INDIANAPOLIS — For Kelvin Sampson, some of his life’s best and worst moments have happened here in Indiana. Add another chapter to his complicated relationship with the state.
On Sunday afternoon, he coached the University of Houston to its second Final Four in five seasons. Both trips were the result of Elite Eight victories in Lucas Oil Stadium. The top-seeded Cougars (34-4) dismantled No. 2 Tennessee 69-50 to win the Midwest Region in front of a mostly pro-Volunteer crowd of 18,567. No one could have predicted this dominance. But by the end, the smallest fanbase in Indianapolis felt the most joy.
“The Purdue game was kind of like a road game,” said Sampson, whose team held the Volunteers to 28.8-percent shooting. “Tennessee game was kind of like a road game, too, with their fans, but our kids are kind of calloused to that and so kudos to them. Really proud of this bunch.”
The continued success of what Sampson has built is in sharp contrast to Sampson’s previous college employer, Indiana University. The Hoosiers have been mostly listless following Sampson’s exit in February 2008. Two weeks ago, Indiana hired its fourth coach since Sampson, who resigned under pressure due to NCAA recruiting violations involving improper telephone calls and received a five-year show-cause penalty.
Since returning to the college game after a stint in the NBA as an assistant, the 69-year-old is at the top of his coaching game. Would anyone call this redemption? Maybe not. Call this a celebration.
“Seventh heaven for Houston! The Cougars advance to their seventh Final Four, and hoping this trip brings them their first title!” – Andrew Catalon 🏀🎙️#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/mGMQWdHoPG
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 30, 2025
Houston enters the Final Four on a 17-game winning streak, not having lost since Feb. 1 against Texas Tech, 82-21. Its impressive record could be even better. Three of its four defeats have come in overtime. Their reward for advancing is a date with fellow No. 1 seed Duke (35-3) in Saturday’s national semifinals in San Antonio. This is a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 matchup won by the Blue Devils in an upset.
If Houston plays defense like it did Sunday, the Cougars could return the favor. What they did to Tennessee was stunning and unprecedented. In taking a 34-15 halftime lead, they held the Volunteers to the lowest-scoring first half by a top-2 seed in tournament history. For a tactician like Sampson, this must have been extremely satisfying. Houston needed a late clutch basket by Milos Uzan to squeeze by Purdue on Friday. On Sunday, his players executed his game plan almost flawlessly.
“That’s what we do.,” said Emanuel Sharp, the region’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 14 of his 16 points in the second half. “We’re a great defensive team, and that’s how we like to set the tone of the game, on the defensive end. I think when we come out with the right intensity, we’re a hard team to beat.”
This will be Sampson’s third Final Four as he tries for his first national championship. He reached there in 2002 as the coach of Oklahoma, where he lost in the semifinals to Indiana, coached by Mike Davis. Five years later, he was hired by the Hoosiers to replace Mike Davis. Two years later, he was essentially fired.
YOUR MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS: THE HOUSTON COUGARS 🏆#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/xhrwf5zMG3
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 30, 2025
From an Indiana point of view, there’s no doubt that the Hoosiers made the right call. The university has historically made NCAA compliance a point of emphasis, more than most schools. Still, there has to be a sense of ‘what if.’
In the Sampson-Indiana divorce, he has been the clear-cut winner.
