Kelvin Sampson Articles - Page 2

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson provided his stance on the season-ending injuries of collegiate stars JT Toppin and Richie Saunders. Toppin tore his ACL in the Texas Tech Red Raiders’ matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was performing at a high level as he was on pace for National Player of the […]

It has been an up-and-down season so far for UCLA Basketball. On Saturday, the Bruins experienced another down, as UCLA lost by 30-points to Michigan, and head coach Mick Cronin was critical of his players after the game. Losing the game and ripping his players was not the only thing Cronin did on Saturday; he […]

It was a top ten matchup on Monday night in the Big 12 as Houston visited Iowa State. Iowa State took the victory, 70-67. As Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson prepared his squad for their next game, some people were still dwelling on the loss. One of those people with some dissatisfaction around the game […]

Houston basketball remains firmly in the national spotlight, and head coach Kelvin Sampson made it clear his program will not dwell on a narrow loss to Iowa State. After the No. 2 Cougars fell 70-67 on the road to the No. 6 Cyclones inside Hilton Coliseum, the focus quickly shifted to the Arizona Wildcats and […]

Houston basketball once again demonstrated why Kelvin Sampson’s program is among the most respected in Big 12 basketball. Even after a narrow 70-67 road loss to Iowa State, Sampson delivered a composed and gracious response that reflected the culture he has built in Houston. The No. 2 Cougars watched a late lead slip away inside […]

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson didn’t hold back on who stands tall as the best player in the Big 12 conference. Sampson has been coaching the Cougars since 2014, shining as one of the elite coaches in all of college basketball. He is coming off an incredible campaign last season where he was seconds […]

Following an Arizona loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, the Houston basketball team is now solely in first place in the Big 12 conference standings. Houston controls their own destiny when it comes to locking up the no. 1 seed in the upcoming Big 12 tournament. The Cougars have to next play at Iowa State, […]

Houston basketball has established itself as a college basketball power in recent years, and Kelvin Sampson and company are proving it once again in 2025-26. The Cougars sit near the top of the Big 12 again with a little less than a month to go in the regular season, cementing their spot as an elite […]

Kelvin Sampson delivered a foreshadowing message on the Houston Cougars’ approach to recruiting players in the future. Sampson has been the Cougars’ coach since 2014, elevating the program to a firm status of national contention. He recently led them to the national championship game last season, falling to the Florida Gators in heartbreaking fashion. His […]

Houston basketball is facing a rare and uncomfortable spotlight as financial reality collides with elite performance. Recruiting budget concerns, mounting pressure on Kelvin Sampson, Big 12 economic disparities, and the broader college basketball recruiting crisis have become central to the conversation surrounding one of the nation’s most consistent programs. The Cougars entered the season as […]

Houston head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson believes his team is coming together at the right time following its win over Cincinnati. Specifically, Sampson likes how Cougars forward Joseph ‘JoJo’ Tugler has played recently, believing the junior is finally back in rhythm. Speaking to reporters after the game, Sampson said he believes Tugler’s defensive “timing” is […]

Houston is one of the top teams in the Big 12 this season. Over the weekend, Houston fell to Texas Tech and needed to rebound against TCU. They did just that, but it was not a comfortable victory for the Cougars. Regardless, Kelvin Sampson was proud of how his team played against the Horned Frogs. […]

As No. 6 Houston basketball fell to JT Toppin and the No. 12 Texas Tech Raiders on Saturday, 90-86, it garnered the reaction of Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson. Despite Houston basketball freshman Kingston Flemings scoring 42 points, it still resulted in a loss to the Red Raiders, and Sampson isn’t making any excuses for […]

Despite an absurd 42-point night from star freshman Kingston Flemings, Houston suffered its second loss of the 2025-2026 college basketball season to Texas Tech on Saturday. According to head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars’ poor rebounding effort led to their downfall. The game was not a typical Houston basketball outing, with the Cougars allowing a […]

The 2025 Houston basketball season has not been as dominant as in the past, but they are still playing extremely well. Houston is 16-1 and is coming off a dominant win over West Virginia at home, 77-48. The key for the Cougars this season is their freshmen, mainly Kingston Flemings in the backcourt and Chris […]

Texas Tech is having a great season, sitting at 11-3 on the season. That includes a comeback victory for Texas Tech over Duke. They will next face Houston on Tuesday night, and Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson is preparing for a Darrion Williams clone with the Red Raiders. Sampson noted that Texas Tech has done […]

The Houston Cougars continued their solid start to the season following their 67-60 win against Cincinnati on Saturday. Houston improved to 13-1 on the season, and 1-0 in Big 12 Conference play. But following the game, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson explained that he did something in the game that wasn’t very smart, as per […]

Houston basketball is trying to rebound from a gut-wrenching loss in the national championship game last season and get head coach Kelvin Sampson that elusive ring. Sampson’s Houston teams have become known over the years for their defensive prowess and physicality, but the Cougars have a bit of a different feel in 2025-26. Houston has […]

The Houston basketball team put together an impressive performance Saturday to defeat Arkansas. Despite the result, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson thinks the Razorbacks have what it takes to win the always-tough SEC. “They’re going to get better and better. I think Arkansas has as good a chance as anybody to win the SEC this […]

The Tennessee Volunteers fell to the Kansas Jayhawks, 81-76, in the third place championship of the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. But prior to that loss, Tennessee came up with an impressive win against the Houston Cougars on Tuesday to reach the game against Kansas. Bishop Boswell played a key role in Tennessee’s […]

A season after reaching the NCAA Tournament national championship game, the Houston Cougars have once again looked like one of the better teams in the country during the early stages of the 2025-26 season. Houston is coming off a 2-1 finish at the Players Era tournament, and head coach Kelvin Sampson spoke about his mindset […]

On Tuesday, Houston basketball was in for a rude awakening when taking on Tennessee. In the end, the No. 3 Cougars were upset by the No.17 Volunteers, 76-73. Afterward, Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson heaped praise on Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell for his performance, per Ben McKee of 24/7 Sports. He played an integral role […]

Houston basketball has ridden its relentless defense to lasting prominence, taking control of the Big 12 Conference after arriving in 2023 and nearly winning its first-ever national championship last season. However, that physical style of play can leave the team at the officials’ mercy. Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson believes his squad did not get […]

The 2025 Houston basketball team has a lot of talent, but they need to find a way to be consistent and put it all together. That is mainly due to how well they have been recruiting lately. Syracuse almost came back and beat Houston after the Cougars nearly choked the game away. Houston managed to […]

The 2025 Houston basketball team has a chance to win the national title once again, with the Cougars loaded after falling just short in last year’s title game. They are also doing exceptionally well on the recruiting front, whether through the transfer portal or high school recruiting. They recently got a commitment from a four-star […]

After the national championship loss by the Houston basketball team, there is no doubt that the emotions were high in the locker room after the fact. While the game could be haunting to Houston basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson, he revealed what he told the team after the loss, which is no doubt a hard […]

Houston basketball came so close to winning a first-ever national title after seven Final Four tries. Now head coach Kelvin Sampson wants to beef the schedule up. His Cougars will walk into next season as the hunted in the Big 12 Conference. But Sampson is open to additional competition for the national title game runner-up. […]

After a big run to the championship game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Houston basketball has decided to reward head coach Kelvin Sampson, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. “Sources: Houston’s Kelvin Sampson has received a new four-year contract through the 2028-29 season. The deal keeps Sampson among the highest paid coaches in college […]

All eyes are on next season or Kelvin Sampson and Houston basketball after their heartbreaking loss in the national championship game against Florida. Sampson is still chasing that elusive title, and now everyone is waiting to see what the Houston roster will look like heading into next season as it looks to get back to […]

Despite a great season that will be forever remembered as one of the best in Houston basketball history, Kelvin Sampson and company are heading into the offseason with a sour taste in their mouths. Houston won the Big 12 Championship, both in the regular season and the conference tournament, and made a great run through […]

In the aftermath of the NCAA Final Four National Championship Game, which will haunt Houston’s basketball program seconds away from its first title, specific words that head coach Kelvin Sampson said ahead of the contest against the Florida basketball squad may have proven prophetic—and not in a way the Cougars prefer. “We’re probably more of an offensive rebound and […]

There’s no question that Houston basketball is still recovering from one of the most heartbreaking losses that you will ever see. Kelvin Sampson and company were just a play away from winning a national championship before falling to Florida 65-63 in the title game on Monday night in San Antonio. Such is life for every […]

Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson is acknowledging how tough it is to lose a national championship. The Cougars nearly defeated Florida but came up just one shot short Monday, in a 65-63 loss. “There’s a lot of teams that are not built for six straight wins,” Sampson said, per ESPN. “This team was, this team […]

Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars lost 65-63 to the Florida Gators in brutal fashion throughout the championship game of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Having led by double digits in the second half, they gave up a run from the Gators, who took the last lead of the game in the final minute. The Cougars […]

Every classic game at the end of a playoff or tournament game comes with two vastly different perspectives. On Monday night, Florida basketball is ecstatic after knocking off Houston 65-63 in an epic national championship game, but the Cougars are understandably devastated. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson, who has done an excellent job with this […]

The national championship game is over as Florida took down the Houston basketball team on Monday night in San Antonio. It was an outstanding game that came down to the wire, and it ended in disappointment for the Cougars. Houston had the lead for almost the entire game, but Florida found a way to get […]

A Florida basketball team that rolled through the back half of the SEC and dominated the SEC Tournament didn’t have that same level of dominance in the NCAA Tournament. But it had heart. Florida came from behind in the second half for the fourth time in the tournament to knock off Houston 65-63 in the […]

Ahead of Florida’s matchup with Houston in the National Championship Game, Todd Golden is not concerned with the basketball coaching experience gap between himself and Kelvin Sampson. While recognizing the 30-year age difference between them, Golden simply believes his team is the best in the NCAA Tournament. Neither team has much time to prepare for […]

Houston basketball waited since April 2, 1984 to see the Cougars return to the national championship game. UH now gets the chance to bring back the program’s first-ever title Monday night in San Antonio. But a deep Florida teams awaits them inside the Alamo Dome. Houston is far different looking from its famed Phi Slamma […]