The excitement surrounding the University of Houston Men’s Basketball team (31-3) will spill in to downtown Houston on Friday (March 22) as Houston First, Avenida Houston, the University of Houston and KHOU co-host a watch party on the Plaza at Avenida Houston. The fun begins at 5 p.m., one hour before tipoff, and the public is invited to attend.
Outdoor seating and multiple screens carrying live coverage of the game will be set up in the plaza to feature the 11th-ranked Cougars’ first round game. As the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Regional, the Coogs face No. 14 seed Georgia State inside the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., at 6:20 p.m.
The fanfare on the Plaza at Avenida Houston will include UH cheerleaders and dance team, mascot Sasha, and members of the Spirit of Houston marching band. KHOU 11 anchor Jason Bristol and HTown Rush contributor and comedian Chinedu Ogu will emcee the festivities, and food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Avenida Houston is the boulevard that fronts the GRB, across from Discovery Green (1001 Avenida de las Americas in front of Hall C). For more information on the watch party, including parking options, visit here. The METRORail Purple Line also offers a quick 10-minte ride from UH to the Convention District.
This is the second consecutive season UH has been selected to the NCAA Tournament and the highest seed since the 1983-84 team plays as a No. 2 seed. The winner of Friday's first-round will face the winner of the (6) Iowa State vs. (11) Ohio State winner on Sunday with a berth to the Sweet 16 on the line.