#15/15 Men’s Hoops Meets UAB in NCAA Tournament on Friday

PITTSBURGH –The University of Houston Men's Basketball program will make its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament when it tips off against No. 12 seed at 8:20 p.m. (CDT) Friday, inside PPG Paints Arena.

No. 15/15 Houston earned its trip to the Big Dance with an impressive 71-53 win over Memphis in the American Athletic Conference Championship Title Game on Sunday inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. This will be the 23^rd NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fourth under three-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson.

After winning The American regular-season title with a 15-3 mark, the Cougars successfully defended their tournament title against the Tigers. It was only the fourth time in school history that Houston swept the regular-season and tournament titles and the first time since the 1991-92 campaign.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Friday's game on TNT with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Dana Jacobson (reporter) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Friday's game on 950 AM KPRC with Jeremy Branham calling the action. Fans also can hear the game on Westwood Radio (Sirius Ch. 135 and XM Ch. 202).

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM TIME
• With their play in The American Championship last week, graduate forward Fabian White Jr., graduate guard Taze Moore and senior guard Kyler Edwards were named to the league's All-Tournament Team.
• Edwards did a little of everything with 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while Moore averaged 12.3 points 6.3 assists and 1.6 steals per contest in wins over Cincinnati, Tulane and Memphis.
• White overcame a back injury which limited him to only three minutes in Saturday's Semifinal win over Tulane to score a game-high 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the Title Game win over Memphis.
• White became only the seventh Cougar in school history to receive that honor, joining guard Quentin Grimes (2021 The American); Kelvin Lewis (2010 Conference USA); Hakeem Olajuwon (1984 Southwest); Michael Young (1983 Southwest); Rob Williams (1981 Southwest) and Mike Schultz (1978 Southwest).

200 DIMES (and counting)!
• Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead continues to rise higher in the Houston records book during the 2021-22 season.
• With six assists in the Cougars' 71-53 win over Memphis in the American Athletic Conference Championship Title Game on March 13, Shead moved past 200 assists this season.
• It was only the fifth time in school history a Cougar point guard reached that milestone in a single season. He became only the third Cougar to reach that total, joining Reid Gettys and Ken Ciolli.
• His total in 2021-22 is the most by any Cougar since Gettys dished out 208 assists during the 1984-85 season.
• Gettys reached that total three times during his career (309 in 1983-84; 209 in 1982-83 and 208 in 1984-85). Ciolli handed out 201 assists during the 1976-77 season.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• The Cougars are competing in the 23rd NCAA Tournament in school history in 2022.
• This marks only the fourth time in school history that Houston will compete in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. The 1981-84 teams were the last group to accomplish the feat. The 1965-68 teams also played in four straight NCAA Tournaments.
• Houston is 33-27 all-time at the NCAA Tournament with Final Four appearances in 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 2021.
• Cougars advanced to the NCAA National Championship Game in 1983 before bowing out to NC State (in one of the most memorable games in NCAA Tournament history) and in 1984 against Georgetown.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY by SEEDING
• This is the first time Houston has competed as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament during the program's history.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY vs. SEEDING
vs. No. 12 – Friday's game against (12) UAB marks the second straight season in which the Cougars will play the No. 12 seed during the NCAA Tournament.
• In 2021, the Cougars defeated (12) Oregon State on Equality Court in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on March 29, 2021, to advance to the NCAA Final Four for the first time since 1984.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY by REGIONS
• Friday's NCAA Tournament First-Round game vs. (12) UAB will be the first time the Cougars compete in the South Region.
• In the Cougars' 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, they have competed in the Midwest Region 15 times, including all six NCAA Final Four berths. Houston has also played in the West Region three times (2018, 1966, 1956), in the Southeast Region twice (1990, 1987) and the East Region once (1981).
• Cougars have played 50 games from the Midwest Region, seven from the West Region, two from the Southeast Region and one from the East Region.

STREAKING NATIONALLY
With Monday's release, the Cougars were ranked in the Associated Press poll for the 45^th consecutive week, extending their school record. Houston has been ranked in every AP poll since Jan. 20, 2019.

This is the fifth straight season under Sampson in which the Cougars were ranked for at least one week. Houston finished at No. 6 in the final AP and at No. 3 in the final Ferris Mowers Coaches polls a year ago after advancing to the sixth NCAA Final Four in school history.

ABOUT UAB
• UAB enters Friday's NCAA Tournament First Round game with a 27-7 overall record and 14-4 mark in Conference USA.
• The Blazers are competing as the No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• UAB has won its last six games and seven of the last eight. Only a 58-57 home loss to North Texas on Feb. 19 prevents a longer winning streak.
• UAB has posted a 4-1 record in neutral-site games this season.
• In its most recent action, UAB claimed an 82-73 win over Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA Championship Title Game inside the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, to earn the league's automatic bid.
• Against Louisiana Tech, guard Jordan Walker led all players with 27 points, thanks to four 3-pointers and 11-of-11 shooting from the free throw line. Guard Michael Ertel finished with 15 points and three 3-pointers, while forward K.J. Buffen totaled 13 points with six rebounds. Tavin Lovan came off the bench to score nine points, while center Trey Jemison led the way with eight rebounds, including three offensive.
• This season, Walker leads the Blazers with 20.4 points and 4.9 assists per game. Quan Jackson stands second with 12.0 points per game, while Ertel stands third with 10.3 points per game. Buffen is a close fourth with 10.0 points per contest. Jemison leads the team with 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
• Head Coach Andy Kennedy is in his second season at UAB and his 15th season as a collegiate head coach
• Kennedy has compiled a 49-14 record at UAB with a 315-183 mark during his career.
• Previously built a 21-3 record at Cincinnati (2005-06) and a 245-156 mark at Mississippi (2006-18)
• Friday's game will be the first time Kennedy has faced Houston during his career.
• Friday's game will be the first time Kennedy has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1991 graduate of UAB.

SERIES HISTORY vs. UAB
• UAB owns an 18-6 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1996-97 season.
• Friday's game will be the first meeting against the Blazers since a 66-61 Houston win inside Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Jan. 26, 2013.
• While Houston can boast of the most recent success, UAB has won of the last four meetings.
• The two teams met at least once every season from 1996-97 through 2012-13 as Conference USA rivals.
• Series started with a 69-66 UAB win in Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Jan. 11, 1997.
at NCAA Tournament: Friday's game will be the first time Houston meets UAB in the NCAA Tournament.
at Neutral Site: UAB holds a 1-0 lead in the series against Houston in games played at neutral sites.
• In the lone previous meeting, UAB took a 55-54 win in the Conference USA Tournament in Saint Louis on March 5, 1997.

UP NEXT
• With a win over (12) UAB in Friday's First Round, the Cougars will advance to Sunday's Second Round.
• There, Houston would meet the winner of (4) Illinois-(13) Chattanooga on Sunday. Game time and broadcasting network will be announced following the First Round.
• With a win in the Second Round, the Cougars advance to the NCAA Tournament South Regional Round to be played inside AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on March 24 and March 26.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.

2022-23 SEASON TICKETS PRIORITY WAIT LIST
Fans who were unable to secure 2021-22 season tickets may start preparing for next season by putting down a $75 deposit and placing their names on the 2022-23 Men's Basketball Season Ticket Priority Wait List by clicking here.

JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
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For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).

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