No Conference for Old Men: Houston & Big 12 College Hoops

Welcome to Episode #79 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Our Houston Cougars end their season at 30-7 after a 10 point loss to Illinois in the Sweet 16.  We knew this matchup was going to be a tough one for this year's team, and Illinois made things extremely uncomfortable for the Coogs on the offensive end.  But we turn the page to next season, as Coach Kelvin Sampson reaffirmed his commitment to return for another run at that National Championship.  And now the roster reloading begins. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men summarize the Sweet 16 game & weigh in on what we believe needs to occur with the roster building during the upcoming Portal Season. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #78 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Our Houston Cougars are now 30-6 after a pair of 31-point demolitions over Idaho & Texas A&M in the 1st 2 rounds of the NCAA Tournament.  And it's back to the Sweet 16 again, with Cougar Fans completely spoiled at this point with our 7th straight advancement into the 2nd week.  And the beauty this year?  The Cougars get to play the Sweet 16, & potentially the Elite 8 round should they advance, in the city of Houston!  The 3 Old Men & special guest Jayme Hollingsworth provide a quick recap of the 1st 2 rounds of March Madness, then go deep in breaking down Sweet 16 opponent Illinois, and then close out with some thoughts on a potential Elite 8 game vs Iowa/Nebraska in this episode.  Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men weigh in & discuss the Coogs' March Madness journey so far, as well as break down their next game(s) vs Illinois & potentially the Iowa/Nebraska winner. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #77 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Our Houston Cougars are now 28-6 after beating BYU & KU in the XII Tourney, but come up just short in the Finals vs AZ to ready themselves for the real Tournament.  Now it's March Madness time, with the brackets out and Houston as the top #2 Seed assigned to the South Region.  And most importantly, the Cougars have the chance to play in Houston for the Sweet 16 & Elite 8 rounds should they advance that far!  The 3 Old Men provide a recap of the XII Tourney games & break down our respective March Madness brackets in this episode.  The pod is again sponsoring a Bracket Challenge for The Veer & CoogFans.com members for a chance to beat the 3 old men, with the overall winner joining us on a post-season episode! Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men weigh in & discuss the March Madness brackets, as well as provide our respective picks for the Final 4 & Champion. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #76 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. That's now 3 consecutive wins to end the regular season to gain a bit of momentum.  With a season sweep of Baylor 77-64 at home coupled with a workman-like 82-75 win at Oklahoma St this past week.  But more importantly, the team's solidified the bench heading into the post-season w/ McCarty & Miller establishing themselves along w/ Sakho for our 8-man rotation. Now it's post-season play in the XII tourney as a warm-up for March Madness.  But the stakes are high, where locking in a #2 Seed in Houston is within sight.  The team is now 26-5, 14-4 and #2 in the XII, & 5 in the AP poll. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 games vs Baylor & Oklahoma St, preview the Big 12 Tournament, and provide their thoughts on preparations for March Madness.  The team is peaking at the right time before post-season play begins. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #75 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. After our 3rd consecutive loss at Kansas 69-56, the Coogs got some rest, made a few offensive adjustments, & righted the ship with a 40 point shellacking of Colorado 102-62 at home.  Now there's a final 2 regular season games left vs Baylor &  Oklahoma St to build momentum going into post-season play.  The team is now 24-5 & 12-4 in XII play, and 7th in the AP poll. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 games vs KU & CO, discuss the offensive adjustments made as we prepare for March, and then preview the upcoming games vs Baylor & Oklahoma St.  The team continues add to their toolkit & solidify a reliable bench before post-season play begins. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #74 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. After 2 consecutive losses at Iowa State 70-67 & then at home to Arizona 73-67, it's gut check time w/ a quick turnaround trip to Kansas for Big Mon. The team is now 23-4 & 11-3 in Big 12 play, and alone in 2nd in the XII standings.  This last of a brutal 3-game stretch in Lawrence may determine whether Houston can hold onto a #2 seed come March Madness.  But these are the types of games that prepare a team for tourney play. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 losses to ISU & AZ, and then preview the upcoming games vs KU & CO.  The team continues the work to build up a reliable bench before post-season play begins. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #73 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Critical wins for the Coogs over Utah & KSU this past week.  And the team is now 23-2, 11-1 in the Big 12, & alone atop the Big 12 standings.  But now the killer stretch begins vs Big 12 elite Iowa State & Arizona, right before a visit to KU to complete the trifecta of brutal conference games.  These are the types of games we all wanted as we head towards post-season play. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 wins over Utah & KSU, and then preview the upcoming games vs ISU & AZ.  The team continues to ramp up in preparation for March Madness! - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #72 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. HUGE pair of wins for the Coogs over UCF & BYU this week!  And the team is  now 21-2, 9-1 in the Big 12, and should be up inside the top 5 in the AP Poll later Monday morning.  Up next are a pair of games against Big 12 "bottom-feeders" Utah & KSU, where the Coogs can fine-tune some things in preparation for the toughest stretch of games to follow in ISU/AZ/KU.  This Cougar team is beginning to peak at just the right time as we head towards March. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 wins over UCF & BYU, and then preview the upcoming games vs Utah & KSU.  The team continues to ramp up in preparation for March Madness! - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #71 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. After a week of regrouping for the Coogs with workman-like wins over TCU & Cincy, the team is  now 19-2, 7-1 in the Big 12, and up to #8 in the AP Poll.  Now a Brutal Feb awaits, where the Big 12 has historically loaded up on marquee games for the projected contenders.  The challenge comes hard & fast this week with our toughest 2-game stretch vs UCF & BYU for some separation in the XII Standings. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 wins over TCU & Cincy, and then preview the upcoming games vs contenders UCF & BYU.  The competition definitely steps up this week in preparation for  March Madness! - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #70 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. After a tough loss in Lubbock this past week, the Coogs are now 17-2, 5-1 in the Big 12, and #10 in the AP Poll.  An important week ahead with a sneaky good TCU up next, as well as a rematch vs Cincinatti.  6 games into Big 12 conference play, the 3 old men discuss  "Who will/needs to become the X-Factor for a Final 4 push this year?". Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the loss to Tech, preview the TCU & Cincy games, and discuss which kid(s) need to step up in order to make a March Madness run. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #69 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. After the total destructions of WVU & ASU this past week, the Coogs are now 17-1, 5-0 in the Big 12, and tied with Arizona atop the conference standings.  Now a critical rematch w/ Texas Tech awaits in Lubbock.  5 games into Big 12 conference play, the 3 old men discuss whether "Chris Cenac has turned the corner for this Cougar team?". Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 wins over WVU & ASU, and discuss   Cenac's transformation as he bids to become a main cog for a Cougar March Madness run.  We then preview next week's Texas Tech rematch as well, so fans can be well informed headed into a big weekend. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com YouTube Page; we're also available via Dave Campbell's College Podcast Network as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #68 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. After shutting down in-state rivals Texas Tech & Baylor this past week, the Coogs are now 15-1, 3-0 in the Big 12, and ranked #10 in KenPom.  After some stellar team defense in the 2 wins, "Is Jojo Tugler now back to last season's DPOY-levels?"  2 more conference games await the team this week in West Virginia & Arizona State to further test this Cougars team. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 2 wins over Texas Tech & Baylor, and discuss whether Jojo Tugler has regained his elite form from last season?  We then preview next week's 2 games as well, so fans can be well informed headed into the games. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #67 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Happy New Year everyone!  After 2 critical wins over Arkansas & Cincy (with a 3rd sloppy MTSU win sandwiched in between), this Cougar team is 13-1 & 1-0 in XII play.  It was a statement win on National TV vs Calipari's Arkansas team, where the Cougar offense was fast, flowing, & in peak form.  Followed were 2 more wins to end the year & open conference play.  The Coogs are now ranked #7 in the AP, with 2 in-state rivals on deck in Texas Tech & Baylor. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the 3 games played over the holidays, as well as provide some thoughts on the upcoming games vs Tech & Baylor. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #66 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Another dominant win, this time over a tricky New Orleans team.  But is this Houston Cougars squad truly equipped to win the XII for a 3rd straight season?  The Coogs are now 10-1, ranked #8 in the AP, and rounding into form on both sides of the ball with XII play right around the corner.  But a final big test awaits this weekend vs what could be the best team in the SEC in Arkansas. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the game vs UNO, as well as provide some thoughts on the upcoming game vs Calipari-led Arkansas.  We then revisit our predictions on the Big XII conference race, with all the key non-con games now behind us. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #65 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. 2 convincing wins over FSU & Jackson St, but are the Houston Cougars a Final 4 / National Championship contender this season?  Our Coogs are now 9-1 and ranked #7 in the AP & #10 in the KenPom rankings.  But lots of Twitter/X postings this week around how every National Champion since 2004 has been in the Top 12 of the Week 6 AP Poll.  Does this Cougar Team fit the bill as bona fide contenders compared with the last 2 seasons? Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break down the games from the past week, as well as provide some thoughts on next week's UNO game.  We then go deep with our perspectives on whether this year's iteration of the Cougars are national title contenders (and if not, can they can bridge the gap to get there)? - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #64 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Like last season, it was a mixed bag for our Houston Cougars at the Players Era Festival.  With lots of "wisdom & learnings", as Coach Sampson described, for this year's Cougars team.  The team won 2 games over Syracuse & Notre Dame, but suffered a close loss in between to a tough Tennessee team looking for payback for last season's Elite 8 loss.  Our Cougars are now 7-1  for the season and now ranked #8 in both the AP & KenPom rankings.  But lots for the team to work on in this 10-day break before facing FSU at the Toyota Center. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men break the games down from Vegas, as well as provide some thoughts on what to expect from a team adjustment perspective heading into this final stretch of non-conference games.  We also provide our perspectives on the 2 elite HS kids to sign with the Cougars during the early signing period.  Needless to say, another elite class w/ Diane & Alozie coming on board next season. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #63 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Our Houston Cougars win a big one over Auburn in Birmingham to go 4-0 for the season, in a game where all 3 freshmen balled out on the big stage!  But ultimately it was the Kingston Flemings Showcase, where he's staked an early claim as the alpha on this season's Cougars team.  "Feast Week" games await after playing Rider on Thu, as the team prepares to travel to Las Vegas to take on Syracuse, Tennessee, & a third team TBD. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men weigh in and discuss what to look out for with this Houston Cougar team early in the season, as well as provide some quick-hit game summaries and previews. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #62 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. Our Houston Cougars start the '25-'26 season 2-0 after beating Lehigh 75-57 to open the season, and then pull away from a pesky Towson late 65-48.  An Oakland team that stayed within 10 with Purdue is up next, and then the 1st big challenge of the season awaits in Auburn. Please have a listen as the 3 Old Men weigh in and discuss what to look out for with this Houston Cougar team early in the season, as well as provide some quick-hit game summaries and previews. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music: Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to Episode #61 of the No Conference for Old Men Podcast. The 3 Old Men are back with our preseason previews of the Big 12 & what we call our "National Top 8+1 List" of national championship contenders for the season.  Have a listen as we talk through the teams fans need to be aware of as our Houston Cougars Men's Basketball team marches through their schedule during the '25-'26 season.   We highlight who we believe are the elite teams in the Big 12, as well as on the national scene, during this episode. - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/

Welcome to a bonus installment in our "Coaches Series" (episode #60) on the No Conference for Old Men Podcast - our very 1st WBB-focused episode! All 3 Old Men had the privilege to sit down and chat with new WBB Head Coach Matthew Mitchell.  Coach Mitchell was high energy, articulate, & super generous with his time for almost a full hour to describe what he envisions for our WBB program.  We dive into coach's background, his journey into college coaching at Tennessee under the legendary Pat Summitt, & how he transformed Kentucky WBB into a juggernaut while he was head coach.  We bring a depth and insight into Coach's background / perspective that you won't find anywhere else! - No Conference for Old Men is available for free via Spotify / Apple Podcast / SoundCloud & the GoCoogs.com website; we're also available via the Republic of Football Podcast feed from the folks at Dave Campbell's Texas Football as their only basketball-centric offering - Intro / Exit music:  Ground Zero provided by FreeBeats.io - Please follow us on https://gocoogs.com/old-men/