Kelvin Sampson Best Team Ever?

If UH wins the next two games, its a legitimate debate to discuss if this is the best UH team ever, not just with Sampson as coach.

“Best” team is not just talent. When CKS said this is the best team I have ever had to me, he was referring to to whole package. The chemistry, how they work together, the shooting, the defense, how hard they practice and support each other. Bill Self said it best after the KU loss, they (UH) seem to really like each other. CKS has been doing this long enough, and taken numerous teams to FF to know this is not just coach speak.

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I need to thank “CoogTom” for posting this picture. It is reminder of the incredible job the Sampson family has done in reviving the UH basketball program. For you younguns, this is what is was like to attend a UH basketball game pre-Sampson.

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Like John said, it’s more than wins and losses. Now I can not compare different era’s of basketball. That’s not fair considering the rules and time spent in college by the players. As far as Coach the Goat this is his best team. The 21-22 squad was really good but maybe not better defensively down low. Tugler gives this year team the edge over 21-22 squad. Now Houston has Duke, who most are considering the best Duke team ever. I’m expecting J’wan to use his 30+pound difference on Cooper Flagg. Get that guy in foul trouble or just exploit the matchup. By far this could be Sampson best win ever. Considering Duke is better than Florida or Auburn.

If this team makes the Finals, then it’ll be Sampson’s best team almost by default for having made it further than any of his others.

It will also be in the conversation with the 83/84 PSJ teams that made the finals for best UH team ever.

And if it wins a natty, then again, by default, it’ll be UH’s greatest team ever for having been literally the ONLY UH team to achieve that milestone.

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This a sellers market and I am okay with that. Anybody with a pair of tickets anywhere inside the stadium- I will pay full price no questions asked

I agree :100:

I would also be interested in 2 tickets anywhere at reasonable price.

You are correct. There’s a difference between the best team and the most talented team. We have beaten more talented teams many times.

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I need 3 tickets preferably lower level will pay a reasonable price DM me


and lost as the most talented team.

From Facebook/Jason drz


Houston’s dominance is no longer a surprise, but the way Kelvin Sampson and his Cougars keep pushing the ceiling higher is something special. When a reporter reminded Sampson that Houston hadn’t been to the Final Four since 2021, his response was dripping with both sarcasm and expectation—“Really? It’s been that long?” That’s the level this program operates at now. What used to be a once-in-a-generation achievement is now an expectation.

For years, Houston has knocked on the door of a championship, but each deep March run ended in heartbreak. A one-of-20 shooting nightmare against Villanova in 2022. A defensive collapse against Miami in 2023. And then the gut punch of 2024—losing star point guard Jamal Shead to injury early against Duke and watching the offense crumble. It wasn’t just losses; it was devastation. But this season, without Shead, might have been Sampson’s biggest coaching challenge yet.

At 4–3 in November, Houston didn’t look like a Final Four team. But from that moment forward, they ripped off 30 wins in 31 games, including a dominant run through the Big 12—widely considered the toughest conference in college basketball. They didn’t just survive; they thrived. Their suffocating defense, relentless rebounding, and lethal three-point shooting made them a nightmare matchup. And when they faced Tennessee, a team built on toughness, Houston made them look soft.

The Vols couldn’t get anything going inside, scoring just six paint points in the first half while Houston feasted on second-chance opportunities. Tennessee fought back late, cutting a 22-point deficit to 10, but then came the knockout punches—three straight threes from Emanuel Sharp, part of a late flurry that sealed the game. The Cougars were too physical, too disciplined, too locked in.

Even in victory, Sampson’s fire never wavered. With the game in hand, Sharp committed a late foul on a three-point shooter. Sampson didn’t let it slide. “DUMB foul,” he barked. That’s the standard. That’s why Houston is here.

But as the final buzzer sounded and confetti fell, even Sampson allowed himself a moment. He nearly forgot to hug his son and assistant coach, Kellen, before realizing and embracing him in a rare display of emotion. For all the intensity, this is a family business. And the job isn’t done.

A program once defined by the past is now shaping the present. Houston isn’t just knocking on the door anymore—they’ve kicked it down. Two wins separate them from their first national championship, and if you think they’ll be satisfied with just getting there, you haven’t been paying attention.

#MarchMadness #FinalFour #ForTheCity

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half of the battle is being good enough to get a top 3, maybe 4 seed in the tournament then for some weird reason we couldn’t stay healthy if our lives depended on it in 2021-24 :sob:

Most need to see with their eyes to understand. Then God must not to real to most. But the word belief matters and brings light to situation. Coach the Goat needs to get this Natty. So he leaves back to back National Champion. Cement his legacy. Too great of a coach. Hope the players appreciate him while he is still yelling at them.

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I am WAITING for Sampson’s best team ever.

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This 2024/2025 UH team will go down as one of the the best of ALL time in NCAA history. For us, the combination of record, SOS, analytics, and post season success so far makes this the best Kelvin Sampson team, even without a National Championship and arguably greatest UH team ever

Here are the 10 best KenPom teams ever (ratings date back to '96-97). Four of them are playing Saturday in San Antonio. Maybe the most loaded Final Four ever? This is downright ridiculous. A combined 135-16. pic.twitter.com/920CSBQCiY

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 30, 2025
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I will always believe the team that lost to NCS was the best UH team ever. They were talent laden, IMHO more so than the current team. The last few teams have been unlucky, and with some luck, this one will stay healthy and win a natty, but the team that lost to NCS was, with the help of what I believe was a bad coaching decision (that game plan had worked all year long) extremely unlucky. Should have/could have brought home the trophy.

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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/college/article/houston-cougars-best-program-without-championship-20256480.php

Is coach really not bothered by being so close and not closing the deal?

Been seeing this team as great before the season started. Won’t let this thread die until the Natty is Won Monday. Shout out to the people who believed they were the best before beating Duke. America college basketball favorite team this year. Look forward to writing a thread about next year roster. Also I’m not seeing the same energy from some of earlier posters. Greatest win I have seen from Coach Kelvin Sampson team.

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You said this team would easily go undefeated. The fact that you’re really trying to take a victory lap is kind of funny. Your prediction was as wrong as it was right. Lol

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