Kelvin Sampson’s Comments After Houston’s NCAA Tournament Win vs. Gonzaga
The top-seeded Houston Cougars held off a strong late surge from the 8-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs, securing an 81-76 victory in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Wichita, Kansas.
Houston never trailed in the game and led by as many as 14 points in the first half. However, a stellar second-half performance from Gonzaga’s Graham Ike and key baskets from Ryan Nembhard brought the Bulldogs to within one point with under 30 seconds remaining. Ike scored 23 of his 27 points after halftime, and Nembhard finished with 10 points and 11 assists. The two combined for 16 straight points over six minutes, cutting the deficit to 77-74 with 38 seconds left. Despite struggling to score late, Houston held on, thanks to their defense, and secured their sixth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.
Here’s what Houston’s head coach had to say after the game:
On his relationship with Mark Few and their journey in coaching: “I didn’t see that all those years ago when Mark and I were starting out. I didn’t even know what the Hall of Fame was back then. I was a head coach at 31, and you can imagine who turned that job down before they got to me,” Sampson said with a chuckle. “Mark’s still the same humble guy he was back then. We both started on the Palouse, and I’m proud of that. I’m proud of where I came from in Montana and southeastern Washington, just a few miles from Idaho’s campus. It’s amazing where we’ve both ended up, and none of it would be possible without our wives. Mark would be the first to tell you that.”
On why it was hard for Houston to pull away from Gonzaga: “First off, Gonzaga didn’t miss a single free throw, going 15-of-15. That’s a tough combination when you’re already playing a great team. As for Gonzaga, I think they’re one of the top teams in the country, probably the eighth or ninth best. They should have never been seeded where they were. I get the analytical side, but the eye test matters too. We’ve played in the Big 12 with teams like Kansas and Iowa State, and Gonzaga is just as good as anyone we’ve faced. Ike, Huff, Nembhard—they’ve got great players. Had they been seeded differently, they could’ve made a deep run, maybe even to the Final Four. But let’s give them credit—they kept fighting and didn’t make it easy for us.”
On his respect for Gonzaga’s program and Khalif Battle’s decision to join the Zags: “There are two great cultures in college basketball—Gonzaga and Houston. That’s why Gonzaga has made so many Sweet 16 appearances. Their program is amazing, and I have so much respect for them. This is our sixth trip to the Sweet 16, and I hope people don’t take that for granted. Both programs are built on high-character players who care more about winning than individual stats.”
“Regarding Khalif Battle, we faced him when he was at Temple, and I admire his decision to go to Gonzaga. It shows that winning matters to him. A lot of players transfer because they want more shots or touches, but not everyone cares about winning. When Battle chose Gonzaga, it showed maturity and a focus on winning, and he’s going to benefit from that. Those tears he had at the end of the game showed how much it meant to him. We’ve been on the other side of this before, losing to Duke last year, but we’re proud of our guys. Gonzaga is a great program and will be back.”
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