Houston’s Kelvin Sampson Reflects on Close Win Ahead of Tennessee Rematch

LAS VEGAS — After narrowly defeating Syracuse 78-74 in overtime, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson emphasized the need for focus as his team prepares for a crucial rematch against Tennessee on Tuesday. Sampson dismissed the idea that his team’s recent performance stemmed from looking ahead to the upcoming game.

“We’re not good enough to look ahead,” Sampson stated after the overtime thriller. “You saw the way we played [Monday]. I see it every day. Some days we’re better than others. This is not last year’s team. I’m not saying they can’t be eventually, but they’re certainly not now.”

Houston’s win against Syracuse marked a significant challenge, especially as the Orange mounted an 11-0 run in the final minutes of regulation, just missing a potential victory despite standout performances from several Cougars players. Houston’s leading scorers this season, who both scored 26 points against Syracuse, faced obstacles but managed to secure the win.

Sampson pointed to the youth of his roster as a contributing factor to the team’s inconsistency. The Cougars welcomed a highly regarded recruiting class this season, with three top-25 recruits, but the trio collectively shot just 7-for-22 against Syracuse.

Frustration was evident on the court when Sampson slammed a clipboard during a timeout, acknowledging the struggle to defeat strong teams while making fundamental errors. “It is hard to beat any really good team,” he said. “It’s hard to beat them when you’re making silly mistakes.”

Despite the challenges, Sampson expressed a desire to shift the conversation towards the commendable efforts of Syracuse. “Let’s give credit to coach Adrian Autry and let’s give credit to Syracuse. His kids played hard. They played good enough to win,” he said. “We played good enough to win, too, and I’m glad we did, but I was impressed with Syracuse tonight.”

After the game, Autry indicated that although his team fell short, they would not consider the performance a “moral victory” as they prepare to face Kansas. He praised his team’s toughness despite missing leading scorer Freeman.

As the focus now shifts to the matchup with Tennessee, Sampson noted the significance of this week’s games for both teams as they prepare for Selection Sunday. “One thing about all the teams here, whether you play good or you don’t play good, those experiences are important,” he said. “So it’s important to have good experiences, but it’s also important to have experiences where maybe you don’t play so well.”