UH expects a run, not a one-and-done, from long-awaited chance
WICHITA, Kan. — After 33 games, University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson does not need to tell his team anything they don’t already know. No long-winded speeches. No elaborate stories about what it’s like to be in the NCAA Tournament. The message is simple. “Let’s go win the game,” Sampson said as the sixth-seeded Cougars play 11th-seeded San Diego State on Thursday night in a firstround game at In-trust Bank Arena.
UH (26-7) has not won an NCAA Tournament game since Phi Slama Jama beat Virginia 49-47 in overtime in the 1984 national semifinals. Since then, the Cougars have gone 0-4 in four NCAA appearances.
“It’s hard to win a game when you haven’t been in a tournament,” Sampson said.
Some experts believe this not only could be the year the Cougars finally get a win but also could shake up the bracket in an open West Regional. Sports Illustrated calls the Cougars a “dark horse” in the Tournament.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has UH as his Cinderella pick. A win over San Diego State likely would set up a secondround matchup against thirdseeded Michigan.
“They’re really good, and they’ll be around for two weekends,” Lunardi said of a possible run to the Sweet 16.
Otherwise, inside the UH locker room, there has been no talk about the 34-year gap between NCAA wins.
“It would mean a lot to the program and to the players,” senior forward Devin Davis said. “We’ve put in a lot of work since June and July to get to this moment, and we don’t feel like we’re done yet.”
Said senior guard Rob Gray: “We’re looking to do a little bit more than that. We want to make a run, make some noise.”
Two 6-10 forwards to watch
While Sampson has been to the NCAA Tournament 14 times with four schools (Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana and UH), the Cougars do not have a player with any experience. In contrast, San Diego State has made the field seven times in the last nine years.
“In a sense, it could be an advantage that we don’t have anyone who’s played in a tournament because we’re all so excited to be here, and we’re confident in our abilities and energy,” Gray said.
Sampson spent the duration of Wednesday’s media session praising the Aztecs (22-10), who won the final nine games of the season to claim the Mountain West Conference’s automatic bid.
Scouting reports, Sampson said, consider 6-10 forward Malik Pope as a “potential lottery pick.” He put Pope and 6-10 forward Jalen McDaniels on par with anything the Cougars have seen in the American Athletic Conference. He cautioned about the size of the Aztecs’ wings, a matchup that has given the Cougars trouble at times.
“If you look at the two teams, we are the 11 seed,” Sampson said. “If you look at their players, look at ours. We’re 6-foot, 6-foot, 6-5. I just like their roster.”
What Sampson does not like is the seeding process in the 68team field. After the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, Sampson said “everybody is about the same as far as I’m concerned.
“You can take that seed and stick it in a black Hefty bag and throw it in the Canadian River. Seeds mean nothing.”
‘Trying to be remembered’
UH has enjoyed its best season in decades, with the 26 victories the most since the Phi Slama Jama days of the early 1980s. The Cougars climbed to No. 21 in the Associated Press poll late in the season, the highest since the 1983-84 squad finished fifth. They have yet to lose back-toback games, defeated a pair of top-10 teams (Cincinnati and Wichita State) and came within a late foul and turnover of winning the AAC tournament title.
The Cougars are one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning 12 of their last 15 games.
“Regardless of what happens, this has been a great, great year for Cougar basketball,” Sampson said. “More importantly, the future looks really good.”
Sophomore guard Armoni Brooks said the Cougars aren’t done yet.
“It’s either be remembered or be forgotten,” he said. “We’re trying to be remembered.”