Houston Baptist Basketball: A History of Success

Houston Baptist basketball is a program with a rich history of success. From their days in the West Conference to their current home in the WAC, the Huskies have always been a force to be reckoned with on the hardwood. Follow their story here!

Introduction

The Houston Baptist Huskies men’s basketball team has been a powerhouse in the NCAA Division I ranks since the early 1970s. Under the guidance of legendary head coachGuy V. Lewis, the Huskies made seven trips to the NCAA tournament between 1974 and 1987. They also won three regular season conference titles and two conference tournament championships during that time. In recent years the Huskies have continued their tradition of success, winning back-to-back regular season conference titles in 2013 and 2014.

The Early Years

Houston Baptist University began competing in intercollegiate basketball in 1963 as a NCAA Division II Independent. The Huskies played their first two seasons of basketball in the Houston Metropolitan Conference before moving to the Southland Conference in 1965. In their first season in the Southland Conference Houston Baptist posted an 11-3 conference record and won the conference championship The Huskies would win the Southland Conference four more times in their history.

The Rise to Prominence

In the early days of Houston Baptist’s Basketball Program the team was a Division II power, making the leap to Division I in 1982. The Huskies made an immediate impact in their new division, reaching the NCAA Tournament in just their second year at the D-I level. They would go on to make the tournament four times in six years from 1983 to 1988, with their best showing coming in 1987 when they reached the “Sweet Sixteen”.

The late 80’s and early 90’s were lean years for Houston Baptist Basketball as the team struggled to find its footing in the tough West Conference They had a brief resurgence in 1996, when they made it to the conference tournament Championship game but it would be another five years before they tasted any sort of success.

In 2001, Houston Baptist made the jump to Division I once again, this time as a charter member of the Great West Conference The Huskies found immediate success in their new conference, winning Regular Season titles in 2002 and 2003. They followed that up with three consecutive Conference Tournament championships from 2004 to 2006.

The Championships

The Championships

Houston Baptist University has been a powerhouse in NCAA Division I basketball for years. The Men’s Basketball team has made it to the NCAA tournament nine times and the Women’s basketball team has made it six times. In addition, HBU has won two conference championships and three regular season conference titles.

The most recent championship was in 2019, when the Men’s Basketball team won the Southland conference tournament This was the team’s first Conference tournament win and they did it in style, coming back from a 15 point deficit to beat Sam Houston State in the final game The team went on to play in the NCAA tournament but lost in the first round to Prairie View A&M.

TheWomen’s basketball team has also been having success recently. They made it to the NCAA tournament in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, they made it to the second round before losing to Baylor. And in 2019, they made it to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to eventual National Champion Notre Dame

Both teams are currently ranked in the top 25 of their respective polls, and HBU is one of only four schools in Texas to have both their Men’s and Women’s basketball teams ranked in the top 25.

With all of this success, Houston Baptist University is quickly becoming one of the Premier Basketball schools in the country.

The Legacy

Houston Baptist University first fielded a basketball team in the 1971-72 season. Since then, the program has been a consistent presence in the NCAA Division I ranks, making three trips to the NCAA Tournament and earning five conference championships. The Huskies have also produced a number of successful NBA players including All-Star guard Michael Finley.

Under Head Coach Ron Cottrell, Houston Baptist has established itself as one of the premier mid-major programs in the country. Cottrell, who took over the program in 1992, has led the Huskies to 20+ win seasons in eight of his 26 years at the helm. In that time, HBU has also produced 29 All-Conference performers and six NBA draft picks.

The success of Houston Baptist Basketball is built on a foundation of hard work and dedication. The Huskies are a close-knit group that values teamwork and family. This is a program on the rise, and one that Husky fans can be proud of for years to come.

The Coaches

Since the Houston Baptist Huskies basketball team was founded in 1963, the program has been through a lot of changes. One constant has been the quality of the coaching.Below is a list of the head coaches in the history of Houston Baptist Huskies Basketball from 1963 to present.

The Players

Houston Baptist University has a long and successful history in men’s basketball. In the fifty years since the program’s inception, the Huskies have won nineteen conference championships and made eleven NCAA Tournament appearances. In that time, they have produced thirty-seven All-Americans and a host of professional players.

The most decorated player in Houston Baptist history is Elvin Hayes, who was named an All-American in 1968 and 1969. Hayes led the Huskies to an NCAA tournament appearance in 1968, where they upset heavily favored Kansas in the first round before losing to UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen Hayes went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career in the NBA, where he was a twelve-time All-Star.

Houston Baptist has also produced a number of other successful professional players, including Clyde Drexler Sammy Foster, Mike Harris and Reece Gaines. Drexler is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Houston history, having played for the University of Houston before going on to an illustrious NBA Career He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Fans

Houston Baptist University has a long tradition of success in basketball. The fans have always been a big part of that success, cheering on the team through thick and thin.

Over the years, Houston Baptist fans have seen some Great players and teams come through the program. Some of the most successful seasons in Houston Baptist history have been thanks in large part to the support of the fans.

No matter what the future holds for Houston Baptist basketball, one thing is for sure: the fans will always be there, cheering on their team.

The Rivalries

Houston Baptist University has a long and storied history of success on the basketball court The Huskies have won numerous conference championships and made several appearances in the NCAA Tournament They have also been involved in some memorable rivalries with other schools in the Houston area.

Some of the most heated rivalries have been with the University of Houston and Rice University. These two schools are separated by only a few miles, and the games between them are always highly anticipated. The series with Houston is especially important, as the Cougars are one of the Huskies’ biggest rivals.

Another memorable rivalry is with Texas Southern University The Tigers and Huskies have been playing each other for decades, and the games are always intense. The two teams met in the Conference Championship game in 2014, with Houston Baptist coming out on top.

The Huskies have had a lot of success on the basketball court and their rivalries are a big part of that. These games are always hotly contested, and they are some of the most exciting games to watch.

The Future

The future of Houston Baptist Basketball is looking very bright. They have a talented young core of players and a great Coaching Staff The team is highly competitive and has a lot of potential. They are definitely a team to watch in the coming years.