Kelvin Sampson shares plan for players after brutal 0-3
For the third straight time, Houston faced a ranked team, and the exhaustion of battling strong opponents showed as the team lost to Kansas, 69-56, at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday.
The No. 5 Cougars had a strong start against the No. 14 Jayhawks. But they chipped away in the second half, and Kansas seized the opportunity to complete the upset win.
Houston suffered its third straight loss and fell to 23-5, including 11-4 in the Big 12. The Cougars also bowed out to No. 4 Iowa and No. 2 Arizona, marking the first time they’ve had a three-game skid since 2017.
Coach of Houston Kelvin Sampson tipped his hat to Kansas’ performance and he offered no great excuses. However, he noted that his players now hit after going through the gauntlet, as reported by Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.
“What they need right now is rest. Our guys are beat up,” Sampson said.
Sampson, 70, said he was proud of his players’ efforts during their busy schedule and remained steadfast on the impact of their losing streak.
“These three games, even though we lost them, it’s not the end of the world,” added Sampson.
Houston shot just 38% from the field against Kansas, and the Kingston Flemings were the only player to score in double figures with 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting.
While there could be concerns about the Cougars’ rising performance heading into the NCAA Tournament, it would be foolish to count them out, especially with an experienced mentor like Sampson at the helm.
He’s seen it all in decades of coaching, and a three-game slide won’t stop the Cougars, who are looking to get back to the national championship game.
Houston will have a few days to recover before returning to action against Colorado on Saturday.
2026-02-24 06:14:00
