I wonder how Kelvin is going to coach Houston

[coolm]

Will he still focus on hard defense or will he open it up more given his NBA experience and UH's history?

Not sure how old Phi Slamma Jamma fans would react to 48 and 50 point outings.

 

[NickZepp]

I'm sure defense will be his top priority since he just seems like that coach always. But I'm not sure about what type of talent he has right now. They will definitely be a team I follow and be basically a 2nd favorite team outside of OU while Kelvin is there.

 

[kansasooner]

Houston will immediately be a contender on the national scene.

 

[coolm]

I will certainly be watching how his team fares ... but this OU team has me much more intrigued.

 

[WTSooner]

I read some stuff when he was hired at Houston, and it "seemed" like he was going to be a lot faster and more open with the offense that he ran.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

The American Athletic Conference (AAC) has an interesting group of basketball schools, including the defending national champions.

UCF (Orlando, Florida)
UConn (Storrs, Connecticut)
Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio)
East Carolina (Greenville, North Carolina)
Houston (Houston, Texas)
Memphis (Memphis, Tennessee)
USF (Tampa, Florida)
SMU (Dallas, Texas)
Temple (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Tulane (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Tulsa (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

It can be described as a “city league” with only two schools located in “college towns” (UConn and East Carolina).

Navy joins the AAC next year in football only.

I will follow Houston's progress and I wish Kelvin the best of success. I expect him to assemble and train a very competitive team in a few years.

 

[usedtobe1]

I read some stuff when he was hired at Houston, and it "seemed" like he was going to be a lot faster and more open with the offense that he ran.

He may open up the offense a little more, but he will require his team to play tough, physical defense like he did at OU. His practices were brutal..... and I say that with a lot of respect.

 

[WTSooner]

He may open up the offense a little more, but he will require his team to play tough, physical defense like he did at OU. His practices were brutal..... and I say that with a lot of respect.

I think so too, to an extent, but I think he'll teach a less physical brand of ball, and focus more on offense too. Maybe it's from being in the NBA so long, maybe it's b/c he is getting older, or maybe he just sees the changes in the college game today and thinks that will allow for a better team/program. I just got the sense from him quotes that he wasn't going to "grind" on either end like he used to.

 

[NCCoach30]

It will be the first team in NCAA history coached exclusively by cell phone. LOL

 

[BigTime]

Houston will immediately be a contender on the national scene.

Darn right, Ooner. Darn right.

 

[AdaSooner]

Kelvin may put more of an emphasis on offense at UH, but he will not abandon the one thing that made him a really good college coach: Defense!

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I think it would be fun for Lon Kruger to schedule a home-and-home series with Kelvin Sampson. There would be much more fan interest than your typical early season non-conference home game. Also, the Houston-exposure could help recruiting, as Houston is a fertile area for recruits. Additionally, there are a good number of OU fans in the Houston area.

This looks like a win-win proposition to me.

 

[usedtobe1]

I think it would be fun for Lon Kruger to schedule a home-and-home series with Kelvin Sampson. There would be much more fan interest than your typical early season non-conference home game. Also, the Houston-exposure could help recruiting, as Houston is a fertile area for recruits. Additionally, there are a good number of OU fans in the Houston area.

This looks like a win-win proposition to me.

Agree 100%. Having refereed basketball in Houston for many years, I can say Houston has some unbelievable talent at the HS level. It might help to get a foot-hold into the area.

The con is I watched OU play U of H last year, and play Rice back when Blake played. There weren't big crowds or many OU fans at either game. The problem is non-conference games are primarily in December when there are a lot of holiday conflicts.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

...
The con is I watched OU play U of H last year, and play Rice back when Blake played. There weren't big crowds or many OU fans at either game. The problem is non-conference games are primarily in December when there are a lot of holiday conflicts.

OU played Texas A&M last season in Houston. I do not think that OU has played UH in a long time.

There is no doubt that early season non-conference games are poorly attended across the country. Too many of the better games are played in tournaments or other neutral sites.

I think the return of Kelvin Sampson to the LNC would cause some "buzz" and help draw a bigger crowd in Norman.

 

[usedtobe1]

OU played Texas A&M last season in Houston. I do not think that OU has played UH in a long time.

There is no doubt that early season non-conference games are poorly attended across the country. Too many of the better games are played in tournaments or other neutral sites.

I think the return of Kelvin Sampson to the LNC would cause some "buzz" and help draw a bigger crowd in Norman.

You're right. It was A&M that OU played. It was the second game of a double-header where U of H played Rice in the 1st game. I got the opponents mixed up. That's where I got to see TaShawn Thomas play. I can't wait to see him play for the Sooners this year ... hopefully.

 

[coolm]

pfft .... who needs a home and home. we'll just play them a few times in Houston. That's a great place for recruiting exposure.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

pfft .... who needs a home and home. ..........

I do. The OU fan with season tickets that goes to the games.