After a run to the finals, Forever Coogs look to build on that and win it all in year 2.
As of now, being the runner-up has solidly positioned Forever Coogs. Forever Coogs is a team primarily composed of University of Houston alums and is receiving a first-round bye. The team doesn’t have home-field advantage this year as they have been forced to play in Wichita. The culture in Houston remains one of the strongest in college basketball. Last year, this team beat Austin’s Own, Once a Bronco, Challenge ALS, Team Colorado, and Eberlein Drive before losing to Carmen’s Crew.
Last year, the team scored 70 points in every game except the championship game. On that same note, Forever Coogs struggled offensively in the final game. With the second-lowest field goal percentage, but the fewest made shots, and its lowest 3-point percentage. However, the team was able to battle back with an outstanding performance from the free throw line, where it missed only one in the championship game. Forever Coogs will have more time to bond, learn the other players’ games, and help those whom Kelvin Sampson didn’t coach to set player expectations.
From last year’s Forever Coogs team, two key contributors return, including the team’s by far leading scorer, Rob Gray, and a top-three scorer, Devin Davis. This team also returns Eric Weary and Devonta Pollard. Forever Coogs has added some additional offensive weapons and recent graduates, including Kevin Cross, Mylik Wilson, and Tre King. The team also has a grinder in the G-League in Galen Robinson.
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Roster:
- Brandon Morris (Houston)
- Caleb Mills (Houston)
- Devin Davis (Indiana & Houston)
- Devonta Pollard (Houston)
- Eric Weary Jr (Houston)
- Galen Robinson (Houston)
- Jeremy Hollimon (Troy)
- Kevin Cross (Nebraska & Tulane)
- Mylik Wilson (Louisiana, Texas Tech, & Houston)
- Nijal Pearson (Texas State)
- Rob Gray (Houston)
- Tre King (Iowa State)
Coaching Staff:
- Matthew McDonald (Head Coach)
- Sean Fasoyiro (Assistant Coach)
Region: Wichita
All-time Record: 5-1
First Matchup: BYE (second round game to be played July 20 at 7 p.m. EST)
Aftershocks MVP: Rob Gray
Watching this player in college and now in TBT, he still sits on top as one of my most hated players. Rob Gray is exceptionally talented and, at his size, remains a baller as he doubled the next best scorer on the Forever Coogs team last year. He scored 110 points in his six games, which ranked him first in TBT play.
Gray has this never-ending confidence that makes him a shooter. He shot 48.3% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range in TBT play. Gray limited the other teams’ chances by pulling in almost five rebounds a game and handing out just over three assists a game. He also helps defensively by picking pockets, as he led all players in TBT in steals with 11. An area he could improve is turnovers, where Gray turned the ball over 17 times. He carried these skills to Italy, where he averaged 21.1 points per game in 21 games.
Make-or-break Player: Kevin Cross
Cross is a recent graduate of Tulane. He is a basketball player and wants to play. Since graduating, Cross has primarily played in the G-League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In his 38 games, he averaged 6.3 points per game. This doesn’t sound impressive, however, he played in Tijuana in April 2025 for ten games, where he had an impressive showing. While here, he rediscovered his form; in these ten games, he averaged 16.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
More importantly, Cross shot 57.4% from within the arc and 36.8% from beyond the arc. If he can bring the style of play he had in Tijuana, he could be a massive boost as a wing player, where he thrived. There was a reason why Cross was so impressive in the AAC. Having a player who can stretch defenses and be a dominant force inside, he is well-positioned to be a dominant player. However, his professional play is very much a rollercoaster, and if that happens in a game, Forever Coogs will utilize the Houston mentality of ‘next man up.’
Team Outlook
The element of surprise was a massive boost last year for Forever Coogs. This year, this team will get every other TBT team’s best shot. Last year, Forever Coogs gained rare TBT experience playing an unprecedented six games. Regardless of who wins in Wichita, the team will likely visit either Louisville or Lexington.
Forever Coogs are no strangers to being underdogs and taking down an experienced team. This team loves to play the spoiler and has its sights set on a championship. Can anyone stop them? Only time will tell.