Anderson, only a redshirt freshman, ranks second in the Big East in rushing yards per game. QB Hunter Cantwell has been a little banged up, most recently dealing with an ankle injury, but he can still sling the ball around the field. And a defense led by new defensive coordinator Ron English has looked better than the 2007 edition that looked pretty bad.

As for the Tigers, a season that began with expectations of competing in the wide-open C-USA Wast Division seemed to be headed towards disaster when they began the year 0-3. But QB Arkelon Hall ranks sixth in the conference in total offense, leading a unit that ranks third in Conference USA. Memphis has won three straight games since the inept start, and competing for a division crown isn's so far-fetched right now.

Despite their slim 21-19 series edge, the Cardinals have won four of the last five in the series. And they should be able to make that five of six on Friday night.

Cheerleader of the Day: Houston

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:54:34 -0400

Cheerleader of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we have access to thousands of great college & NBA basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. In honor of the start of the college football season, we'll be going outdoors with the girls of the gridiron for the next couple weeks..

Houston Cougars: Football

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

2008-09 Houston Basketball Preview: #137

Joel Welser — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:53:40 -0400

Houston Cougars

Overall Rank: #137

Conference Rank: #8 C-USA

2007-08: 24-10, 11-5, 3^rd

2007-08 postseason: CBI

Houston should take a step back this year after tallying 24 wins during the 2007-2008 campaign, including a couple postseason wins in the inaugural CBI tournament. However, with four junior college transfers heading into the program, Coach Tom Penders is looking to immediately keep that success going.

Who’s Out:

Six players started 11 or more games last season and five of them are gone. Sharpshooting Rob McKiver led the way with 23.6 points per game. Dion Dowell was no slouch from beyond the arc either and he led the team with 6.8 rebounds per contest. Tafari Toney was the defensive presence under the basket, Marcus Malone provided a spark off the bench and point guard Lanny Smith made everything tick. That is a lot of talent and experience to replace.

Who’s In:

But the Cougars have five guys ready to step in and replace the departing five. They might lack in experience and chemistry for the time being, but the talent level takes a surprisingly small drop. The lone incoming freshman is Desmond Wade. The point guard is extremely quick and plays a smart game. He will keep the turnovers down and create plenty of turnovers on the other side of the court. His offense will be limited for a while, but the 5-8 Linden, New Jersey product can hit floaters over taller defenders in the lane. Aubrey Coleman will add a scoring threat to the backcourt. The 6-3 combo guard is not the best shooter around, but he will score in bunches by getting to the basket. The other three junior college transfers are all big men. Qa’rraan Calhoun is the best of the bunch. Calhoun, who played at Saint John’s as a freshman, is an extremely versatile big man. At 6-8 and 215 pounds, his ability to shoot from outside can really stretch out the opposing defense. But he does need to use his size more and spend less time hanging around the perimeter. Sean Coleman and Horace Dixon, both 6-8 power forwards, will add some much needed depth to the frontcourt.

Who to Watch:

The big question is whether or not the returning perimeter players are ready to become team leaders. Zamal Nixon had a decent freshman campaign and will battle with Wade for the starting point guard spot. Brockeith Pane could be a dynamic scorer if his outside shot develops a little more consistency and DaShaun Williams is a solid rebounder for a 6-2 guard. However, it is Kelvin Lewis who averaged 10.2 points per game last season and could be the team’s leading scorer this time around. Lewis, who played at Auburn as a freshman, takes a few too many shots from long range, but he can score in other ways. At 6-4, he needs to start using his size not just to grab rebounds, but to get to the basket. If that happens, Lewis will be difficult to stop.

Final Projection:

There are a lot of questions, but there is a lot of talent too. Marcus Cousin only averaged 13.8 minutes per game last year, but now he will likely be the starting center. There are a lot of players like Cousin who will go from roleplayers to starters this year. If the transition is successful, the Cougars can win 20 games and think about a better post season tournament than the CBI. If not, even another trip to the CBI will be tough to attain.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Desmond Wade, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

Kelvin Lewis, Junior, Guard, 10.2 points per game

Aubrey Coleman, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Qa’rraan Calhoun, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

Marcus Cousin, Senior, Center, 4.4 points per game

Three Stars of the Day: McKiver, Vaden, Egerson

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:31:08 -0500

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Rob McKiver - Houston

A no-brainer pick today. A week after hitting 40 against UAB, McKiver exploded for 52 (the most be anyone all year) in a win over USM

Robert Vaden - UAB

In a key win at CUSA rival UTEP, Vaden scored 41 points behind 9 of 14 3-point shooting

Marc Egerson - Delaware

The 6-6 wing made a run at a triple-double with 24 points, 11 boards, and 9 assists

Other Top Performers

Dan Geriot - Richmond - Had the game of his life against lowly St. Bonaventure with 35 points and 13 rebounds

AZ Reid - High Point - His 18th double-double included 34 &14 in an easy win over Radford

Charles Rhodes - Mississippi State - Thanks to Rhodes and his 30 points, the Bulldogs are quietly locking up a tourney bid

Previous Stars of the Day

February 26th - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

February 25th - DJ Augustin, Texas

February 20th - OJ Mayo, USC

February 19th - Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

February 18th - John Bryant, Santa Clara

February 17th - Johnson/Teague, Wake Forest

February 15th - Tyrese Rice, Boston College

February 12th - J'Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State

February 10th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

February 9th - Hasheem Thabeet, UCONN

February 7th - Ronald Ramon, Pittsburgh

February 6th - Michael Beasley, Kansas State

February 4th - Todd Golden, Saint Mary's

February 3rd - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

2008 NCAA Tournament: Houston Regional

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:33:55 -0500

South Regional

Thursday and Saturday, March 28 and 30, 2008

Reliant Stadium

Houston, Texas

Host: University of Houston & Rice University
Web site: reliantpark.com

Tickets

Reliant Stadium Information

Reliant Stadium is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans and is currently the only NFL stadium to feature a retractable roof. The stadium is housed in Reliant Park, a sprawling, versatile facility that can host any number of different venues and events. Besides Reliant Stadium, Reliant Park features the Astrodome, previous home of the Houston Astros, Reliant Center, and Reliant Arena. Both the Arena and the Center are more suited for conference hosting, while the Stadium is for sporting events. The official capacity during NFL games is 71,500; however, these numbers will be adjusted as the Reliant prepares to host NCAA Basketball.

2011:

Hosts the Final Four

More:

2008 NCAA Tournament

NCAA Tournament Venues