Houston, Tx
Coach Kelvin Sampson celebrates after UH punches ticket to Sweet 16
After knocking off Illinois, Houston’s head coach confirmed his pleasure within the locker room.
PITTSBURGH — The Houston Cougars placed on a present on the hardwood. After which their coach did the same within the locker room.
After Houston took care of Illinois, 68-53, to punch their ticket to a third-straight Candy 16 on Sunday, the occasion moved into the locker room. Because the gamers had been celebrating the win, a normally straight-faced head coach Kelvin Sampson walked in to cheers from his gamers, then ripped off his shirt and the celebration was on.
Coogs take down Illinois 68-53 to advance to the Candy Sixteen
CBS Sports activities digital camera crews had been within the locker room and captured the scene stuffed with pure and uncooked jubilation of a basketball group and their coach after knocking off the higher-seeded Combating Illini.
A shirtless Sampson raised his arms in victory and was shaking back and forth, along with his gamers showering the coach with water from bottles and a cooler.
It’s a celebration that’ll be exhausting to high, however one they’re hoping to placed on in the event that they’re in a position to get by both Arizona or TCU within the Candy 16.
The Cougars confronted main adversity in December when guards Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark, two of the holdovers from final 12 months’s proficient squad, had been misplaced to accidents. However as a substitute of folding, Houston’s gamers shaped a fair tighter bond.
“We obtained a brand-new bunch,” Sampson mentioned, dried off and absolutely dressed. “However the tradition by no means modifications. As a result of they’re nice youngsters they usually’re high-character youngsters, they purchase in. It’s by no means about them. Our program is at all times about we and us, and that’s what occurs when you’ve gotten nice youngsters.”
Followers have a good time win
Followers in Houston celebrated the win on the College’s official Watch Get together downtown at Avenidas.
“I am feeling nice. We’re going to San Antonio this 12 months, Last 4 champions this 12 months. We obtained all of it,” Xavier Smith mentioned.
Dozens got here out to assist the Coogs carrying purple and white.
“We’re nonetheless dancing child,” Noah Barcot mentioned.
Some mentioned the sport was an emotional curler coaster.
“Up and down, up and down a bit bit however on the finish we got here again and put it away,” one fan mentioned.
Others KHOU 11 spoke to mentioned they’re planning to be entrance row and middle at subsequent week’s sport.
“We have been making an attempt to determine already how are we going to get to SA child. We obtained to do that. We’ll determine it out,” UH college member Andrew Archila mentioned.
This is how followers celebrated UH’s First Spherical win over UAB:
