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Posts tagged 'University of Houston'

Olajuwon receives another honor

by // April 5, 2013 0 Comments
Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 15 points per game and 10 boards during his NCAA tournament career. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 15 points per game and 10 boards during his NCAA tournament career. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

UH great, Hakeem Olajuwon, was named as a top 15 player on the NCAA’s All-Time 75th Players team. During Olajuwon’s tenure at UH, the team reached back-to-back national title games.

Though the Cougars lost to NC State on a last-second tip-in in 1983, he was still named the tournament’s most-outstanding player. Olajuwon is the last player on a team that did not win a title to pick up that award. In 1984, UH lost to  Georgetown in the title game.

Olajuwon averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game in his NCAA tournament career.

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Big East rebrands itself as American Athletic Conference

by // April 4, 2013 0 Comments

Conference

After an exhaustive search, which included focus groups and social media outreach, the Big East Conference will be renamed the American Athletic Conference.

The conference will re-brand itself entirely including its associations and media at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season. Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco said he believes the new name will represent strength, aspiration and tradition for the conference.

“Our name is a nod to tradition, but at the same time makes clear our determination to be a conference with national impact and appeal,” Aresco said. “The American Athletic Conference will represent core American values of optimism, energy, growth and innovation.”

Football

One lucky fan and a guest will park in a reserved spot in front of the Athletics/Alumni Center and enjoy a pregame meal with the team at the coaching staff’s table.

After dinner, the pair will meet with head coach Tony Levine in his office before heading out to Carl Lewis Field, adorned with two VIP field passes, to pick the first offensive play of the game.

Cougar fans can bid on the package on UHCougars.com from now until 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Men’s Basketball

Young basketball players are invited to join UH men’s basketball head coach James Dickey this summer for four camps starting June 10.

Dickey and his staff will host three-day camps held June 10 through 13, June 17 through 20 and July 29 through Aug. 1. The camps will cost $240 and will from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day with the exception of Aug. 1.

Additionally, a position camp featuring a shooting and skills session and a point guard and post lesson will be held on June 22. Running 8 a.m. to noon (shooting and skills) and 1 to 5 p.m., each session will cost $30.

All camps will feature individual instruction and skill work from the Cougar staff and student-athletes. Campers will be divided into groups by age and skill and will receive a free camp T-shirt along with an invitation to an NCAA student athlete information session at the end of the camp.

 

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Cougars take halftime lead

by // March 20, 2013 0 Comments

The crowd ignited when redshirt sophomore guard Joe Young found freshman forward Danuel House for an alley-oop on the first possession of the game in the Cougars’ first trip back to the postseason for UH since the 2010 NCAA Tournament. UH tiped off against UT in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational. The Cougar’s front court was having their way under the basket — scoring their first 12 points of the game in the paint. The Cougars took their biggest lead of the first half when Young layed it up off a Cougar miss — capping off a 14-4 run to take a 22-11 lead.  Junior forward J.J Richardson and redshirt freshman forward LeRon Barnes played big off the bench — scoring a combined 12 points in the first half. The story of UT was living and dying by the 3-pointer — going 3-16 in the first half but were able to cut into the lead at 34-31 with under a minute left in the first half.  Young buried a 3-pointer at the buzzard to put UH back up by 6 to end the half.

— Andrew Valderas, Staff writer

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Cougars change uniforms for a good cause

by // March 12, 2013 0 Comments

On Thursday, the UH softball team is adding a new purpose to its game.

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, UH will host the seventh annual Striking Out Breast Cancer Game against Purdue. Not only does this game bring in the largest home crowd, but all proceeds benefit the fight for breast cancer through the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

“This game is something we started after we were recruiting a former student athlete whose mother had the disease,” said head coach Kyla Holas. “We wanted to do something to honor her. Now this keeps growing and growing, and it has turned into the big event it is today.”

To show its support on the field, the team will wear pink jerseys and helmets that will be auctioned off to help raise money. Along with the jerseys and helmets, there will be a Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Elvin Hayes autographed ball and a track spike autographed by Carl Lewis.

“This is a great way to recognize the important women and survivors in our lives and to show our girls that softball can be, and is, a lot more than wins and losses,” Holas said.

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Thomas, Young pick up Conference USA honors

by // March 11, 2013 0 Comments

UH has two players on the All-Conference USA team for the first time since 2008-09.

Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas was named to the All-Conference USA  first team after averaging 16.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.  Thomas and Tulane junior forward Josh Davis are the only two C-USA players ranked in the top five in scoring and rebounding.

Head coach James Dickey said Thomas earned the honor.

“I’m certainly happy for TaShawn because of the way he’s been able to score and rebound and the double doubles that he’s had. It’s a nice compliment from the coaches around the league for him to be named to the first team,” Dickey said.

Redshirt sophomore guard Joseph Young earned a spot on the Third Team. He finished the season on a tear, scoring at least 20 points in each contest, to capture the C-USA individual scoring title at 18.54 points per game. Young scored 32 points, including the game-clinching three-point play with two seconds remaining, Sunday against Tulane. His play helped the Cougars enter the C-USA Championship tournament on a three-game winning streak.

“I feel like Joe has stepped up,” Thomas said.

 

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