Houston determined to have better memories of Wichita this time in the NCAA tourney
In 2018, when Houston last played an NCAA Tournament game in Wichita, it ended up being a bittersweet experience for coach Kelvin Sampson.
On one side of the coin, Wichita was the site of Houston’s first NCAA appearance under Sampson, then completing his fourth season at the helm. The Cougars also beat San Diego State in the opening round, their first NCAA Tournament win since the 1984 Final Four overtime win against Virginia, on a late basket from Rob Gray.
But what everyone - especially Sampson - will remember from that tournament experience was how it ended, when Michigan freshman Jordan Poole hit a long-range shot deep from the right wing as time expired as the Wolverines stunned Houston, 64-63.
With Houston returning to Wichita for the first time in an NCAA Tournament game since that deflating buzzer-beater, Sampson was asked during Wednesday’s press conference prior to Thursday’s Midwest Region first-round game against SIU Edwardsville about that shot.
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“I just remember how (ticked) off I was. … I remember how crushing it was for that group of kids,” Sampson said. “We were up by four with under a minute to go, up three with under 30 seconds to go. (Then we were) up by two and we went to the free throw line to ice the game, a chance to go up four, missed (both foul shots).
“John (Beilein, Michigan’s coach at the time) calls a time out, and their kid hits an amazing shot down two; I think it was 44 feet, 42 feet at the buzzer. So I remember that.”
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However, Sampson did acknowledge that making the NCAA’s that season, despite the tough ending, helped give proof that Houston was on the rise as a contender; at that time, playing in the American Athletic Conference.
“Houston was in such horrible shape when we got there; you know, the apathy, nobody caring, having to fight for scraps and scrums and doing all that,” Sampson said. “No one will ever have an idea of how difficult it was that first year. You know, people that just showed up this year or last year, they have no clue; I can’t even relate to them, and they can’t relate to me either.
“But making the tournament that year gave us hope. Always thought that was the most important word in the Bible, hope. Hope is an amazing thing, and it gave us credibility that we were on the verge of doing something. We were 13-19 our first year and I think that year, we won 27 if I’m not mistaken, and then we kind of took off from there.”
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Houston was part of a very competitive AAC with the likes of UConn, Memphis, Cincinnati and SMU. Then the conference brought in Wichita State, which had made a Final Four in recent years.
“My first year (at Houston), Connecticut was coming off the national championship, but SMU was the best team in the league and Memphis (and then) Cincinnati was the bell cow; I thought they had the most consistent program, one of the most consistent in America,” Sampson said. “And then when we added Wichita State, we had another great basketball brand, and so for us to be able to accomplish that in that league, and as consistent as we were, I think told us we were on the right path.”
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Sampson also has a deep affinity for basketball in the state of Kansas, competing with Kansas and Kansas State when he was at Oklahoma and then taking on Wichita State while at Houston. But the coach remarked the state of Kansas is more than just its Division I programs, having made several trips to scout players in the junior college ranks there.
“It’s a great basketball state, and I’m not just talking about Division I schools, I’m talking about the junior colleges,” Sampson said. “Back in the day, this is where it was at, man.
“Fort Scott, Garden City, Neosho (County). Unless you’re a basketball guru, you wouldn’t know some of the places that I’ve been in the state of Kansas. So I always had a ton of respect for Kansas State basketball, obviously Roy (Williams, former Kansas coach) and Bill (Self, current Kansas coach), and then Wichita State’s always had great tradition, great name and that ‘Round House' (referring to the Shockers’ Koch Arena) is the toughest place to play as anybody.”
Times have definitely changed since Sampson and the Cougars’ previous visit to Wichita. The Cougars have switched leagues, now in the Big 12, and in just their second season in the conference have won the most games in a single season by any school - traditional league kingpin Kansas included.
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Plus, instead of either just glad to be in the NCAA Tournament or seeking to win at least one game, the mindset has changed for Houston. The Cougars return to Wichita as viable national championship contenders, and several pundits have them going all the way.
This time, instead of falling short of a Sweet 16 berth in the most gut-wrenching way possible, Houston now aims to use this trip to Wichita as another rung in the ladder of an already successful season. The Cougars are hoping for a better ending not only in Wichita, but in another couple of weeks and finally get that elusive national title for both the program and for Sampson.
And perhaps make that miracle shot by Jordan Poole several years ago even more of a distant memory.
