Florida and Walter Clayton Jr. deserve more credit than Kelvin Sampson is giving them

Say what you want about the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament, but the Final Four was one for the college basketball record books. All four No. 1 seeds made the cut to San Antonio, and all four of those teams played their hearts out.

Of course, the best game was saved for last, with the Florida Gators taking on the Houston Cougars with the National Championship on the line. The Cougars were in control for much of the night, even leading by as many as 12 points in the second half, but the Gators steamrolled their way back, and won the title thanks in large part to one of the greatest defensive possessions you'll see.

Up 65-63 with 19 seconds left, all the Gators needed was one stop to cut down the nets. Of course, stopping a team as good as Houston with its season on the line is easier said than done. Not only did Florida get the stop they needed, but they didn't even allow the Cougars to get a shot off.

Rather than give Florida credit for its tremendous defensive stand, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson wound up criticizing his own team's inability to get a shot off.

How Walter Clayton Jr. and Gators shut down the Houston Cougars

On one hand, Sampson is spot on. The Cougars did have to get a shot off. There really is no excuse for not even attempting a look at the basket with the season on the brink. Sure, the look might not be great, but not even attempting a shot gives you no chance to win.

On the other hand, though, what exactly was Houston supposed to do here? The Cougars appeared to, after over 10 seconds, get the look they were hoping for with Emanuel Sharp catching the ball at the top of the key. Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. seemed to anticipate this action, though, and closed out as well as any Florida fan could've hoped. In fact, he closed out so well to the point where Sharp wound up dropping the ball after going up for a shot. He couldn't touch the ball after dropping it, and that pretty much ended the game right there.

Again, is it inexcusable that Houston didn't get a shot away? Of course. In hindsight, perhaps Sharp should've chucked the ball up with Clayton right in his face just to see what might've happened. However, we cannot discount this Florida defense. They were swarming the Cougars, and Clayton put Sharp in a seemingly impossible position.

Sampson has every right to criticize his own team, but if Florida didn't defend them perfectly, the Cougars, at the very least, would've gotten a shot off. The Gators and Walter Clayton Jr. especially deserve more credit than Sampson was willing to give them postgame for getting that title-sealing stop.