University of Houston Athletics
Houston Opens 2001-02 At EA Sports Maui Invitational
11/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2001
Houston, Texas - The University of Houston men's basketball team will open the 2001-02 season with their first visit to the EA Sports Maui Invitational on November 19-21. The Cougars will play fifth-ranked UCLA on Monday, November 19, at 10:30 p.m. (CST) on ESPN2. The winner of the Houston-UCLA game will meet the winner of the first round game between seventh-ranked Kansas and Ball State on November 20. The other first round games have defending champion and top-ranked Duke taking on Seton Hall, and South Carolina against Chaminade. The championship game of the tournament is at 4:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m., Central) on November 21. The semifinals and championship game of the tournament will be televised on ESPN.
Playing In Hawai'
This marks the first time that Houston has played in the Maui Invitational. The Cougars have played in Honolulu, Hawai' seven times and have an overall record of 8-6 in those games. The first time was in 1967-68 in the Rainbow Classic. The Cougars also played in the 1977 Rainbow Classic, the 1984 Western Airlines Classic, the 1988 Rainbow Classic and the 1998 Nike Festival in Honolulu. Houston also won three regular season games at Hawai' (1970 and 1978) and Hawai'-Hilo (1978).
Houston in Regular Season Tournaments
Houston will open its regular season at a tournament for the third straight year in 2001-02. The Cougars finished third in the BCA Classic last season after suffering a season-opening loss against Air Force and beating Mount Saint Mary's College in the consolation game. In 1999-00, the Cougars finished in third place at the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. Houston enters the 2001 EASports Maui Invitational with a 103-50 overall record in regular season tournaments.
Houston in Season Openers
Houston enters the UCLA game with an all-time record of 40-16 in season openers, including a 3-1 record in their last four season-opening games. In their last five regular season openers, the Cougars beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff (73-55 in 1997-98), Texas (71-69 in 1998-99) and Alaska-Fairbanks (81-59 in 1999-00) before suffering a 59-53 loss against Air Force in the first round of the BCA Classic last season.
Houston vs. UCLA
Houston and sixth-ranked UCLA will be playing for the ninth time when they meet in the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The Cougars enter the game with a 2-6 record against the Bruins in a series that began with Houston's 91-65 win on December 22, 1961 in Houston. UH's only other win in the series is one of the most famous games in the history of collegiate basketball.
In what many basketball historians describe as college basketball "Game of the Century", the second-ranked Cougars upset top-ranked UCLA, 71-69, in the Astrodome on January 20, 1968. It was the first time a game was played in a domed stadium and the first nationally televised regular season game.
The only other time before this year that the two teams met on a neutral court was at the 1967 NCAA Final Four in Louisville, Ky. when the Bruins won a 73-58 decision.
The last game between two teams was on December 20, 1994 when the Bruins scored a 93-72 victory in Houston. Houston enters this year bout looking snapping a five-game losing streak against the Bruins.
Houston vs. Kansas and Ball State
Houston's possible second round opponent in the 2001 EA Sports Maui Invitational will be either seventh-ranked Kansas or Ball State. The Cougars have met the Jayhawks six times previously and Houston has a 2-4 record in those games. The last time UH played Kansas was in the 1987 NCAA Tournament when the Jayhawks won a 66-55 decision in the Omni at Atlanta.
While UH and Ball State would be meeting for the first time, the Cardinals are certainly not a stranger to the UH coaching staff. Head coach Ray McCallum compiled a 126-76 record in seven seasons at his alma mater before coming to Houston in 2000-01. McCallum also graduated as Ball State's all-time scoring leader and led the Cardinals to its first Mid-America Conference championship. UH assistant coaches John Fitzpatrick and Jerry Francis were members of McCallum staff with the Cardinals.
Houston On Television
Houston will have no less than six games televised this season. The Cougars will open the season against UCLA on ESPN2. The two semifinal games and championship game of the EA Sports Maui Invitational Tournament will be televised on ESPN.
Houston will make two appearances on Fox Sports Net. The Cougars will play host at LSU on Thursday, December 20, and that game will be shown throughout the Houston area on Fox Sports Southwest. Houston's game against North Carolina State on December 23 also will be shown on Fox Sports Net.
In addition to those games and the Cincinnati game on January 12, the Cougars will appear on ESPN games against South Florida on February 12 and Memphis on February 16.
