The 1967–68 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represented the University of Houston

University of Houston

The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...

 in the 1967–68 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The team played its home games at Delmar Fieldhouse

Delmar Fieldhouse

Delmar Fieldhouse is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena located at 2020 Mangum Road in Houston, Texas. It is primarily used for basketball.It is perhaps most notable for being the home court to the Houston Cougars men's basketball team, featuring Elvin Hayes, during the 1960s.In 2007, the WNBA's...

 in Houston for the second consecutive season. This season marked the team's ninth year as an independent

NCAA Division I independent schools (basketball)

NCAA Division I independent basketball schools are four-year institutions that do not belong to a basketball conference or a primary conference for all sports teams.-Schools:...

 member of the NCAA's University Division. Houston was led by twelfth-year head coach Guy Lewis

Guy Lewis

Guy Vernon Lewis II is a former NCAA basketball coach who led the University of Houston Cougars program for 30 years from 1956-86.-Coaching career:...

.

During the regular season, the Elvin Hayes

Elvin Hayes

Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...

-fronted Cougars team would beat the Lew Alcindor

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...

-led UCLA Bruins on January 20, 1968, in what was known as the Game of the Century

Game of the Century (college basketball)

The Game of the Century in college basketball was a historical NCAA game between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins played on January 20, 1968 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was the first NCAA regular season game broadcast nationwide in prime time...

. Houston obtained a perfect 28–0 record for regular season play, and eventually finished with a 31–2 overall record. It was the first time in the program's history that at least 30 wins were achieved. The team finished as number one in both the AP Poll

AP Poll

The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...

 and the Coaches' Poll. The team was invited to the 1968 NCAA Men's University Division Basketball Tournament

1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1968, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Los Angeles, California...

, and finished as a semifinalist. It was the second Final Four

Final four

Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...

 appearance in Houston's history.

Following the season, Elvin Hayes was drafted into the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 by the San Diego Rockets

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...

 as the first overall draft pick in the 1968 NBA Draft

1968 NBA Draft

The 1968 NBA Draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 3, 1968 and May 8, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...

. Don Chaney

Don Chaney

Donald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.-Career as a player:...

 was also taken as the twelfth overall draft pick by the Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

.

Schedule

Houston's regular season included the notable Game of Century

Game of the Century (college basketball)

The Game of the Century in college basketball was a historical NCAA game between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins played on January 20, 1968 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was the first NCAA regular season game broadcast nationwide in prime time...

 against #1 UCLA. With an attendance of 52,693, the game had the highest attendance of any basketball game at any level at the time. It was also the first national broadcast of an NCAA basketball game in prime-time.

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!colspan=7|NCAA Division I Tournament

1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1968, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Los Angeles, California...

Roster

Team players drafted into the NBA

Round	Pick	Player	NBA Club
Elvin Hayes Elvin Hayes Elvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball...	1	1	San Diego Rockets
Don Chaney Don Chaney Donald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.-Career as a player:...	1	12	Boston Celtics