THE DAILY COUGAR
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O F F I C I A L
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Thursday, February 6, 2014
Issue 70, Volume 79
H O U S T O N
S I N C E
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ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT THEDAILYCOUGAR.COM
CRIME
Suspect turns himself in to police The Daily Cougar news services
The largest home crowd since 2008 — 7,247— at Hofheinz Pavilion hosted Guy V. Lewis, who was honored before tip off against Louisville. The Cougars lost 77-62 on Wednesday at Hofheinz Pavilion. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Guy’s night out
Cougars, city of Houston, alumni, fans honor Lewis on an emotional evening at Hofheinz Pavilion
The fourth and last armed car robbery suspect turned himself in Monday and is now in custody, according to News 92 FM. Ronald Dean Richards was declared a fugitive with a warrant for his arrest last week after three other suspects, Dezmond Lucraig Edwards, Allen Bernard Rountree and James Van-Gerald Johnson, were taken into custody. Johnson appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. The four, along with three unnamed others, are suspected of being part of two separate rings that committed armed car robberies across Houston last Richards year, including at the University on Dec. 6. Richards is “expected to make an appearance around 10 a.m. Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy,” according to Click 2 Houston. news@thedailycougar.com
Christopher Shelton Sports editor
Guy V. Lewis can’t walk — he’s confined to a wheelchair — but with the help of family and support of former players and fans, he was able to take another victory lap. Lewis, UH’s famed former coach, returned to Hofheinz Pavilion on Wednesday for the first time since earning basketball’s highest honor — induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. After former basketball great Larry Micheaux wheeled Lewis past the UH bench as they were followed by former players, the pregame ceremony included special recognition from the University that he helped put on the
basketball map, a proclamation from the city that created Guy V. Lewis Day in Houston and the loudest ovation of the season from a full student section. Fans waved the polka-dot towels that were handed out before the game, and the University president got emotional. “It is a very special moment with Coach Guy Lewis being here, and it’s just wonderful to see how it’s full tonight,” said President Renu Khator. “It was so emotional to see all of those players and now to see all of the students in the student (section). I think this can be a golden moment for us if we can just seize on it.” Though the Cougars couldn’t capture the emotion of the evening with a win and lost to the Cardinals
77-62, the raucous crowd reminded Lewis’ daughter Sherry of the days when UH was the biggest basketball show in town. “This is cool — all of that excitement out there. I grew up with that kind of excitement,” Sherry said. “It has been a very exciting last year culminating in this event. I guess we can calm down now.” Lewis isn’t walking through the door to coach again. When he patrolled the sidelines, he became synonymous with the basketball program that accomplished a lot in his 30 years at the helm. He guided the Cougars to 27 consecutive winning seasons en route to winning 592 games, made five trips to the Final Four and recruited three of
the 50 greatest NBA players of all time — Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Elvin Hayes — to play their college ball at UH. Lewis was one of the first major college coaches to recruit AfricanAmerican players in the South, and the Cougars’ success forced other coaches to follow his lead. He led UH to five appearances in the Final Four, including three straight with Phi Slama Jama, the Cougars’ most famous “fraternity.” Lewis was one of the driving forces behind the “Game of the Century,” which helped usher in the television era of college basketball. The game
GUY continues on page 12
THE CASE In case you missed the developing story... On Dec. 6, four individuals robbed an armored car with a pregnant driver outside of the University Center. The perpetrators ran off with a reported $4 million to a Planned Parenthood clinic where they changed cars. In late January, the four robbers were charged by the FBI.