While the 2025 NCAA tournament did not provide any Cinderella stories, it has produced plenty of thrilling finishes between clashing juggernauts. That action continued as all four No. 1 seeds clashed in the Final Four.
The Houston Cougars fell into a 14-point deficit against the Duke Blue Devils with 10 minutes remaining in their Final Four bout on Saturday. They managed to trim that deficit down to just six points, but their chances were grim with just 60 seconds left on the clock. Despite the circumstances, the Cougars remained calm. Rather than fouling, Houston allowed the Blue Devils to drain the clock. After Houston blocked a shot and drained a 3-pointer, Duke’s lead was down to three points. That was followed by a steal and a dunk on a rebound. Down by one, the Cougars exposed Duke’s youth and took the lead on fouls and free throws.
The Cougars’ suffocating defense held Duke’s dominant playmakers to just one field goal in the final ten minutes, then sealed the victory with a 9-0 run in the final 35 seconds of their dance with the Blue Devils. It was a signature performance for Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson, whose influence and experience played a vital role in the Cougars’ comeback victory.
Kelvin Sampson is hoping to add a national championship to his résumé
Sampson has 32 years of experience as a head coach, and none of the four programs he coached had a losing record under his tenure. Sampson holds a 798-354 record (.693) as a head coach, just two games shy of 800 career victories. Despite his success, he has never been able to win a national championship.
Sampson has the second-most wins of any active head coach without a national title, but his best chance to cut the nets is right in front of him. This year’s team is defined by Sampson’s core principles: The Cougars have the top-ranked defense in the nation and are ranked 10th in offensive rebounding percentage. Monday night’s tilt against the Florida Gators will provide the 69-year-old head coach with an opportunity to become the oldest head coach in NCAA history to win the national championship.
A victory in the title game would also mark Houston’s first national championship in program history. The Cougars previously made championship game appearances in 1983 and 1984 but fell short on both occasions. They lost against the NC State Wolfpack in 1983, then suffered a defeat against Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas in 1984.
After being hired as Houston’s head coach in 2014, Sampson quickly revived the dormant program. The Cougars struggled in their first three seasons with the coach, but he stabilized the program by his fourth year. Houston has not lost more than eight games in a single season since 2017, and they’ve won at least 32 games for four straight years.
Houston had just one NCAA tournament appearance in the 22 years prior to Sampson’s arrival. They’ve now made it to the NCAA tournament for seven straight seasons and have reached the Sweet 16 in each of the past six tournaments.