Issue 65 // November 2023 Basketball Preview
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Letter From the Editor
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The History of UH Basketball
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“Go Coogs, Go!” Cheers Every Cougar Should Know
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Gameday Get Ready With Me
15-17
Month of Music: Photo Gallery
18-20
Get To Know A Cougar Doll
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QUIZ: Which Shasta Are You?
EDITORIAL
COVER
WRITERS/ARTISTS
Sydney Rose Executive Editor cooglife@thedailycougar.com
Anh Le Photo Editor of The Cougar photo@thedailycougar.com
Starns Leland Dulce Garza Cindy Rivas Alfaro Liv Anderson Nancy Aneke Oscar Herrera Alina Velasquez
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Editor’s Letter time and talents to this magazine. In this position as Executive Editor I have been able to help, teach and lead to the best of my abilities, and this semester has only shown me there are great creatives out there ready to take on the world. I am so grateful for the opportunties Cooglife has been able to give me as well as members of my staff. Hey everyone! From covering Austin City Limits, to writing personal My name is Sydney Rose essays about topics and I am Cooglife’s Executive important to them, to taking Editor! It is absolutely crazy photos of their favorite to think about the fact artists, this has been a jamthat this is my last time packed couple of months. introducing myself in one of these for the semester. But, as the semester comes This semester has been full of great art, creative content, spectacular photos and more, all from our amazing staff here at Cooglife. Since the start of the school year, we only continue to grow more and more as a staff. I have loved getting to know all of the writers, artists and photographers who have volunteered their
to an end, basketball season is only just beginning! I am so excited for you all to see this issue as it is the first time Cooglife has ever done a basketball preview! Inside you will be able to read some great stories about the various elements of basketball season.
necessarily for you, there is some great content in here for you to read, photos for you to admire and a quiz for you to take! As always, I am so proud of the work our team has put in. This is our first photo cover of the semester and I cannot stop admiring it. This features our first spread of a photo gallery and I love that you all get to see what great work our photographers are putting in. Not to mention, we have a large spread all about the history of the UH basketball program that you wouldn’t normally see in a life and arts magazine, but I feel as though it fits in perfectly. Please enjoy all we have to offer and thank you again for taking the time to read. It means a lot.
Thanks for reading, Sydney Rose Executive Editor
Even if sports are not COOGLIFE // November 2023
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The History of UH Basketball Story By: Starns Leland
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Over the years, and especially recently, the Cougar men’s basketball team has been arguably the crown jewel of University of Houston sports. From winning “The Game of the Century” in 1968 to the high-flying days of “Phi Slama Jama” in the 1980s to the dominant hard-nosed Cougars dominating in Fertitta Center presently under Kelvin Sampson, UH basketball has captivated the nation for decades. With 29 NCAA Tournament appearances, 22 conference titles, 15 Sweet Sixteens, six Final Four berths and over 2,000 wins between the men’s and women’s teams since 1946 under its belt, Houston Hoops is entering a new era in the Big 12. But before things get going in a momentous 2023-24 season, let’s take a look at how we got here.
Humble Beginnings (1945-56) The University of Houston fielded its first basketball team in intercollegiate play in 1945-46 as members of the Lone Star Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, playing its home games in the now-demolished
Jeppesen Gymnasium on campus. Alden Pasche, a local high school coach and physical education professor, was brought on as the team’s first head coach and brought immediate success to the new program. Pasche’s team, led by team captain center Guy V. Lewis, a World War II veteran from Arp, Texas, won the Lone Star conference title in each of its first seasons and went to the second round of the NAIA Tournament both years. Three years later in 1950, the Cougars won the Division II Gulf Coast Conference title in its lone year there before becoming an NCAA Division I school a year later.
basketball had been played on campus since before the men, the Cougars’ women’s hoops squad did not become a varsity sport until 1975, when Houston would earn six postseason trips in its first six seasons in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
Guy V. Lewis Era (1956-86) In 30 years of running the UH Hoops program, head coach Guy V. Lewis, known for holding a polka dot red-andwhite towel during games, always seemed to go against the grain and innovated in
In 1956, Pasche led UH to a Missouri Valley Conference championship and the team’s first-ever NCAA Tournament, earning a school record 19 wins along the way. After the season, Pasche would retire from coaching. Former player and assistant coach Guy V. Lewis would take the helm. Though UH women’s COOGLIFE // November 2023
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ways that changed basketball forever.
major schools to recruit Black players.
In a time when college teams played a slow, ball-controlcentric style of basketball before the shot clock was implemented, Lewis encouraged his players to play fast and run on offense for easy dunks, which were frowned upon and later banned in college in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Behind the star power of Chaney and the future Hall of Famer Hayes, Houston made the Tournament Four straight years from 1964-68, including the program’s first two Final Fours in 1967 and 1968.
In 1964, Lewis recruited the program’s first African American players, Don Chaney and Elvin Hayes. As a landmark moment in college sports in the South, UH became one of the first
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No. 1 UCLA had won three of the last four national titles under legendary head coach John Wooden, and was on a 47-game winning streak. The Bruins walked into the Astrodome to play No. 2 Houston in front of an unheard-of 52,693 fans on January 20, 1968.
It was the first regular-season college basketball game ever to be broadcast nationally, Before the 1967-68 season, airing on the independent Lewis, with the help of athletic director Roy Hofheinz TVS Television Network. and sports information director Ted Nance, set forth Fans from around the on setting up a monumental, country tuned in to watch unprecedented skyscraper of Elvin “The Big E” Hayes and the Cougars take on a game in January of 1968.
The Game of the Century
a three-point halftime basketball, but it changed the lead. sport itself.
the unbeaten, seemingly untouchable Bruins led by superstar 7-foot-2-inch center Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem AbdulJabbar). The game lived up to its moniker as “The Game of the Century.” Two heavyweights in college basketball exchanged blows for the entire 40 minutes, as Hayes carried the Cougars to
Hampered by an eye injury from the previous game, Alcindor was held to the worst game of his college career, scoring just 15 points on 4-18 shooting. Meanwhile, Hayes, spurred on by chants of “Big E” by the Houston crowd, established himself as a star on par with Alcindor, scoring 39 points that gave UH a 7169 lead. After a missed shot and uncharacteristic turnover by UCLA in the final seconds, the Cougars did the impossible: beat the mighty Bruins. The game not only launched Houston into mainstream popularity in college
The nationally televised game was a hit and helped turn college hoops into the nationwide, season-long phenomenon that it is today.
Phi Slama Jama (1981-84) Lewis and the Cougars stayed solid in the 1970s, notching five more tourney appearances and a Southwest Conference title and producing an NBA AllStar in Otis Birdsong. But in 1981, when 7-foot center Akeem (now Hakeem) Olajuwon arrived in Houston from Nigeria and took the floor with uber-athletic sophomore guard Clyde Drexler, the Cougars shook up the country again.
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Drexler, along with All-SWC picks Rob Williams and Michael Young, took Houston all the way to the Final Four as a 6-seed as the first iteration of “Phi Slama Jama,” Texas’ tallest fraternity known for its fast-paced play and electric slam dunks.
Olajuwon perform routinely dazzling feats of athleticism and finesse.Both years, UH would make it to the National Championship game, but fell heartbreakingly short twice.
The “Phi Slama Jama” era helped popularize Lewis’s play A year later, Olajuwon earned style of breaka spot on the starting job and neck speed and quickly became one of the electric athleticism nation’s best big men, fitting capitalized by dunks perfectly with Lewis’s highhe dubbed as “high flying style. He earned the percentage shots.” nickname “The Dream” due to his smooth, effortless style The Dark Ages of play.
(1986-2014)
Drexler, Olajuwon and company tore up the nation for two straight years on the way to a No. 1 ranking in 1983 and 63 total wins from 1982-84. Soon enough, fans packed Hofheinz Pavillion donning “Phi Slama Jama” shirts to watch Drexler and 8
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Drexler and Olajuwon left for the NBA Draft in 1983 and 1984 respectively, going on to have Hall of Fame careers. Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to two NBA titles in 1994-95, with the latter coming after reuniting with
Drexler. Meanwhile, Lewis retired from coaching shortly after the “Phi Slama Jama” days in 1986, marking the end of a magnificent era. With Lewis’s departure came the collapse of UH basketball, as the men’s team wouldn’t win another NCAA Tournament game for another 34 years. In nearly three decades, Houston went through seven different
basketball coaches, all of which were unable to keep UH Hoops relevant. Pat Foster, Lewis’s successor, and Tom Penders both won conference titles in their tenures at the helm, in 1992 and 2010, but both seasons were cut short by first-round exits in March. On the women’s side, the Cougars made their first NCAA Tournament in 1988, but wouldn’t win their first game in the Big Dance until 2004, which remains the team’s only tournament win. Hofheinz Pavilion, which once housed thousands of excited UH fans in the ‘70s and ‘80s, turned into a rundown shell of itself, rarely surpassing more than a few hundred in attendance. Houston basketball had entered the abyss.
Kelvin Sampson’s Revival (2014-present) After men’s head coach James Dickey resigned after the 2013-14 season, Kelvin Sampson was hired to hopefully bring back UH Hoops from the dead. Sampson had a proven track record coming in, bringing 23 years of head coaching experience at Montana Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana with him.
A tough, hard-nosed coach who emphasizes effort, defense and rebounding, Sampson built OU into a perennial Big 12 contender and regular player in March, winning four Big 12 titles and leading the team to a Final Four appearance in 2002. After being forced out of college basketball due to NCAA recruiting violations (violations of rules that are no longer in effect today), Sampson spent six years from 2008-14 as an assistant coach in the NBA for the Bucks and Rockets. Sampson brought his demanding coaching style to the Cougars and began rebuilding a dysfunctional program by instilling a culture of toughness, discipline and ferocity.
shortened 2020 campaign, Sampson officially brought Houston back to prominence in 2021 with a Final Four appearance, the school’s first since 1984.
Routinely ranked among the top teams in the nation in defense and rebounding, Houston has continued its dominance with an Elite Eight run in 2022 and After making steady progress another Sweet Sixteen in 2023. Last season, UH was in his first three years, UH ranked No. 1 in the AP poll made the tournament in for the first time since 1983. 2018, beating San Diego State in a 67-65 thriller. Under Sampson, Houston It was the first NCAA has become one of the Tournament win in 34 premier basketball programs years, and the beginning of in the country once again, an unprecedented era of winning six conference titles success. (two tournaments, four regular-season) in the last Sampson’s Cougars then five years and earning an made it their first of four astounding record of 93-14 straight Sweet Sixteens in the 2020s. in 2019. After a CovidCOOGLIFE // November 2023
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“Go Coogs, Go!” Story by Dulce Garza Photos by Oscar Herrera
Cheers Every Cougar Should Know First time at a UH game? Don’t know how to sport your #COOG pride? You’ve come to the right place! With the season picking up, here is a list of Cougar traditions and cheers that are sure to heighten your game-day experience, especially if you’re rooting for Houston from the student secton.
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PREGAME
FIGHT SONG
WOMP WOMP
Cheer loud as the University of Houston band the Spirit of Houston runs onto the field! After the build-up hits the performers play, chant “Go Coogs!” in tandem with the crowd.
The lyrics go as such: “Cougars fight for dear old U of H / for our Alma Mater cheer / Fight for Houston University / for victory is near / When the going gets so rough and tough / we never worry cause we got the stuff! / So fight! Fight! Fight for red and white! / And we will go to victory.”
While the official lyrics go, “C-O-U-G-A-R-S… We’re talkin’ ’bout the Cougars!” The lyrics have shifted by students to an occasionally less familyfriendly version: “C-O-U-GA-R-S… Who we talkin’ ’bout? The mother-[CENSORED] Cougars!”
Shortly after, spell out “C-OU-G-A-R-S!” Most traditions will be included in the pregame after these two sequences, so pay attention to grow familiar with them.
EAT ‘EM UP It’s certain you’ve heard this performed before, so as you hear the brass play the familiar melody, at the silence in between—and while waving your Cougar Paw up high with pride— chant, “Eat ‘em up, eat ‘em up! GO COOGS, GO!”
SPELL-OUT CADENCE Another spell-out chant! Follow the audience as the fans chime in with the band’s cadence on this one. Shout out each letter as they come! “C… O… U… G-A-R-S!”
This is leading into the chant, “C… O… U… G-A-R-S! (2x) HAIL RED! HAIL WHITE! HAIL COUGARS! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! C-O-U-G-A-R-S, COUGARS!” Round back to the lyrics one more time, and you got it! (Don’t forget to have your Cougar paw up!)
Whichever version you go with, know that this is the top-ranking cheer of all! Belt like you mean it. And, before any big game, remember to rub the cougar statues’ paws located in Cullen Family Plaza for good luck! Dorn red, walk with your chin up high and show ‘em what Cougars are made of with your new cheer knowledge!
ALMA MATER Lyrics: “All hail to thee / Our Houston University / Our hearts fill with gladness / When we think of thee / We’ll always adore thee dear old varsity / And to thy memory cherished / True we’ll ever be.” Most of the time, these lyrics will be on the big screen at games, so follow along there. COOGLIFE // November 2023
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Gameday GRWM: Things To Know Before A UH Basketball Game Story by: Cindy Rivas Alfaro Photo by: Anh Le
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Although I’ve been at
the University of Houston for three years, I’ve only gone to one sports game. If you are someone like me who doesn’t frequent places like the Fertitta Center for basketball games, here are some things you need to know to show off your Cougar Spirit and get more familiar with going to games.
Tickets Now, before you can even get started on attending a game, you need to get a
ticket, right? The University has a fun little process where student tickets are released a week before gameday. Once you cop those tickets, you add the ticket to your phone wallet and you’re good to go. However, if you are a parttime student, not from the UH main campus or from the opposing team, tickets will not be free.
What To Bring On game day, I made sure I double-checked with the venue’s rules on what I could bring. The number one rule is to bring a clear bag and make sure you dump out all of your liquids before you enter the stadium. If you want to learn more about the rules and regulations, make sure to check out the Fertitta Center website or UH Athletics for more information. Continued on next page...
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With the basketball season just starting, keep an eye out for announcements about any cool fan-coordinated events that include wearing a certain color or celebrating an anniversary. If tailgating is something you’d like to try out, social media and flyers around campus are a good way to find a place!
What To Wear As for what to wear for the game, make sure you check the weather! Although you’ll be inside, you might want to take some pictures beforehand and the AC gets kind of chilly indoors. Some cute outfits to wear for a more feminine presenting look could be a tennis skirt, either black or red, with a top in reverse colors. For a more masculine look, black jeans and a jersey, or even a Cougar T-shirt could suffice. For outerwear, a simple baggy zip-up hoodie or a jacket could make sure you don’t get cold. If you have any official UH merchandise, make sure you make use of them at the game! If you want to get more creative with your look, you 14 COOGLIFE // November 2023
can use red face paint to draw two lines on your check to show your Cougar Pride. The last and final thing I suggest you should do is have fun! To be honest, I think my favorite part about going to sports games at UH is that you are surrounded by your fellow classmates, stranger or not, and you are all there to support your team. It’s also a good place to meet other people and take a break from all the studying and exams you have throughout the year. If you haven’t gone to a basketball game yet, I strongly encourage you to check out when the next game will be and make sure you get your student tickets! You never know what memories you’ll make.
Month of Music
Cooglife Photo Galler ies
e nu i t n Co
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From musical festivals to pop punk bands to acoustic sets, here are photos capured in the month of November
Pierce The Veil Concert Photo by: Oscar Herrera
Chloe Bailey at Honeyland Festival Photo by: Alina Velasquez
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Summer Walker at Honeyland Festival Photo by: Alina Velasquez
Miguel at Honeyland Festival Photo by: Alina Velasquez
John Mayer Concert with Opener JP Saxe Photo by: Oscar Herrera
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Get To Know A Cougar Doll Story By: Nancy Aneke Photos by: Oscar Herrera
M ee t J
oc e
ly n n L
warm up by practicing their halftime routine. Her heart races as she psyches herself out to perform.
She starts the day by waking up around 8 a.m. to eat some breakfast. Then around 10 a.m., it’s time to get glammed up in her dance attire. This process takes up to an hour and a half. If call time isn’t too soon, Luna grabs some Flipz and C4 to keep her energized for the long day ahead. Then she joins her team to parade in front of the band complex.
“My nerves are usually a little worked up,” Luna said. “But I feel like once I hit the field, they all go away, and I just get so excited to see all the Houston fans show up and support the football team.”
un
Game Day is a nerve-racking yet exciting event for a Cougar Doll such as Jocelynn Luna.
a
“It’s exciting to me because it’s almost like a preview before the game of how busy the crowd is,” Luna said. “I love to see all the fans.”
Having bad nerves before a game might be surprising for a dancer of Luna’s stature. A liberal studies junior with a minor in kinesiology and dance, Luna is a talented 21-year-old dancer with 13 years of extensive training in various dance genres, such as jazz fusion, hip hop, lyrical and modern dance. As a Cougar Doll, Luna’s favorite genre of dance is Pom.
“I really love Pom,” Luna said. Right before they “It just gets the adrenaline go out to the field, going, and it excites me. It’s Luna and her team like an energy drink but in
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dance form.”
training in ballet and tap.
Dance has always lifted her spirits. Luna realized her appreciation for the art of movement as a young child. Her mother, who was also a dancer, inspired her to dance.
Within two years, she advanced into competitive dance and started performing solo at national competitions. She also competed with her dance team at Navasota Middle School, and once enrolled in Navasota High School, she joined the drill team. Luna just wanted to dance all the time.
“My mom did studio dancing when she was little, and then as soon as she got into high school, she did drill team,” Luna said. “She always put tapes on of her dancing, so I think watching her dance kind of sparked an interest for me to want to start dancing.” With a vivacious enthusiasm to step into the dancing world, Luna began taking remedial dance classes at the tender age of seven. Winning was not the end-all-be-all whatsoever. She took her craft seriously. She honed her skills on the dance floor,
Then, she got accepted into Blinn College’s dance program, which exposed her to other styles of competitive dance. Blinn College was also the perfect choice for Luna due to its short distance from her hometown of Navasota. Being only 20 minutes away from her family’s residence, Luna was able to drive home from Brenham to visit her younger siblings.
The eldest of five, she grew up with extended family members, many of whom attended UH. One day she had an intriguing conversation with her cousin Omar that influenced her to consider attending UH. “My cousin Omar made an impact for me to come to UH,” Luna said. “He explained the traditions, the football games and Cougar Dolls. It made me interested in UH, so I started coming over to UH for the dance clinics to see if I had (the) potential to make the team.” Luna’s exceptional skills impressed the coaches, and she soon received “a fast pass” to move into the final round and make the team. She’s loving her time at UH as a Cougar Doll. Continued on next page...
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“I love it; it’s amazing,” Luna said. “Everything is how I pictured. Being a Cougar Doll has led me to more opportunities outside of what I used to get because Houston is very big, and UH offers a lot of opportunities.” Opportunities that she feels she wouldn’t have if it weren’t for her dance coaches. She specifically notes the positive influence of her dance coach at Expressions Dance and Studio Melissa McDonald, whom Luna describes as “a complete role model.” “She’s taught me how to discipline myself and take the initiative to practice outside of dance practice,” Luna said. “She’s also a very supportive
woman, and I believe, because of where I am today, I can look at her and thank her.” Luna is also appreciative of her dance coach Sarah Barland Flisowski who trained her during her time as a Blinn College Treasure for her “tough love.” “I really want to thank her for that,” Luna said. “I feel like that also made me grow some alligator skin to take on critiques and discipline from other coaches.” Luna, who is expected to graduate in 2025, wants to become a coach herself one day because she’s always wanted to teach dance.
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Her big dream is to become a high school drill team director, and she’s open to becoming an assistant coach at a college. For now, though, Luna is enjoying the high of being a Cougar Doll and making Houston sports fans happy on game days. “I would say my favorite part about being a Cougar Doll is honestly representing the Spirit of Houston,” Luna said. “I get to see people and see how their faces light up and instantly just get happy. Just seeing their face light up honestly is what makes my day and honestly just pushes me a little bit more.”
QUIZ: Which Shasta Are You? By: Liv Anderson It all started with a naming contest for an orphaned cougar cub. Since 1947, Shasta the Cougar has been the University’s mascot and a beloved symbol of UH. Over the many years, Shasta has gone through many phases and transformations while representing the Coogs. Every version of Shasta has a different personality and outlook on life. Take this quiz to see which mascot is most similar to you.
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1. How do you react to your victories? A. Doing a ton of pushups B. Dancing and taking celebratory photos C. By silently taking pride in your accomplishments D. Celebrating with friends and showing off
2. How do you express your personality? A. Making witty jokes and dancing B. Smiling and being carefree C. Mostly acting on instinct D. Being goofy
3. What do you like to wear on game days? A. Exactly what the athletes are wearing B. A cheerleader outfit or something sporty and always matching accessories C. Nothing. Or nothing game-related anyway D. Something comfy, like shorts and a T-shirt
4. What do you like to do for fun? A. Hang out around campus and goof off B. Spend time with friends C. Eat raw meat and climb mountains D. Be active, maybe jump around
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5. How do you solve problems? A. Being resilient and not letting it get to me B. By looking on the bright side! C. By learning, growing and staying determined D. Trying not to think about it
6. What are you passionate about? A. Winning B. Being a team player C. Family D. Basketball
Answers: Mostly A: You’re most like our current Coog mascot, Shasta. You’re hilarious,
confident and athletic. You know how to light up a room, and you love being the best.
Mostly B: You’re most like Sasha! You’re more similar to Sasha, Shasta’s girlfriend (although she’s so much more than that). You’re smart, optimistic, adorable and kind.
Mostly C: You’re most like Shasta VII, the one-year-old cougar who proudly
represents UH at the Houston Zoo with his brother Louie. You’re feisty, playful and you can be intimidating at times. But you’re always loyal and you love to remind everyone of your strength and tenacious spirit.
Mostly D: You’re most like the inflatable Shasta, who can sometimes be seen at
basketball games jumping and wobbling around with his tongue out. You keep your cards close to your chest, you don’t take yourself too seriously, you’re sassy and your school pride is off the charts. COOGLIFE // November 2023 23