GETTING INSIDE

   Expectations are running high in Houston for Tom Penders’ club. The Cougars return four starters from a team that won 21 games and reached the postseason for the fourth time in five years. Leading the pack are All-Conference USA senior guards Aubrey Coleman and Kelvin Lewis.

   “You want expectations,” Penders said. “Players who have confidence in themselves are not afraid of challenges. Those are the kind of kids you want, and those are the kind of kids we have. This is the deepest and most talented team that we have had here.”

   The returning veterans are complimented by one of the best recruiting classes in recent history.

   “This year, I feel more comfortable with what we have,” Penders said. “I feel good about all of the returning players and the experience they received and their performances.”

   Not only does Penders expect the team to be quick and athletic, he’s excited about the added size along the frontcourt.

   “We’re going to be a lot bigger,” he said. “Physicality will be often mentioned with this team as we get to playing and fans watch them. We have not had an abundance of physicality on any of our teams in the past, and that was something we tried hard to recruit.” 

NOTES, QUOTES

 

  —Senior G Aubrey Coleman, the 2009 C-USA newcomer of the year and all-conference first team, returns after averaging 19.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. He was the only player in the league to rank in the top four in both categories.  

  —Senior G Kelvin Lewis, third-team all-conference and a first-team defensive pick, finished second on the team in scoring (18.0) and led the Cougars with 93 3-pointers. He only needs 79 points to reach 1,000 for his career.   

• The Cougars continue to excel at home. UH posted a 12-3 record (.800) at Hofheinz Pavilion last season, with the only losses coming to Iowa State, No. 1 Memphis and Conference USA-rival UTEP. It was the fifth straight season that the Cougars recorded double-digit home wins, a first since 1988-93. UH has not recorded six straight 10-win home seasons since 1972-78.   

Last Year:   21-12 overall, 10-6 in C-USA; lost in first round of CBI Tournament.  

Head Coach:   Tom Penders (629-422); Sixth season at Houston (102-61).   

Quote To Note:   “If there is a more talented guard tandem than Aubrey and Kelvin, I haven’t seen it, and there are some very good guards in this league. To have two wing players on the floor like that gives you stability and consistency.”—Coach Tom Penders on G Aubrey Coleman and G Kelvin Lewis.  

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

  

Scouting The Newcomers:   The junior-college laden class includes G Adam Brown, F Kahmell Broughton and F Maurice McNeil. Brown averaged 18.6 points for a team that went 27-5. Broughton averaged 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds, while McNeil averaged 19.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and was named to the All-Region XVI first team. Of the freshmen, G Nick Haywood and F Kendrick Washington were two of the top high school players in Louisiana.  

Key Early-season Games:   The Cougars welcome Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 6), Troy (Dec. 14), Mississippi State (Dec. 19), TCU (Dec. 22) and Louisiana Tech (Dec. 29) in non-conference home games. Road games included at Nevada (Nov. 21) and Oklahoma at the Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 25).  

Program Direction:   The Cougars, returning four starters from last year, are one of the top teams in the conference. Houston is coming off a solid season, having advanced to the C-USA tournament semifinals and reaching the postseason for the fourth time in five years.   

Probable Starting Lineup:   G Desmond Wade, G Kelvin Lewis, G Aubrey Coleman, F Maurice McNeil, C Nick Mosley.   

Roster Report:     

• Senior C Nick Mosley is the only three-year letterman on the team and showed one of the great improvements in school history at the line last season. After making just 1-of-8 attempts the previous season, Mosley connected on 29-of-33 (87.9 percent) last season.   

• Sophomore G Desmond Wade led the team with 113 assists last season and was one of only four players to compete in all 33 games last season. He’s only the sixth freshman in school history to dish out at least 100 assists and is the school’s shortest player ever at 5-foot-8.  

• Senior G Kelvin Lewis never needs to look into the stands to find his father during games; he only needs to check the Cougars bench. Kevin Lewis begins his third season at Houston as the senior assistant coach. The elder Lewis works closely with post players and assists in all recruiting.  

• Junior G Cory Tellis joins the team after serving as a student manager last season.

   —Senior F Sean Coleman was named to the 2009 Conference USA Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team. Coleman holds a 3.33 grade-point average in sociology.