Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson is fired up. His team just won the regular season in the Big 12 conference, as a first-year member of the league. The Cougars are also a no. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and Sampson is trying to make the most of it.
“We’re going to ride this train as far as it goes,” Sampson said, per the Houston Chronicle. “Anybody can lose a game in this tournament, but we’re sure as hell not scared of it.”
FIRST ROUND MATCHUP FOR THE COOGS
Houston basketball is taking on the no. 16 seed Longwood, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Longwood is the conference champion of the Big South Conference. Sampson says Longwood is a very good team, led by guard Johnathan Massie. Massie is averaging 11 points and five rebounds this season.
“You never know what he’s going to do. He’s a problem,” Sampson added.
Houston basketball has revenge on their mind, after getting blown out by Iowa State in the Big 12 Conference Tournament championship game. The Cougars are 30-4 on the season, after finishing the regular season with a 15-3 conference record. It was a mostly seamless transition for the school to the Big 12 from the AAC this season. Houston joined Cincinnati, BYU and UCF as new members of the Big 12.
Sampson is trying to get Houston back to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. Sampson has now led the Cougars to March Madness six times in his tenure. He joined the school in 2014. He also coached at Washington State, Indiana, Oklahoma and Montana Tech.
Houston basketball plays Longwood on Friday at 9:20 Eastern.
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