University of Houston Athletics
#15/15 Men’s Hoops Set for NCAA Tournament Second Round
3/19/2022 11:45:00 AM | General
Watch Party Tickets2022-23 Season Ticket Wait ListJoin 50-50 ClubHouston Game Notes (PDF)Illinois Statistics (PDF)
Cougars face #19/16 (4) Illinois at 11:10 a.m. (CDT), Sunday, inside PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH – Following an impressive win in the NCAA Tournament First Round, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to action when it meets No. 19/16 and No. 4 seed Illinois at 11:10 a.m. (CDT) Sunday, inside PPG Paints Arena.
The Cougars, who are ranked No. 15 in both the Associated Press and Ferris Mowers Coaches polls, won their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament First-Round game with an 82-68 win over (12) UAB on Friday night.
In the first meeting against the former Conference USA rivals since the 2012-13 season, senior guard Kyler Edwards led the Cougars with 25 points, seven rebounds and six 3-pointers, while graduate forward Fabian White Jr. posted 14 points with six rebounds, including a team-high three offensive boards.
WATCH PARTY
• All fans are invited to join the Cougars' Watch Party at Avendida Houston in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center, beginning at 9:40 a.m.
• To claim FREE tickets to Sunday's Watch Party, fans can click here.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on CBS with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Dana Jacobson (reporter) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Sunday'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).
PILING UP the NUMBERS
• Graduate forward Fabian White Jr. continues to push his name higher in the Houston records book in multiple categories this season.
• With Friday's win over UAB, the Atascocita, Texas, native competed in the 119th victory of his Houston career, extending his school record. He now owns a 119-27 record with the Cougars.
• White also appeared in his 146 during his time in Houston, the most by any Cougar.
200 DIMES (and counting)!
• Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead continues to rise higher in the Houston records book during the 2021-22 season.
• With seven assists (and only one turnover) in the Cougars' First-Round win over UAB on Friday, Shead now has 210 assists this season.
• His total is the second-highest in Houston single-season history, trailing only Houston great Reid Getty's school-record 309 assists during the 1983-84 season.
BOTH END of the COURT
• Senior guard Kyler Edwards finds himself in elite company in the American Athletic Conference.
• Through games of March 19, Edwards is one of only two players to rank among the league's Top-10 leaders in both scoring AND rebounding.
• Edwards stands 10th in the league with 13.9 points per game and is seventh with 6.0 rebounds per contest.
• He joins Tulsa's Jeriah Horne (16.1 ppg, 5th; 6.9 rpg, 3rd) as the only members of the exclusive group.
ONE of a KIND
• Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead stands among the national leaders in a pair of categories in 2021-22.
• The Manor, Texas, native ranks seventh in the nation with 6.0 assists per game and is eighth with a 3.13 assist-turnover radio.
• Shead is the only student-athlete in NCAA Division I to rank among the Top-Eight leaders in both categories.
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.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
• Illinois enters Sunday NCAA Tournament Second-Round game with a 23-9 overall record and 15-5 mark in Conference USA.
• The Fighting Illini are competing as the No. 34 seed in the NCAA Tournament South Region.
• Illinois stands at No. 19 (456 pts) in the latest Associated Press poll and is tied for No. 16 (280 pts.) with Saint Mary's (Calif.) in the latest Ferris Mowers Coaches poll.
• Illinois shared the Big Ten regular-season title with Wisconsin.
• The Fighting Illini have won four of their last five games. Only a 65-63 loss to Indiana on March 11 in the Big Ten Tournament prevents a longer winning streak.
• Illinois has posted a 3-2 record in neutral-site games this season.
• In its most recent action, Illinois claimed a 54-53 win over (13) Chattanooga in the NCAA Tournament First Round on Friday inside PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
• Against Chattanooga, junior center Kofi Cockburn led Illinois with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and tied for game-high honors with 13 rebounds, including five offensive boards.
• Graduate guard Alfonso Plummer totaled 15 points with two rebounds, while sophomore forward Coleman Hawkins added 10 points with eight rebounds and a pair of assists.
• This season, Cockburn leads Illinois with 21.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. Plummer stand second with 14.8 points per game. Senior guard Trent Frazier ranks third with 11.7 points per game but leads the Illini with 4.1 assists per contest.
Head Coach: Brad Underwood is in his fifth season at Illinois and his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Underwood has compiled a 94-65 record at Illinois and built a 146-90 record during his career.
• Previously built a 32-12 record at Stephen F. Austin (2013-16) and a 20-13 mark at Oklahoma State (2016-17)
• Friday's game will be the first time Underwood has faced Houston during his career.
• Friday's game will be the first time Underwood has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1986 graduate of Kansas State.
SERIES HISTORY vs. ILLINOIS
• Illinois owns 3-2 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1967-68 season.
• Sunday's game will be the first meeting against the Fighting Illini since dropped a 102-92 decision in Champaign, Ill., on Dec. 14, 1985. It was the Cougars second straight loss to Illinois
• Series started with a 54-46 Houston win in Champaign, Ill., on Dec. 9, 1967.
at NCAA Tournament: Sunday's game will be the first time Houston has met Illinois in the NCAA Tournament.
at Neutral Site: Houston owns a 1-0 lead against Illinois in games played at neutral sites.
• In the lone previous meeting, Houston claimed a 69-66 win over Illinois at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu on Dec. 27, 1976.
UP NEXT
• With a win over #19/16 (4) Illinois in the NCAA Tournament South Region Second Round on Sunday, the Cougars advance to the Elite Eight to face the winner of (1) Arizona-(9) TCU.
• That game will be played on Thursday, March 24, inside AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
• Game time and broadcasting network would be announced following the First Round.
• 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
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
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).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
The Cougars, who are ranked No. 15 in both the Associated Press and Ferris Mowers Coaches polls, won their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament First-Round game with an 82-68 win over (12) UAB on Friday night.
In the first meeting against the former Conference USA rivals since the 2012-13 season, senior guard Kyler Edwards led the Cougars with 25 points, seven rebounds and six 3-pointers, while graduate forward Fabian White Jr. posted 14 points with six rebounds, including a team-high three offensive boards.
WATCH PARTY
• All fans are invited to join the Cougars' Watch Party at Avendida Houston in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center, beginning at 9:40 a.m.
• To claim FREE tickets to Sunday's Watch Party, fans can click here.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on CBS with Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Dana Jacobson (reporter) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Sunday'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).
PILING UP the NUMBERS
• Graduate forward Fabian White Jr. continues to push his name higher in the Houston records book in multiple categories this season.
• With Friday's win over UAB, the Atascocita, Texas, native competed in the 119th victory of his Houston career, extending his school record. He now owns a 119-27 record with the Cougars.
• White also appeared in his 146 during his time in Houston, the most by any Cougar.
200 DIMES (and counting)!
• Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead continues to rise higher in the Houston records book during the 2021-22 season.
• With seven assists (and only one turnover) in the Cougars' First-Round win over UAB on Friday, Shead now has 210 assists this season.
• His total is the second-highest in Houston single-season history, trailing only Houston great Reid Getty's school-record 309 assists during the 1983-84 season.
BOTH END of the COURT
• Senior guard Kyler Edwards finds himself in elite company in the American Athletic Conference.
• Through games of March 19, Edwards is one of only two players to rank among the league's Top-10 leaders in both scoring AND rebounding.
• Edwards stands 10th in the league with 13.9 points per game and is seventh with 6.0 rebounds per contest.
• He joins Tulsa's Jeriah Horne (16.1 ppg, 5th; 6.9 rpg, 3rd) as the only members of the exclusive group.
ONE of a KIND
• Sophomore point guard Jamal Shead stands among the national leaders in a pair of categories in 2021-22.
• The Manor, Texas, native ranks seventh in the nation with 6.0 assists per game and is eighth with a 3.13 assist-turnover radio.
• Shead is the only student-athlete in NCAA Division I to rank among the Top-Eight leaders in both categories.
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.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
• Illinois enters Sunday NCAA Tournament Second-Round game with a 23-9 overall record and 15-5 mark in Conference USA.
• The Fighting Illini are competing as the No. 34 seed in the NCAA Tournament South Region.
• Illinois stands at No. 19 (456 pts) in the latest Associated Press poll and is tied for No. 16 (280 pts.) with Saint Mary's (Calif.) in the latest Ferris Mowers Coaches poll.
• Illinois shared the Big Ten regular-season title with Wisconsin.
• The Fighting Illini have won four of their last five games. Only a 65-63 loss to Indiana on March 11 in the Big Ten Tournament prevents a longer winning streak.
• Illinois has posted a 3-2 record in neutral-site games this season.
• In its most recent action, Illinois claimed a 54-53 win over (13) Chattanooga in the NCAA Tournament First Round on Friday inside PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
• Against Chattanooga, junior center Kofi Cockburn led Illinois with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and tied for game-high honors with 13 rebounds, including five offensive boards.
• Graduate guard Alfonso Plummer totaled 15 points with two rebounds, while sophomore forward Coleman Hawkins added 10 points with eight rebounds and a pair of assists.
• This season, Cockburn leads Illinois with 21.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. Plummer stand second with 14.8 points per game. Senior guard Trent Frazier ranks third with 11.7 points per game but leads the Illini with 4.1 assists per contest.
Head Coach: Brad Underwood is in his fifth season at Illinois and his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Underwood has compiled a 94-65 record at Illinois and built a 146-90 record during his career.
• Previously built a 32-12 record at Stephen F. Austin (2013-16) and a 20-13 mark at Oklahoma State (2016-17)
• Friday's game will be the first time Underwood has faced Houston during his career.
• Friday's game will be the first time Underwood has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1986 graduate of Kansas State.
SERIES HISTORY vs. ILLINOIS
• Illinois owns 3-2 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1967-68 season.
• Sunday's game will be the first meeting against the Fighting Illini since dropped a 102-92 decision in Champaign, Ill., on Dec. 14, 1985. It was the Cougars second straight loss to Illinois
• Series started with a 54-46 Houston win in Champaign, Ill., on Dec. 9, 1967.
at NCAA Tournament: Sunday's game will be the first time Houston has met Illinois in the NCAA Tournament.
at Neutral Site: Houston owns a 1-0 lead against Illinois in games played at neutral sites.
• In the lone previous meeting, Houston claimed a 69-66 win over Illinois at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu on Dec. 27, 1976.
UP NEXT
• With a win over #19/16 (4) Illinois in the NCAA Tournament South Region Second Round on Sunday, the Cougars advance to the Elite Eight to face the winner of (1) Arizona-(9) TCU.
• That game will be played on Thursday, March 24, inside AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
• Game time and broadcasting network would be announced following the First Round.
• 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
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
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).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
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