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The Purdue basketball team beat 13th-seeded High Point and 12th-seeded McNeese State to reach Indianapolis for the Sweet 16.
Now they'll be the underdog.
The Boilermakers get No. 1 seed Houston on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. A time has not yet been announced. Here's what you should know about the Houston Cougars:
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson resigned as Indiana coach in February of 2007 due to recruiting violations that now seems quaint: too many telephone calls. There were four major violations connected to more than 100 impermissible phone calls to recruits by Sampson and his staff.
He received a five-year show-cause penalty — one of the longest the NCAA can impose — and didn't coach in college again until Houston hired him 2014. Indiana self-imposed a three-year probation.
"I'm deeply disappointed in today's findings by the NCAA, but the accusations at hand are things that happened on my watch and therefore I will take responsibility," Sampson said in a statement at the time. "I am truly sorry that there were so many people who were hurt in this situation. For the sake of everyone involved, including my family, it is time to move on."
Sampson has gone 295-83, a .780 winning percentage, at Houston. The Cougars made one NCAA Tournament between 1992-93 and 2016-17 but has made it in seven of the last eight years.
A reporter asked Kelvin Sampson a question about Gonzaga, pronouncing it Gone-zog-a instead of Gone-zag-a, and he made it clear he'd like words said correctly, including his name.
"Always burns me up when people say it like that," Sampson said of his Saturday night opponent. "It's like calling me Kevin. My name is not Kevin. My mother used to say, 'People see your name and say, "Hey Kevin." Don't let people call you Kevin. Your name is Kelvin. Make sure people pronounce your name right.'"
This is the fourth time Sampson has been a No. 1 seed, including the past two seasons. In 2024, Houston was upset by Duke in the Sweet 16 a year after the Cougars were upset by Miami in the Sweet 16. Sampson was a No. 1 seed at Oklahoma in 2003 and made it to the Elite Eight before losing to Syracuse.
The Cougars were No. 1 in points allowed per game at 57.9 prior to the Gonzaga game, No. 2 in opponents' field goal percentage (.381), fifth in scoring margin (16) and seventh in turnover margin (4.5).
L.J. Cryer: 15.2 ppg, 42.3 3%, 90.5% free throws
Emanuel Sharp: 12.5 ppg, 1.4 spg, 42.5 3%, 89.2 free throws
Milos Uzan: 11.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 43.5 3%
J'wan Roberts: 10.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Joseph Tugler: 5.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg
Houston's six appearances in the Final Four is the most by a program that hasn't won a national championship.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue vs Houston in March Madness. What to know about the Cougars
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Now they'll be the underdog.
The Boilermakers get No. 1 seed Houston on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. A time has not yet been announced. Here's what you should know about the Houston Cougars:
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson coached Indiana
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson resigned as Indiana coach in February of 2007 due to recruiting violations that now seems quaint: too many telephone calls. There were four major violations connected to more than 100 impermissible phone calls to recruits by Sampson and his staff.
He received a five-year show-cause penalty — one of the longest the NCAA can impose — and didn't coach in college again until Houston hired him 2014. Indiana self-imposed a three-year probation.
"I'm deeply disappointed in today's findings by the NCAA, but the accusations at hand are things that happened on my watch and therefore I will take responsibility," Sampson said in a statement at the time. "I am truly sorry that there were so many people who were hurt in this situation. For the sake of everyone involved, including my family, it is time to move on."
Sampson has gone 295-83, a .780 winning percentage, at Houston. The Cougars made one NCAA Tournament between 1992-93 and 2016-17 but has made it in seven of the last eight years.
His name is Kelvin, with an L
A reporter asked Kelvin Sampson a question about Gonzaga, pronouncing it Gone-zog-a instead of Gone-zag-a, and he made it clear he'd like words said correctly, including his name.
"Always burns me up when people say it like that," Sampson said of his Saturday night opponent. "It's like calling me Kevin. My name is not Kevin. My mother used to say, 'People see your name and say, "Hey Kevin." Don't let people call you Kevin. Your name is Kelvin. Make sure people pronounce your name right.'"
Kelvin Sampson hasn't had a lot of success as a No. 1 seed
This is the fourth time Sampson has been a No. 1 seed, including the past two seasons. In 2024, Houston was upset by Duke in the Sweet 16 a year after the Cougars were upset by Miami in the Sweet 16. Sampson was a No. 1 seed at Oklahoma in 2003 and made it to the Elite Eight before losing to Syracuse.
Houston is one of the best defensive teams in the country
The Cougars were No. 1 in points allowed per game at 57.9 prior to the Gonzaga game, No. 2 in opponents' field goal percentage (.381), fifth in scoring margin (16) and seventh in turnover margin (4.5).
Houston basketball individual stats
L.J. Cryer: 15.2 ppg, 42.3 3%, 90.5% free throws
Emanuel Sharp: 12.5 ppg, 1.4 spg, 42.5 3%, 89.2 free throws
Milos Uzan: 11.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 43.5 3%
J'wan Roberts: 10.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Joseph Tugler: 5.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg
Houston basketball highlights
introducing the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Champions...the Houston Cougars
Arizona vs. Houston Game Highlights#Big12MBB | @UHCougarMBKpic.twitter.com/pwJEtoE3TY
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) March 16, 2025
Did the Houston Cougars ever win the NCAA basketball championship?
Houston's six appearances in the Final Four is the most by a program that hasn't won a national championship.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue vs Houston in March Madness. What to know about the Cougars
Continue reading...
