Houston coach Kelvin Sampson offered great praise on Gonzaga after NCAA Tournament win

How big was Houston’s NCAA Tournament win on Saturday over Gonzaga? After the game, Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson put it into perspective.

For much of the second half, it looked as though Houston would come away with a relatively easy win, as the Cougars carried an 11-point lead into the final 2:30 of the game. But a late charge brought the Bulldogs to within a point, with 21 seconds remaining. Thanks to some late defense and big free throws down the stretch, Houston prevailed.

During an on-court interview following the game, Sampson put respect for Gonzaga into words.

“Let’s stop and congratulate Mark Few and Gonzaga for what they’ve accomplished,” Sampson said. “They’ve been such a shining light for basketball programs and basketball coaches for a long, long time. There’s nobody I respect more than Mark Few and there’s not a basketball program I respect more than Gonzaga. We beat a hell of a program tonight. That makes it even more significant.”

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson had nothing but good things to say about Gonzaga.

“There’s nobody I respect more than Mark Few and there’s not a basketball program I respect more than Gonzaga.”#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/3s3s3GvZlb

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 23, 2025

That came just moments after Sampson, while congratulating all of the Bulldogs on a good season, embraced Gonzaga senior Khalif Battle, who was emotional after the loss.

Moments earlier, while congratulating the Gonzaga players on their season, Sampson had a long embrace with Gonzaga senior Khalif Battle. pic.twitter.com/xAPLk7ayAg

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 23, 2025