Kelvin Sampson earned praise from Tommy Lloyd following the No. 2 Houston Cougars' loss to the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.
Sampson and Lloyd have been fellow colleagues as head coaches in the Big 12 Conference for two seasons. The former brought Houston from the American Conference to the Big 12 in 2023, while the latter transitioned Arizona from the Pac 12 to the Big 12 in 2024.
In that short amount of time, both coaches got to learn things about one another whenever the Cougars and Wildcats faced each other. The experiences are one that made a significant impact on Lloyd, which he explained after his team's win over the No. 2 Cougars.
“I don't know what my coaching career's going to end up at. But I do know one thing. I've become a better coach coaching against Kelvin Sampson. One hundred percent. You look at coaches that kind of set the benchmark,” Lloyd said, per reporter Chris Baldwin.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd after win over Houston: "I don't know what my coaching career's going to end up at. But I do know one thing. I've become a better coach coaching against Kelvin Sampson. One hundred percent. You look at coaches that kind of set the benchmark." pic.twitter.com/SYYTwfTyvo
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) February 21, 2026
How Kelvin Sampson, Houston performed against Arizona
It's clear that Tommy Lloyd is grateful for the opportunity to coach against Kelvin Sampson, the latter being one of the most experienced in college basketball. Getting a win over him in Arizona's latest duel against Houston was the cherry on top for the fifth-year coach.
Three players scored in double-digits for Houston in the loss. Kingston Flemings led the way with a stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He shot 6-of-17 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Emanuel Sharp came next with 14 points and three rebounds, Chris Cenac Jr. put up 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Milos Uzan provided nine points and three assists.
Houston fell to a 23-4 overall record this season, going 11-3 in its Big 12 matchups so far. They go down to the second spot in the conference standings, being above the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas Jayhawks while trailing the No. 4 Wildcats.
The No. 2 Cougars will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They are due for a big contest as they face the No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks on Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. ET.
