Former University City High basketball star Hasan Houston passed away on March 24 in San Jose, CA. He was 55 years old. Houston had been in failing health for a number of years.
Houston was a three-sport standout at U. City during the 1970’s, but he really made his mark as one of the area’s top basketball players. A strong 6’2” guard, Houston was considered one of the elite scorers in the history of St. Louis prep basketball.
Whether it was in the gyms at U. City High, Allen Field House in Kansas, Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill, or the playgrounds of Eastgate Park in University City or the Pro-Am League’s in Chicago or on the West Coast, Houston’s game reached legendary status.
In a Facebook tribute to his late friend, former U. City teammate Kelvin Peterson described Houston as “One of the best basketball players ever to come out of St. Louis; with New York handles and a St. Louis jump shot.”
As a senior at U. City in 1976, Houston averaged 31 points a game. He earned St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro, St. Louis Globe Democrat All-District and All-State honors for his tremendous scoring prowess. He once scored 55 points in a single game in high school.
“He had real street-cred because he did it everywhere he went,” said Peterson. “It wasn’t just at University City High. He went everywhere in the city and dominated against the best players. He had that swag about him which made him a great player. He was also a great competitor who hated to lose. He had all the moves. He made the game look easy.”
Houston also earned a scholarship to the University of Kansas, where he spent the first year of his collegiate career before transferring to Bradley University after the 1978 season.
At Bradley, Houston joined forces with another former St. Louis area prep star, David Thirdkill from Soldan, to lead the Braves to the Missouri Valley Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 1980. Houston averaged 9.9 points a game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line in helping the Braves to a 23-10 record.
As a senior in 1981, Houston averaged 11.1 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 83 percent from free throw line in helping the Braves to an 18-9 record.
Houston was a fifth-round draft selection of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association in 1981. Houston also received a free agent tryout from the Chicago Bears of the National Football League although he did not play college football.
On January 20, 2012, Houston received a special honor from his high school alma mater as University City’s renamed its basketball court Hasan Houston Court in a special Court Dedication ceremony. On that same night, a ceremony was also held for Houston’s high school coach, Ed Crenshaw, whom the gym was named in honor of.
Services for Hasan Houston were held on March 29 at the Church on the Hill in San Jose, CA.