HOUSTON — If you’ve been following the University of Houston Cougars’ run through the NCAA basketball tournament this year, you’ve probably heard about the 1984 Houston team … a lot.
You heard about that ’84 squad when this year’s team made it to the Sweet 16 against Syracuse. You heard it again during the Elite 8 matchup with Oregon State. And you’ll probably hear about them even more on Saturday when Houston takes on Baylor in the Final Four.
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That's because twice now in this tournament, this year’s Houston Cougars got to a place that the university hasn’t been since those 1984 Houston Cougars took them there. That team, filled with super-productive players up and down the roster, was the last Houston team to make it to Elite Eight and then the Final Four.
Because of all the references in the broadcasts, we noticed that people were searching on Google for which players were on the team nicknamed Phi Slama Jama -- the high-flying, tallest Texas fraternity that always put on a show on the Hoffheinz Pavilion floor.
Here's some video of that 1984 team after they won the Southwest Conference tournament.
Here's the answer.
The roster featured future Hall-of-Famer Hakeem Olajuwon. But he wasn't the only NBA player. There was also Michael Young, Rickey Winslow and Greg Anderson, who went pro. And Reid Gettys was drafted by the Bulls and Alvin Franklin by the Kings. Benny Anders was also a key part of that team.
There is one thing that no Houston Cougar basketball team has done before – win a national title. And it’s something the current edition Cougars are two wins away from.
