As the Illinois Fighting Illini upset the Houston basketball team on Thursday night in the Sweet 16, 65-55, the Cougars are left to reflect after another disappointing exit from the 2026 NCAA tournament. With the speculation around Houston basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson's retirement, he would also speak about the loss and what led to it.
There was no denying that the best aspect of the Fighting Illini was their defense in stifling the Cougars on offense, holding them to a 22-point first half and a 33-point second half, not enough to catch Illinois. Sampson would double down on their offense being an issue, saying it “never found traction.”
“If you told me we would have held them to 65, I would have thought we’d be good. Our offense never found traction,” Sampson said, according to SportsTalk 790.
Houston basketball's Kelvin Sampson on being “proud” after the loss
In the loss, the Houston basketball shot 34 percent from the field and 28 percent from beyond the arc, as they were also out-rebounded by Illinois, 43-34.
“I’m proud of the way our team fought. We really thought we could win this game….credit to Illinois. They’re a good team. But Houston is a good team, too,” Sampson said.
“We’d all like to win. We really thought we could win this game. That’s what happens when you have two good teams play each other. One team is going to win, and one is going to lose. I’m sad for my kids, but credit to Illinois,” Sampson continued.
It was no doubt a major upset in the March Madness tournament, as besides the Cougars and the Fighting Illini being the two and three-seeds, respectively, in the South Region, it was different in terms of the actual rankings. Houston was No. 5 in the nation, while Illinois was No. 13, as the Cougars will no doubt be hungry next season to overcome the disappointment.
