Charles Barkley saw his alma mater go down in the Final Four in 2025, with Auburn blowing a halftime lead to Florida and getting eliminated as the Hall of Famer watched helplessly.
Kenny Smith, on the other hand, was more enthusiastic after seeing Houston advance to the championship game, praising the Cougars' stunning comeback victory over Duke. Now, the Cougars are back in the Sweet 16 in 2026.
Smith has plenty of love for the city of Houston, but did he ever play for the Cougars?
Here's what you need to know about Smith's college career and his ties to the city of Houston.
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Did Kenny Smith play for Houston?
Smith did not play for Houston, but it should be no surprise that he was fired up about Houston's Final Four win over Duke. He played for North Carolina, bitter rival of the Blue Devils, and he spent some of his most productive NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets.
Smith played four seasons with the Tar Heels, earning All-American honors as a senior in 1987. Despite his success with one of the nation's most prominent programs, Smith never reached a Final Four. North Carolina was upset in the Sweet 16 in 1984 and Elite Eight in 1985 before suffering two more second-weekend exits between 1986 and 1987.
As Smith explained during coverage of this year's tournament, he memorably climbed a ladder and cut down the nets after winning a championship with the Rockets because he never got to do so in college.
Smith won back-to-back titles with the "Clutch City" Rockets, so he has a special connection with the city. After Houston's Final Four win, he bestowed that nickname on Kelvin Sampson's team.
"I’ve been blessed to be on two championship teams in Houston. We were called 'Clutch City.' We will bow down and take that off," Smith said during postgame coverage. "That is 'Clutch City.' They are the new 'Clutch City' in Houston."
Houston might not be Smith's alma mater, but the Cougars appear to be his adopted team for one more night.
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Kenny Smith college stats
Season Games PPG RPG APG SPG FG%
1983-84 23 9.1 1.7 5.0 1.2 51.9%
1984-85 36 12.3 2.6 6.5 1.8 51.8%
1985-86 34 12.0 2.2 6.2 1.5 51.6%
1986-87 34 16.9 2.2 6.1 1.5 50.2%
Career 127 12.9 2.2 6.0 1.5 51.2%
Smith played significant minutes in all four of his seasons at North Carolina, but he took on a much larger scoring role in his senior campaign, averaging 16.9 points per game and earning First-Team All-American honors.
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Kenny Smith NBA teams
Smith was drafted No. 6 overall by the Kings in 1987, but he spent his most memorable NBA seasons with the Rockets. Smith was a starter on both of the Rockets' back-to-back championship teams in the 1990s and lasted six years overall in Houston.
Here's Smith's career timeline in the NBA:
Smith still ranks sixth in Rockets history in assists, and he played alongside two Houston Cougars legends in Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
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