Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson is angry following his team’s disappointing 78-65 loss to Kansas on Saturday. Sampson feels his team’s performance was so bad, just about anyone could have beaten them on that day.
“A blindfolded person would do better than we did,” Sampson said, per ESPN. “The day was all about the Kansas program, the tradition and Bill getting his team ready to play in this gym. I mean, the way they shot the ball you’d thought we lost by 30. We lost by 13.”
Houston basketball got an inspired performance from L.J. Cryer, who scored 24 points for the Cougars. J’Wan Roberts and Emanuel Sharp scored 11 points each. The team couldn’t get the stops it needed down the stretch, to keep up with Kansas. The Jayhawks made nine of their first 10 shots to start off strong and build a commanding halftime lead. Houston came into the game with the nation’s best scoring defense at 52.9 points per game allowed and had not allowed more than 72 points in a game all season, per ESPN.
“I didn’t anticipate getting off to that good to start,” Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said. Kansas’ offense scored one of its most powerful outputs of the season with the 78 points.
Houston basketball is having a strong season in its inaugural campaign in the Big 12 conference, despite the loss. The Cougars are now 19-3 on the season, and 6-3 in the conference. The team is near the top of the Big 12 standings and has been in the top 5 of the Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for most of the season.
Houston basketball next plays lowly Oklahoma State on Tuesday at home.
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