Photo by Somer-Lian Charles
Red and white streamers rained down inside the Fertitta Center as the University of Houston celebrated an unparalleled season from its 2024-25 men’s basketball team.
Cougar pride filled the stadium Wednesday night. Fans gathered to officially close out what legendary broadcaster and UH alum Jim Nantz called an unforgettable run.
Throughout the season, the Cougars racked up an impressive list of accolades. These included a 35-5 overall record, 19-1 in Big 12 play, an unbeaten conference road record, Big 12 champions, NCAA Midwest Regional champions and a national runner-up finish—just to name a few.
The evening featured giveaways from HEB, Final Four bag tags and posters for the first 2,000 fans through the doors.
Kicking off the night with a Houston tradition, fans held up their phone lights as “Tops Drop” played. After, team introductions began.
Each announced Cougar received an energetic welcome from the crowd. Even those who were unable to attend the event, namely Terrence Arceneaux who recently committed to NC State and Milos Uzan who declared for the NBA Draft shortly after returning from the Final Four, were cheered on.
Several speakers took the stage to honor the team’s accomplishments, including chairman Tilman Fertitta.
He emphasized that in basketball things happen. It takes a combination of great players, coaches and just a tad bit of luck to bring home the elusive national championship trophy.
“I do believe we were the best basketball team in America,” Fertitta said.
University President Renu Khator expressed her gratitude to head coach Kelvin Sampson for his dedication. Throughout his tenure with UH, Sampson has continuously strived for greatness.
“Coach, you have taken the word ‘impossible’ out of our dictionary,” Khator said.
The president also took a moment to extend an extra bit of love to returning guard Emanual Sharp who faced online criticism following the NCAA Championship game. The crowd emphasized her words with a deafening round of applause from the crowd.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire followed up by declaring April 23 Houston Men’s Basketball Day.
Sampson was the last to speak. The coach paid respect to the team seated behind him as well as to those who came before—the players and moments that built the program’s foundation.
Houston’s storied history in sports from “The Game of the Century” that put college basketball on the map to the legendary era of Phi Slama Jama, all played a part in paving the way for where the program stands today.
The Cougars fell just short of bringing home the National Championship. However, the 2024–25 men’s basketball season will go down as the greatest run in the program’s history.
“I told the nation, ‘Don’t sleep on Houston’ and I’ll tell you this,” Sampson said. “We will be back.”
Recent Comments