AAC Basketball

5-star point guard Kingston Flemings committed to Houston over Texas Tech on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

"It was their culture that won us over," Flemings' father told ESPN's Paul Biancardi (h/t Borzello).

Head coach Kelvin Sampson's team will be adding the San Antonio native, who's listed as the No. 3 point guard and No. 17 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' Composite rankings.

Flemings received offers from several schools and initially whittled down his potential options to Arkansas, Gonzaga, Houston, Texas, and Texas Tech (via 247Sports' Brandon Jenkins). He later trimmed down the list to only include the Cougars and Red Raiders.

Houston owns a record of 127-20 since the start of the 2020-21 season, which played a role in Flemings' final decision.

"I chose Houston because of the winning culture that they've built," Flemings said, per Joe Tipton of On3.com. "I want to go somewhere where we can compete on any given night and I'm playing against and with the best players so I can get better in practice and in games."

Flemings could form an imposing backcourt alongside shooting guard Isiah Harwell, who committed to Sampson's program on Sept. 12. Harwell is also a 5-star prospect, ranking as the No. 2 shooting guard and No. 9 overall player in the 2025 class (via 247Sports).

In the meantime, the Cougars have opened their 2024-25 campaign with a 2-1 record and are ranked No. 8 in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll.

Houston's next contest will be against Hofstra on Friday, with tip-off at 8 p.m. ET.

Memphis fifth-year senior forward Tyreek Smith is reportedly on the move once again.

Smith entered the transfer portal ahead of the Tigers' season opener against Missouri, the university confirmed in a statement to The Commercial Appeal.

"Tyreek informed the staff that he would like to explore other opportunities," the Memphis athletic department stated (h/t Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports). "We would like to thank Tyreek for his hard work and dedication while at the University of Memphis and wish him the best of luck."

Smith transferred to Memphis from SMU and also had stops at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. During the 2023-24 season with the Mustangs, he averaged 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

Per Grant Grubbs of On3.com, Smith informed Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway that he was stepping away from the team on Oct. 20.

"I think that in this era, you have to understand that these young men will have situations where they're going to need some time," Hardaway said last month. "There's so much pressure with playing time, with family members, with all kinds of stuff happening and [Tyreek] came to me and asked for a couple of personal days, and I gave them to him. He never once told me that he was quitting."

Smith's representative with Young Money Sports then alleged that the university "had not paid the transfer forward in the four months that he'd been with the team and had broken other promises" to him, per Grubbs.

However, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports reported that Memphis paid Smith $175,000, which he said would have been equivalent to a third of what he agreed to receive as part of his NIL deal.

Memphis won its season opener without Smith, defeating Missouri 83-75. The team will look to improve to 2-0 when it meets UNLV (1-0) on Saturday.

USF head men's basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died on Thursday after suffering complications during a medical procedure, the school announced.

He was 43.

"All of us with South Florida Athletics are grieving with the loved ones of Coach Abdur-Rahim," vice president for athletics, Michael Kelly, said in a statement. "He was authentic, driven, and his infectious personality captivated all of Bulls Nation. Coach Abdur-Rahim leaves a lasting impact on our student-athletes, the University, and the community. We are supporting those closest to him, including his family, team, and athletics staff, to ensure they have the resources they need to deal with this tremendous loss."

Abdur-Rahim was hired by USF ahead of the 2023–24 season and led the Bulls to a 25-8 record, an American Athletic Conference regular season title and a berth in the NIT. Prior to coaching for USF, he spent four seasons as the head coach at Kennesaw State, turning a team that went 1-28 in his first season to a 26-9 team in his final year, which included a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Before his arrival, the USF men's basketball team had just one winning season (2018-19) in the previous 11 years.

"In a very short time, Coach Abdur-Rahim made an indelible impact on the University of South Florida," USF president Rhea Law said in a statement. "In his first season as our head coach, he brought an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation. Throughout my time working with Coach Abdur-Rahim, I was continually inspired by his leadership, and truly admired his sincere approach to connecting with our entire student body. His influence on our student-athletes, coaching staff and the university community will live on forever."

Isiah Harwell, a 5-star shooting guard out of Utah, committed to Houston on Thursday.

"I chose Houston because the culture fit. I feel like I can thrive and succeed there and I believe in Coach [Kelvin] Sampson and the whole staff," Harwell told Joe Tipton of On3. "Coach Sampson has a way with speaking that just makes me motivated and ready to play. He also has a lot of experience and knows what he's looking for."

He chose Houston over Gonzaga, Texas and California.

Harwell is considered the No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2025, the No. 10 player overall and the No. 2 player from the state of Utah, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings. That makes him the highest-ranked recruit in Houston history, per Tipton, and the first 5-star recruit to join Houston since Danuel House back in 2012.

Earlier in September, Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports described Harwell as a "true two-way player who impacts the game on both ends of the floor" and one who possesses "good backcourt size, strength, and physicality."

He also noted that he's "undoubtedly advanced" on the defensive end, where he's "tough and competitive" despite lacking elite length. Overall, he "plays hard, competes and is versatile enough to play as a big secondary guard or a more conventional wing."

"I would describe my game as a two-way player who can score at all three levels and makes the right plays," Harwell told Tipton while analyzing his own skill set.

Sampson's presence clearly was an important factor in his decision.

"Coach Sampson is a cool dude," he told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi. "He knows what it takes for players to reach the next level, we talked about that. I need to shoot 38-40 percent from three, average six or seven rebounds and play defense on the opponent's best perimeter player. He said if you don't play defense you won't play at Houston."

"Their culture is real," he added.

Harwell was forced to take time off during the summer after suffering a knee injury during his junior season, though he's expected back on the court in the fall before joining the Cougars ahead of the 2025-26 season. He is Houston's first commit in the Class of 2025.

Former Villanova, Alabama and Memphis guard Jahvon Quinerly announced Saturday he's retiring from basketball.

"I made the decision to let go of the game of basketball, which has greatly shaped who I am since I could remember," he wrote on Instagram. "This game has opened a plethora of doors for me and for that I will forever be grateful, but God has chosen a different path for me.

"Even while I've accomplished some incredible things, had priceless experiences, and formed friendships for life, on the other side of that I've experienced some of my lowest moments. And as much as it pains me to type this, I can't continue this fight with something I am no longer in love with."

Quinerly averaged 13.5 points and 4.9 assists in 32 games with Memphis after transferring in ahead of the 2023-24 season.

A 5-star recruit in the 2018 high school class, Quinerly originally enrolled at Villanova.

He left for Alabama after one season and sat out the 2019-20 campaign to satisfy NCAA rules since his transfer came before the rule granting transfers immediate eligibility.

The 6'1" guard became a valuable contributor for the Crimson Tide in a supporting role. He put up 11.7 points and 3.7 per contest over 98 appearances. He was the co-Sixth Man of the Year with Kentucky's Antonio Reeves in 2022-23 and won MVP of the SEC tournament in 2021 as Alabama outlasted LSU 80-79 in the final.

Quinerly went undrafted this summer and didn't land an NBA contract as a free agent. While the odds of him carving out a career in the Association looked remote, going abroad and playing in an international league was a possibility.

Instead, the New Jersey native is walking away from the game for good. He noted he earned more than seven figures in NIL money, so his time at Alabama and Memphis proved lucrative.

An anonymous letter has accused Memphis men's basketball head coach Penny Hardaway of major NCAA infractions, according to ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

"The University of Memphis is aware of the anonymous letter, and it has been shared with the NCAA," university spokesperson Michele Ehrhart told ESPN.

The confirmation of the letter comes a day after Hardaway announced he was firing assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser and special adviser Demetrius Dyson.

Borzello noted that it was unclear whether the letter and those dismissals were in any way connected—though the timing is certainly suspect—and that none of the fired coaches were named in the letter. A number of the allegations also predated two of the relieved assistants.

The letter alleged "Hardaway's personal involvement in potential recruiting and academic violations."

It isn't the first time Hardaway and the Tigers have come under scrutiny.

The head coach was suspended three games last season for both recruiting and head-coaching responsibility violations, while senior Malcolm Dandridge was held out of the final five games of the regular season amidst an internal investigation into his eligibility.

In 2022, Memphis was investigated by the NCAA for a number of potential recruiting violations, though Hardaway was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing. The school was not, however, and faced three years of probation, a $5,000 fine and a 0.25 percent reduction of their men's basketball budget after the Independent Accountability Resolution Process found them guilty of committing four Level II violations and five Level III violations.

"The hearing panel concluded that the head coach's philanthropic involvement in the Memphis community began prior to becoming an athletics booster in 2008 and before he was hired by Memphis as its head coach in 2018," the IARP said in a statement at the time.

"Based on the case record and information developed at the hearing, the hearing panel found that the benefits provided by the head coach to the three prospective student-athletes were not recruiting inducements," the statement added. "According to the hearing panel, it was established that the head coach had a long-standing philanthropic commitment, particularly to youth in the economically disadvantaged Memphis community, even prior to becoming an athletics booster."

Memphis men's basketball head coach Penny Hardaway removed three members of his coaching staff, according to Jason Munz of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Per Munz, Hardaway removed director of analytics Jermaine Johnson, director of player development Jamie Rosser and head coaching advisor Faragi Phillips from the team's staff. Memphis' coaching staff has now experienced eight departures during the 2024 offseason.

The Tigers finished with a 22-10 record during their 2023-24 campaign.

Memphis was unable to make a March Madness appearance after earning NCAA tournament berths in the previous two years under Hardaway.

The Tigers started off the 2023-24 season strong, winning 15 of their first 17 games. However, they couldn't keep the momentum going and ended up dropping eight of their final 15 contests.

In addition to the coaching staff turnover, Memphis' roster will also look vastly different next season. Forward Nicolas Jourdain is the only returning scholarship player after David Jones, last year's leading scorer, joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way contract in June.

Hardaway was active in the transfer portal, with the Tigers adding several new faces over the offseason. Memphis' incoming transfer group ranked No. 11 in the country, per 247Sports.

The new-look roster is headlined by PJ Haggerty, who averaged 21.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game with Tulsa during his 2023-24 campaign.

Colby Rogers will also be joining the Tigers after averaging 16.4 points per game and shooting 39.1 percent from three on Wichita State last season.

Hardaway's revamped roster and coaching staff will debut on Nov. 4, as Memphis is set to host Missouri at FedExForum.

Houston men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year Friday after leading the Cougars to a regular-season Big 12 title during their first year in the conference.

Sampson received 23 of 62 possible votes for the award, beating out runner-up Dan Hurley of UConn by two votes, according to the Associated Press.

South Carolina's Lamont Paris finished in third place with eight votes, according to the AP.

Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger and Utah State's Danny Sprinkle each received four AP votes, while Washington State's Kyle Smith and McNeese State's Will Wade earned a vote apiece.

Sampson led Houston to a 32-5 overall record and the team's second straight Sweet 16 appearance in 2023.

He previously won the AP Coach of the Year award in 1995 while coaching Oklahoma.

Sampson received a $20,000 incentive bonus for winning the award, according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.

After finishing the season prior with a 33-4 record, Houston lost star players Jarace Walker and Marcus Sasser to the first round of the 2023 NBA draft.

Sampson's ability to lead the Cougars to a third straight 30-win season, despite the losses of Walker and Sasser, the transition from the AAC to Big 12, likely helped him beat out Hurley for the honor.

Houston guard Jamal Shead, who played a key part in the 30-win season before injuring his ankle in the Cougars' Sweet 16 loss to Duke, earned two votes for the AP Player of the Year award.

Meanwhile Hurley and the Huskies are preparing to face Alabama Saturday night as they fight for a second consecutive NCAA tournament title.

Sampson is the 10th coach to win multiple Coach of the Year awards, according to the AP.

Since joining Houston in 2014, Sampson has led the Cougars to six NCAA tournament appearances. The team made just one trip to the tournament in 22 years prior to his hiring.

He is now the second Houston coach to double up on AP Coach of the Year awards.

The late Guy Lewis earned the honor in 1968 and 1983 during another period of NCAA dominance for Cougars basketball, during which Houston completed 27 straight winning seasons.

Houston's season came to an end in devastating fashion on Friday night with a 54-51 loss to Duke in the Sweet 16 in which the Big 12 champs had to play most of the game without Jamal Shead when he suffered a sprained ankle in the first half.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson said the game didn't "feel like a fair fight" when they lost their best player.

"You would have to take maybe two of theirs to equal one of Jamal," Sampson added. "That's how good he was. He's a first-team All American. You don't have another one of those. You don't have the best defensive player in the Big 12. You don't have a guy that made all the big shots at the end."

Shead was injured 13 minutes into the game when he rolled his ankle on a drive to the basket. He had to be helped off the court and to the locker room.

Prior to the injury, Shead and the Cougars had a 16-10 lead over Duke. They only managed to score 35 points over the final 27 minutes without him.

It was a defensive slugfest with both teams shooting just 40.8 percent from the field. The two key differences were Houston's inability to make free throws (9-of-17) and the Blue Devils making four more three-pointers (six to two).

Houston announced Shead's X-rays came back negative and he was diagnosed with a "badly" sprained ankle. The team also said he would attempt to return "at some point" in the second half.

Shead told reporters after the loss he did attempt to go back in, but he "could barely walk."

Houston's forte is a swarming defense and getting enough offense. Sampson's team led the nation in scoring defense and defensive rating this season. Two of their three tournament opponents were held under 55 points.

Shead, the Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, is the driving force for everything the Cougars do. He led the team in assists (6.3), steals (2.2) and ranked second in scoring (12.9) this season.

Given the slim margin of victory for the Blue Devils, it's not unfair to say a healthy Shead might have led to a different result.

Instead, Houston lost as a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season.