The University of Houston has to have outstanding basketball software.

Some people have been pronouncing it for years, many years.

Guy Lewis built it. Others allow it to slip.

The miracle work Lewis did cannot be overstated, as you can see from what I’ve written about him over time.  As Houston’s city developed into this mega city with down-home sense and international flavor, I continually notion it needs to be smooth to put splendid men’s basketball groups on the ground at UH.

Solomon: UH basketball is lower back to in which it ought to be 1

There are too many notable players, an excessive amount of ardor for large-time excessive college basketball here, for there to had been so many down years for the Cougars. Prevailing programs are being run in a way worse locales and conditions than in Houston. Losing right here is inexcusable.

The list of motives (dying of the SWC, upward thrust of the Big 12, and many others.) that begat the downward spiral became a list of sad excuses (poor centers, small-time conference affiliations, questionable education hires, disinterested fan base) that persevered it. When word got here that Kelvin Sampson became employed, I did not doubt that days like Sunday, when UH earned a No. Three seed into the NCAA Tournament was at the horizon.

I will never overlook the welcome banquet before Sampson’s first season.

Coach Lewis becomes there and feeling top. It turned apparent to us all that something special was about to appear.

Oh, I’ve been enthusiastic about UH coaching hires before, then let down by using their performance and the assistance they have been given, or no longer given, through the college.

The support became going to return for Sampson. He demanded it.

And his overall performance changed into going to be awesome. We’re talking approximately one of the high-quality coaches of this technology.

He is a professional tactician and a grasp motivator—a pure winner.

Always has been; constantly will be.

Sampson, sixty-three, brings hearth that youngsters both relate to or get burned. Either way, they study beneath his tutelage.

I don’t know how a lot longer is desires to try this, but UH will be fun to look at so long as he is round.

The cool factor is, in the end, a person has proved that UH can be terrific.

Guy Lewis made it super.

Kelvin Sampson is making it brilliant again.

This time, it has to be tons simpler to sustain.