2023–24 Houston Cougars men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cougars are led by tenth-year head coach Kelvin Sampson. The team plays their home games at the Fertitta Center as first-year members of the Big 12 Conference.

2023–24 Houston Cougars men's basketball
Charleston Classic champions
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 5
AP	No. 5
Record	20–3 (7–3 Big 12)
Head coach	Kelvin Sampson (10th season)
Assistant coaches	K.C. Beard Kellen Sampson Quannas White
Home arena	Fertitta Center
Seasons ← 2022–23 2024–25 →

2023–24 Big 12 men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 5 Houston	7	–	3		.700			20	–	3		.870
No. 13 Baylor	6	–	3		.667			17	–	5		.773
No. 14 Iowa State	6	–	3		.667			17	–	5		.773
No. 4 Kansas	6	–	4		.600			18	–	5		.783
TCU	5	–	4		.556			16	–	6		.727
No. 23 Texas Tech	5	–	4		.556			16	–	6		.727
Oklahoma	5	–	5		.500			17	–	6		.739
Kansas State	5	–	5		.500			15	–	8		.652
No. 21 BYU	4	–	5		.444			16	–	6		.727
Cincinnati	4	–	5		.444			15	–	7		.682
UCF	4	–	5		.444			13	–	8		.619
Texas	4	–	6		.400			15	–	8		.652
West Virginia	3	–	6		.333			8	–	14		.364
Oklahoma State	2	–	8		.200			10	–	13		.435
† 2024 Big 12 tournament winner As of February 6, 2024 Rankings from AP Poll

Previous season

The Cougars finished the 2022–23 season 29–2, 17–1 in AAC play to win the AAC regular season championship. They defeated East Carolina and Cincinnati to advance to the AAC tournament championship game where they lost to Memphis. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the #1 seed in the Midwest Regional. They defeated Northern Kentucky and Auburn to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth consecutive year. There they lost to Miami (FL).

On November 28, 2022, the team reached the number one ranking in the AP Poll, marking the first time they had held the top spot since 1983. The season marked Houston's last as a member of the AAC. They became a member of the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023.^[1][2]

Offseason

Departing players

Houston Departing Players

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Reason for departure
Marcus Sasser	0	G	6'2"	195	Senior	Dallas, TX	Graduated/declared for the 2023 NBA draft; selected 25th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies
Darius Bowser	4	C	6'9"	250	Graduate Student	Gaffney, SC	Exhausted eligibility
Tramon Mark	12	G	6'5"	195	Sophomore	Dickinson, TX	Transferred to Arkansas
Jarace Walker	25	F	6'8"	240	Freshman	New Freedom, PA	Declared for the 2023 NBA draft; selected 8th overall by the Washington Wizards
Reggie Chaney	32	F	6'8"	230	Graduate Student	Tulsa, OK	Exhausted eligibility

Incoming Transfers

Houston Incoming Transfers

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Previous school
LJ Cryer	4	G	6'1"	185	Senior	Katy, TX	Baylor
Damian Dunn	11	G	6'5"	195	Senior	Kinston, NC	Temple

2023 Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Kordelius Jefferson CG	Arlington, TX	Martin High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	May 16, 2022
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 79
Joseph Tugler PF / C	Houston, TX	Cypress Falls High School	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	May 25, 2022
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 83
Jacob McFarland C	Moreno Valley, CA	Rancho Verde High School	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Sep 23, 2022
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 82
Cedric Lath C	Abidjan, Ivory Coast	Balboa School (CA)	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Nov 16, 2022
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Overall recruiting rankings:   247Sports: 23
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.

Roster

2023–24 Houston Cougars men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown G 1 Jamal Shead 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Manor Manor, TX C 2 Cedric Lath 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 265 lb (120 kg) RS Fr Balboa School Abidjan, Ivory Coast G 3 Ramon Walker Jr. 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS So Shadow Creek Pearland, TX G 4 LJ Cryer 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Baylor Katy, TX F 5 Ja'Vier Francis 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Jr Montverde Academy New Orleans, LA G 11 Damian Dunn 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Sr Temple Kinston, NC C 12 Jacob McFarland   6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Rancho Verde Moreno Valley, CA F 13 J'Wan Roberts 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) RS Sr Shoemaker Saint Thomas, VI G 15 Kordelius Jefferson   6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Martin Arlington, TX G 20 Ryan Elvin (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Sr Cedar Ridge Round Rock, TX G 21 Emanuel Sharp 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS So Bishop McLaughlin Tampa, FL G 23 Terrance Arceneaux 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) So Beaumont United Beaumont, TX G 24 Mylik Wilson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) RS Sr Texas Tech Rayville, LA G 25 Joseph Tugler 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Fr Cypress Falls Houston, TX	Head coach Kelvin Sampson (UNC Pembroke) Assistant coach(es) K.C. Beard (Boise State) Kellen Sampson (Oklahoma) Quannas White (Oklahoma) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on   Injured   Current redshirt Roster

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
October 28, 2023* 3:00 p.m.	No. 7	UNC Pembroke	W 86–47		21 – Cryer	9 – Tugler	8 – Shead	Fertitta Center  Houston, TX
Non-conference regular season
November 6, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 7	Louisiana–Monroe	W 84–31	1–0	20 – Sharp	7 – Tied	8 – Shead	Fertitta Center (6,832) Houston, TX
November 11, 2023* 12:30 p.m., ESPN+	No. 7	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi	W 82–50	2–0	17 – Roberts	9 – Roberts	4 – Tied	Fertitta Center (7,145) Houston, TX
November 13, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 6	Stetson	W 79–48	3–0	21 – Cryer	7 – Francis	8 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,104) Houston, TX
November 16, 2023* 5:30 p.m., ESPN2	No. 6	vs. Towson Charleston Classic quarterfinals	W 65–49	4–0	18 – Cryer	11 – Roberts	8 – Shead	TD Arena  Charleston, SC
November 17, 2023* 3:30 p.m., ESPN2	No. 6	vs. Utah Charleston Classic semifinals	W 76–66	5–0	15 – Sharp	12 – Roberts	5 – Shead	TD Arena  Charleston, SC
November 19, 2023* 7:30 p.m., ESPN	No. 6	vs. Dayton Charleston Classic championship	W 69–55	6–0	18 – Cryer	9 – Francis	4 – Shead	TD Arena (3,841) Charleston, SC
November 24, 2023* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 6	Montana	W 79–44	7–0	24 – Cryer	9 – Arceneaux	7 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,451) Houston, TX
December 1, 2023* 5:30 p.m., FS1	No. 6	at Xavier Big East–Big 12 Battle	W 66–60	8–0	23 – Cryer	12 – Roberts	4 – Tied	Cintas Center (10,472) Cincinnati, OH
December 6, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 3	Rice Rivalry	W 75–39	9–0	15 – Cryer	9 – Arceneaux	8 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,159) Houston, TX
December 9, 2023* 3:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 3	Jackson State	W 89–55	10–0	25 – Sharp	10 – Arceneaux	6 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,122) Houston, TX
December 16, 2023* 1:30 p.m., ESPN2	No. 4	vs. Texas A&M The Halal Guys Showcase	W 70–66	11–0	21 – Sharp	11 – Roberts	8 – Shead	Toyota Center (12,152) Houston, TX
December 21, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 3	Texas State	W 72–37	12–0	17 – Sharp	7 – Wilson	3 – Cryer	Fertitta Center (7,231) Houston, TX
December 30, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 3	Penn	W 81–42	13–0	16 – Cryer	9 – Francis	4 – Tied	Fertitta Center (7,216) Houston, TX
Big 12 regular season
January 6, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 3	West Virginia	W 89–55	14–0 (1–0)	20 – Cryer	7 – Sharp	11 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,387) Houston, TX
January 9, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 2	at Iowa State	L 53–57	14–1 (1–1)	20 – Sharp	8 – Roberts	3 – Tied	Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, IA
January 13, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 2	at TCU	L 67–68	14–2 (1–2)	20 – Roberts	13 – Roberts	5 – Tied	Schollmaier Arena (6,151) Fort Worth, TX
January 17, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPNU	No. 5	No. 25 Texas Tech	W 77–54	15–2 (2–2)	29 – Shead	7 – Roberts	10 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,586) Houston, TX
January 20, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 5	UCF	W 57–42	16–2 (3–2)	16 – Cryer	7 – Tied	5 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,184) Houston, TX
January 23, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN+	No. 4	at No. 21 BYU	W 75–68	17–2 (4–2)	23 – Cryer	9 – Sharp	4 – Shead	Marriott Center (16,553) Provo, UT
January 27, 2024 11:00 a.m., ESPN	No. 4	Kansas State	W 74–52	18–2 (5–2)	17 – Shead	8 – Francis	3 – Shead	Fertitta Center (7,260) Houston, TX
January 29, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 4	at Texas	W 76–72 ^OT	19–2 (6–2)	25 – Shead	8 – Tied	4 – Shead	Moody Center (11,313) Austin, TX
February 3, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 4	at No. 8 Kansas	L 65–78	19–3 (6–3)	24 – Cryer	13 – Roberts	9 – Shead	Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS
February 6, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 5	Oklahoma State	W 79–63	20–3 (7–3)	23 – Shead	6 – Tied	4 – Tied	Fertitta Center (7,205) Houston, TX
February 10, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 5	at Cincinnati						Fifth Third Arena  Cincinnati, OH
February 17, 2024 12:00 p.m., CBS		Texas						Fertitta Center  Houston, TX
February 19, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPNU		Iowa State						Fertitta Center  Houston, TX
February 24, 2024 11:00 a.m., CBS		at Baylor						Foster Pavilion  Waco, TX
February 27, 2024 6:00 p.m., TBD		Cincinnati						Fertitta Center  Houston, TX
March 2, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN2		at Oklahoma						Lloyd Noble Center  Norman, OK
March 6, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+		at UCF						Addition Financial Arena  Orlando, FL
March 9, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN		Kansas						Fertitta Center  Houston, TX
Big 12 tournament
March 12–16, 2024 TBA		vs. TBA						T-Mobile Center  Kansas City, MO
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time.

Source^[3]

Rankings

See also: 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Final
AP	7	6	6	6	3 (3)	4 (1)	3 (8)	3 (9)	3 (9)	2 (7)	5	4	4 (1)	5						Not released
Coaches	6	6	6	5	2 (5)	3 (3)	3 (9)	3 (7)	3 (8)	2 (10)	5	4	4	5

*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings

References

1. "American Announces Agreements With UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on Departure" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
2. "Deal lets Cincy, Houston, UCF join Big 12 in 2023". ESPN.com. June 10, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
3. "2023–24 Men's Basketball Schedule". uhcougars.com. Retrieved July 5, 2023.