Houston MBB HC Kelvin Sampson Joins Big 12 Today!

Houston Coach Kelvin Sampson joined Big 12 Today to discuss various aspects of his Houston Cougars basketball program. He began by talking about how his freshmen are developing in today’s basketball climate. While noting that freshmen today are different from those in the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, he explained that the main factor influencing this change is the landscape of NIL, although overall, players haven’t changed much over time.

Coach Sampson shared insights into his recruitment process, emphasizing that his team evaluates whether they want to coach a particular player, and he leaves everything on the table to see if the players make the choice to join Houston. He credited his players and their parents for choosing his program, acknowledging the importance of that trust.

He also discussed how the Big 12 has evolved since his days at Oklahoma. He described the conference as being extremely tough from top to bottom and highlighted the importance of handling losses well. According to him, losing isn’t the end of the world—what matters is how players prepare for the next game and grow from setbacks.

Coach Sampson also highlighted key veterans on his team, such as Emmanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan, and spoke about the unique pulse each player brings to the team, contributing to its overall chemistry and resilience.

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