Best UH Sport to Watch Basketball

for coming here and turning this program around.” when Sampson first came to the program.

Now heading into his final season of eligibility, White Jr. will be a crucial part of a team that has become a campus favorite and was voted the best to watch on campus.

“First of all it’s an honor,” Sampson said. “The most important entity for our program are the fans and the students. That’s why when I first got here, we used to go around recruiting students, and now that shows how far we’ve come from begging them to come to games to becoming the most popular sport.”

Atascosita native and graduate student forward Fabian White jr., who arrived to the program in 2017, has been with the program the longest of any player on the roster and has seen the growth it has undergone first-hand.

“You wouldn’t see a UH basketball T-shirt on anybody,” White Jr. said. “You wouldn’t see anybody at the games back when I first got here. Now all I see around UH and pretty much around Houston is UH basketball gear or they got the Jordan brand on. That’s all on coach Sampson

“That means we’ve come a long way,” White Jr. said. “When I got recruited we had empty seats at games and you could sit courtside if you wanted to. That just shows you how much the culture of our basketball team has affected this university, and we love the energy that the fans bring to this gym. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them.”

Junior guard Marcus Sasser, who arrived to the program in 2019, played a key part in last year’s run to the Final Four.

Sasser, as well as the whole team, contribute a lot of the team’s energy and motivation to the fans who come and support them on game days.

“It means a lot to us,” Sasser said. “We really like the fans and love when they come to the games and support us. It gives us a little boost, and it’s really hard for us to be beat here [Fertitta Center], and I think they are a big part of that.”

Sampson, who will try to lead this team to a national championship this season, appreciated the team’s recognition as the best sport to watch.

“It’s awesome; good to hear, and I want to keep it that way.”