Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars are going home after getting eliminated from the 2022 NCAA Tournament by Jay Wright's Villanova Wildcats in the Elite Eight round. The Cougars lost to Villanova to the tune of a 50-44 score, a massive letdown performance for a team that was coming off a stunning upset victory over a No. 1 seed in the form of the Arizona Wildcats.

It was a frustrating loss for Houston, to say the least, that Sampson had to reflect upon following the contest.

Via Jeff Borzello of ESPN:

Kelvin Sampson: “I'm disappointed we lost, I'm not disappointed in anything else … Teams that cry, care. There were a lot of tears in that locker room … I knew it was going to take a good team to beat us, and a good team did. That was two great cultures out there tonight.”

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What makes the loss more painful for Houston was the sudden disappearance of their offense that had been clicking in the previous games in the tournament. Against Arizona, the Cougars had  55.0 eFG%. In the Elite Eight, Houston went just 17/57 from the field and was an atrocious 1/20 from behind the arc. Only one Houston player scored in double figures. Credit should also go to Villanova's defense that made the Cougars bleed for their points. The Wildcats are a top 30 team in terms of opponents' 3-point shooting percentage and it showed in the win over Houston.

Despite falling short again, what the Cougars have done over the past few seasons remain admirable. They have made the NCAA Tournament four times in five seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2021 — all under Sampson's watch.

As for the Villanova Wildcats, it will be awaiting the result of the Elite Eight matchup between Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks and the Miami Hurricanes of Jim Larranaga on Sunday.