CSNbbs

I stumbled across this UH basketball picture from 1968, when UH hosted UCLA in front of a then record 52,693 fans at the Astrodome. Houston won the game. (Pic from Owen Johnson of the Houston Chronicle)

Well that definitely shows the potential.

I listened to that game on the radio. One of the best college games ever.

Used to go to a ton of games with my grandfather. Winning will get people at the games.

(02-01-2014 12:49 PM)IceJus10 Wrote: [ -> ]I stumbled across this UH basketball picture from 1968, when UH hosted UCLA in front of a then record 52,693 fans at the Astrodome. Houston won the game. (Pic from Owen Johnson of the Houston Chronicle)

Just now?

That's one of the most famous college basketball games ever played.



Here's the video of about the final minute of 1st half and the entire 2nd half: (Yes, that was a then young 33 yr old Dick Enberg doing the play-by-play for what was then a rarity, live regular season college basketball game available nationally by syndication)

Thanks for the memories....gives me joy and sadness at the same time.

(02-01-2014 04:00 PM)BIgCatonProwl Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks for memories....gives me joy and sadness at the same time.

me too. This just makes me sad knowing we'll never get back to that level.

It will be sometime before Houston get 50,000 fans to a game again, in ANY sport!!!

It was a long time ago, and Houston seems a long way away from its prominence in that era. Regrettably for UH fans, I simply cannot see the confluence of events that bring Cougar basketball to anywhere near those heights again.

(02-04-2014 09:38 AM)vabearcat Wrote: [ -> ]It was a long time ago, and Houston seems a long way away from its prominence in that era. Regrettably for UH fans, I simply cannot see the confluence of events that bring Cougar basketball to anywhere near those heights again.

50k? You are right.

20k? Very possible if the admin got off the collective rears and got us a real basketball coach. Its been almost 30 years since we have had one.

A series of warm bodies and has beens have played a game of musical chairs with our once storied program.

(02-04-2014 09:38 AM)vabearcat Wrote: [ -> ]It was a long time ago, and Houston seems a long way away from its prominence in that era. Regrettably for UH fans, I simply cannot see the confluence of events that bring Cougar basketball to anywhere near those heights again.

honestly speaking it wouldn't take much, we just need a coach that can win.
we are located in a top 3 recruiting city (arguably #1) atleast 3 or 4 mcdonalds all-american every year are within a 30-40 minute drive from campus every year. and we arent far from dallas and new orleans which are great recruiting grounds aswell. if we every started making runs in the tourney and getting guys draft, many of these blue chips will stay home. almost all have us in early consideration but eliminate us for the power teams who can get them drafted.

and fans? we are located central in the biggest city in the south with a huge student body in a city known as a basketball city. no one has hosted the nba All-star game more times in the last 20 years. it honestly wouldn't take us long to create a fan base if we started winning.

will we be selling out football arenas anytime soon? no.. the overall sport isnt as popular as it was back then. but it wouldnt take us much to return to being a top "Elite" program. we just have to get the ball rolling, the problem is that we haven't moved the ball at all in decades

20-30 years might seem like a lot to you but in the greater picture of things isn't that long ago (im certain all 56k in attendance aren't dead)

Quote:honestly speaking it wouldn't take much, honestly just need a coach that can win.
we are honestly located in a top 3 recruiting city (arguably #1) atleast 3 or 4 mcdonalds all-american every year are with a 30-40 minute drive from campus every year. and we arent far from dallas and new orleans which are great recruiting grounds aswell. if we every started making runs in the tourney and getting guys draft, many of these blue chips will stay home. almost all have us in early consideration but eliminate us for the power teams who can get them drafted.

and fans? we are located central in the biggest city in the south with a huge student body in a city known as a basketball city. no one has hosted the nba All-star game more times in the last 20 years. it honestly wouldn't take us long to create a fan base if we started winning.

will we be selling out football arenas anytime soon? no.. the overall sport isnt as popular as it was back then. but it wouldnt take us much to return to being a top "Elite" program. we just have to get the ball rolling, the problem is that we haven't moved the ball at all in decades

20-30 years might seem like a lot to you but in the greater picture of things isn't that long ago (im certain all 56k in attendance aren't dead)

A. Pat Foster won. Crowds began dwindling because it wasn't PSJ level winning. He ended up leaving UH in favor of Nevada due to frustration with UH's unsupportive and highly critical fanbase.

B. Tom Penders won. Crowds were so horrible, the AD was compelled to push him out and try a new coach.

C. LOL! In what alternate universe is the Houston known as a basketball city? Right now, the Rockets are winning and their attendance lags. Houston is especially not a college basketball city. Reference that joke of a turnout for UT vs. UCLA basketball game at Reliant Stadium last year.

All that said, UH can be an above average to excellent basketball program if two things happen:

1. We get a coach that overcomes the current apathy and image problems and produces a string of two consecutive seasons where we finish top three in the conference and make the NCAA tournament (this presumes he'll stick around and not jump to another job).

2. The community responds and quadruples (or at least triples) current season tickets sold/attendance.

y'all are crazy. who is to say UH could never be back there again - OR BETTER?

Who would have thought that SMU could be doing what we are doing right now. Who would think that the AAC could have 4, and possibly 5 in the top 25?

Just cool yourselves and stop defeating your team (UH) or this conference, before we even know what can happen.

(02-04-2014 10:32 AM)Hymie Weiss Wrote: [ -> ]

Quote:honestly speaking it wouldn't take much, honestly just need a coach that can win.
we are honestly located in a top 3 recruiting city (arguably #1) atleast 3 or 4 mcdonalds all-american every year are with a 30-40 minute drive from campus every year. and we arent far from dallas and new orleans which are great recruiting grounds aswell. if we every started making runs in the tourney and getting guys draft, many of these blue chips will stay home. almost all have us in early consideration but eliminate us for the power teams who can get them drafted.

and fans? we are located central in the biggest city in the south with a huge student body in a city known as a basketball city. no one has hosted the nba All-star game more times in the last 20 years. it honestly wouldn't take us long to create a fan base if we started winning.

will we be selling out football arenas anytime soon? no.. the overall sport isnt as popular as it was back then. but it wouldnt take us much to return to being a top "Elite" program. we just have to get the ball rolling, the problem is that we haven't moved the ball at all in decades

20-30 years might seem like a lot to you but in the greater picture of things isn't that long ago (im certain all 56k in attendance aren't dead)

A. Pat Foster won. Crowds began dwindling because it wasn't PSJ level winning. He ended up leaving UH in favor of Nevada due to frustration with UH's unsupportive and highly critical fanbase.

B. Tom Penders won. Crowds were so horrible, the AD was compelled to push him out and try a new coach.

C. LOL! In what alternate universe is the Houston known as a basketball city? Right now, the Rockets are winning and their attendance lags. Houston is especially not a college basketball city. Reference that joke of a turnout for UT vs. UCLA basketball game at Reliant Stadium last year.

All that said, UH can be an above average to excellent basketball program if two things happen:

1. We get a coach that overcomes the current apathy and image problems and produces a string of two consecutive seasons where we finish top three in the conference and make the NCAA tournament (this presumes he'll stick around and not jump to another job).

2. The community responds and quadruples (or at least triples) current season tickets sold/attendance.

foster was successful but not on the guy v level, looking back at it he was unfairly criticized but it was difficult for the fanbase to accept being an elite team to barely making the tourney every other year and being eliminated first round

and i don't get UH fans obsession with penders he was successful at a c-usa level, the best coach we had since C-usa. but if you honestly think we are getting fan support of CBI and NIT invites im not sure what to tell you.

houston lost its nfl team and only recently got it back, houston has always been a basketball city, 3 years on decent texans play doesn't change that

(02-04-2014 09:38 AM)vabearcat Wrote: [ -> ]It was a long time ago, and Houston seems a long way away from its prominence in that era. Regrettably for UH fans, I simply cannot see the confluence of events that bring Cougar basketball to anywhere near those heights again.

Most laughed at the idea of SMU ever becoming a "basketball school" too.

Basketball is the one sport that you can turn around pretty darn quick...as sometimes it takes just 1-3 recruiting classes to land a few studs.

Football is a much more difficult task to rebuild while hoops can be done (even though its still hard to do) if you can land just a few top recruits/players.

(02-04-2014 10:55 AM)pesik Wrote: [ -> ]foster was successful but not on the guy v level, looking back at it he was unfairly criticized but it was difficult for the fanbase to accept being an elite team to barely making the tourney every other year and being eliminated first round

and i don't get UH fans obsession with penders he was successful at a c-usa level, the best coach we had since C-usa. but if you honestly think we are getting fan support of CBI and NIT invites im not sure what to tell you.

houston lost its nfl team and only recently got it back, houston has always been a basketball city, 3 years on decent texans play doesn't change that

You said UH "just needs a coach that can win." You should have been more specific, because what you really mean is UH just needs a coach that can win at an elite level and make the NCAA tournament most every year.

Oh, so that's all we need. So simple and easy lol.

In these days of the one and done we have had Butler in the final game....twice, and VCU, George Mason and Witchita State make runs to the final four. With "team" chemistry, it can be done these days.

(02-04-2014 11:41 AM)Hymie Weiss Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-04-2014 10:55 AM)pesik Wrote: [ -> ]foster was successful but not on the guy v level, looking back at it he was unfairly criticized but it was difficult for the fanbase to accept being an elite team to barely making the tourney every other year and being eliminated first round

and i don't get UH fans obsession with penders he was successful at a c-usa level, the best coach we had since C-usa. but if you honestly think we are getting fan support of CBI and NIT invites im not sure what to tell you.

houston lost its nfl team and only recently got it back, houston has always been a basketball city, 3 years on decent texans play doesn't change that

You said UH "just needs a coach that can win." You should have been more specific, because what you really mean is UH just needs a coach that can win at an elite level and make the NCAA tournament most every year.

Oh, so that's all we need. So simple and easy lol.

if we open MR opens his wallets and stops looking for the discount coach

maybe not that easy lol but too many elite recruits are in driving distance for us to be as bad as we are/have been. this isn't football where we are at a recruiting disadvantage

i think all we need is that 1 great season and everything will fall into place if we had a decent coach.

(02-04-2014 11:05 AM)KnightLight Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-04-2014 09:38 AM)vabearcat Wrote: [ -> ]It was a long time ago, and Houston seems a long way away from its prominence in that era. Regrettably for UH fans, I simply cannot see the confluence of events that bring Cougar basketball to anywhere near those heights again.

Most laughed at the idea of SMU ever becoming a "basketball school" too.

Basketball is the one sport that you can turn around pretty darn quick...as sometimes it takes just 1-3 recruiting classes to land a few studs.

Football is a much more difficult task to rebuild while hoops can be done (even though its still hard to do) if you can land just a few top recruits/players.

It's not just about getting better players and winning. They could probably win every game and not average 7k fans in 2014. It's not really getting those fans back at this point as most are probably passed on. It's convincing this new generation and they haven't been able to do that even in a city of millions and a school with 40+k students.