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Get to know the UH Cougars basketball team

Meet the team that will take on the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday.

HOUSTON — The University of Houston Cougars, a Final Four team last season, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament with a 68-53 win Sunday over Illinois.

The fifth-seeded Cougars (31-5) are making another serious run at a national title despite losing their two best players to season-ending injuries. Now, with a trio of transfers and a defense with some serious teeth, they're headed home to Texas for the next round — in San Antonio, against top-seeded Arizona.

Here's a look at the players who led the Cougars to this position.

#35 - Fabian White Jr. - forward

Credit: AP
Houston forward Fabian White Jr. (35) reacts after a foul call during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Cincinnati in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

White is listed at 230 pounds and is from Atascocita, Texas. He's a 6-foot-8-inch grad student who has won numerous awards during his five seasons with the Cougars. Last year, White Jr. was expected to sit out the season after tearing his ACL during a workout, but he made a complete recovery a little under nine months and was able to return to help propel the Cougars to a Final Four appearance.

2021-22 stats

  • 12 points per game
  • 6 rebounds per game
  • 1.3 assists per game

#1 - Jamal Shead - guard

Credit: AP
Houston's Jamal Shead (1) brings the ball down court against Illinois during the first half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Shead is listed at 190 pounds and is from Manor, Texas. He's a 6-foot-1-inch tall sophomore who played more than 28 minutes per game this season and nearly 10 minutes per game during his freshman season.

2021-22 stats

  • 9.3 points per game
  • 5.3 assists per game
  • 2.7 rebounds per game

#4 - Taze Moore - guard

Credit: AP
Houston 's Taze Moore plays during the first half of a college basketball game against Illinois in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Moore is listed at 195 pounds and is from Southaven, Mississippi. He's a 6-foot-5-inch graduate student who has had a number of surgeries on his leg. He transferred from the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners after leading the team in scoring in the 2020-21 season.

2021-22 stats

  • 9 points per game
  • 4.9 rebounds per game
  • 2.6 assists per game

#11 - Kyler Edwards - guard

Credit: AP
Houston 's Kyler Edwards (11) plays during the first half of a college basketball game against Illinois in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Edwards is listed at 205 pounds and is from Arlington, Texas. He's a 6-foot-4-inch senior who played high school basketball at a prep school in Nevada. Edwards played his freshman, sophomore and junior years at Texas Tech before transferring to UH. He chose the Cougars over UT and LSU.

2021-22 stats

  • 13.8 points per game
  • 5.7 rebounds per game
  • 2.7 assists per game

#25 - Josh Carlton - forward/center

Credit: AP
Houston forward Josh Carlton (25) runs down the court during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Cincinnati in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Carlton is listed at 245 pounds and is from Winterville, North Carolina. He's a 6-foot-10-inch graduate student who transferred to UH from UConn ahead of the 2021-22 season. He was a three-year starter at UConn. He played his high school ball at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Maryland.

2021-22 stats

  • 11.7 points per game
  • 6.3 rebounds per game
  • 1 assist per game

#32 - Reggie Chaney - forward

Credit: AP
Houston's Reggie Chaney (32) reacts after a Fabian White Jr. basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Cincinnati, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Chaney is listed at 230 pounds and is from Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He's a 6-foot-8-inch senior who played two seasons with the Arkansas Razorbacks before transferring to UH before his junior season. He played at the same prep school in Nevada as Edwards.

2021-22 stats

  • 4.2 points per game
  • 2.5 rebounds per game

#13 - J'Wan Roberts - forward

Credit: AP
Houston forward J'wan Roberts (13) shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Cincinnati in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Roberts is listed at 230 pounds and is from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He's a 6-foot-7-inch redshirt sophomore. He was a three-star recruit who was also recruited by Oklahoma, Baylor, St. John’s, Sam Houston State, Texas A&M and Seton Hall.

2021-22 stats

  • 2.5 points per game
  • 4.8 rebounds per game

#3 - Ramon Walker Jr. - guard

Credit: AP
Houston guard Ramon Walker Jr. (3) plays during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Cincinnati, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Walker Jr. is listed at 210 pounds. He's a 6-foot-4-inch freshman from Pearland, Texas. He played his high school ball at Shadow Creek High School. As a senior in high school, he received the Guy V. Lewis Award as Houston's top high school player.

2021-22 stats

  • 3.3 points per game
  • 2.5 rebounds per game

Head coach - Kelvin Sampson

Credit: AP
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson celebrates cutting the net after Houston became American Athletic Conference regular season champions after an NCAA college basketball game between Houston and Temple Thursday, March 3, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Justin Rex)

Sampson is from Pembroke, N.C. He took the helm at UH on April 3, 2014, becoming the program's ninth head coach. Sampson is one of only 15 coaches in NCAA history to lead four or more schools to the NCAA Tournament.

"In only seven seasons at Houston, Sampson is the only coach in school history to lead the Cougars to five, six consecutive 20-win seasons and became the second-winningest coach in program history during the 2020-21 season. He already ranks as the school’s career leader with a .723 winning percentage," according to the UH website.

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