Houston Seeks Growth Against Florida State's Chaos-Driven Defense

The Houston Cougars have another tough opponent on Saturday, as coach Kelvin Sampson discussed the upcoming game against the Florida State Seminoles and his roster's execution.

Nov 26, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampso reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2025 Players Era Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Reps. Reps. Reps. 

Coach Kelvin Sampson believes his team still needs more experience playing together, and the next chance comes this weekend. 

“Watched a lot of film in a lot of areas that were breaking down in against whatever defense the other team was in and how we can better attack those situations,” Sampson said. “I make sure our kids are very specific about how it is we want to attack.” 

Attacking Florida State

Next up on the schedule is a very physical ACC team that will battle in the trenches and do what it can to make shots. A few of the finest shooters on the Cougars this season have been the trio of guards, Emanuel Sharp, Kingston Flemings, and Milos Uzan, and they have to rise to the occasion to snag another resume-boosting win. 

In Sampson’s press conference, he got asked about the competition his team is about to face, and “chaos” was the big word that came up, so the perfect scenario to gain more reps comes Sunday when the Seminoles travel to town. 

“They try to create chaos,” Sampson said. “They’ll just go running trap. That takes a team out of their comfort zone, and we are going to have to be able to flow from whatever we’re doing offensively, and they’re gonna try to disrupt it being able to see.”

One central area Sampson mentioned was being able to see what the game is giving them and how it needs to come to them, by maintaining composure and reading what the opponent is doing. Another one praised what Florida State does well and how his roster has to execute in scenarios like trap situations that the head coach, Luke Loucks, implements during a game to apply pressure in intense situations. 

“A lot of guys look, and they don’t ever see, and that’s where turnovers come in. Being able to read and keep your composure while you’re being trapped and making the right play — then offensively, they do a great job of spacing and attacking the paint.” 

Credit to the entire Seminoles roster, which has a ton of depth, was one thing on Sampson’s mind, as he also pointed out that he ensures his team stays disciplined, knowing they will have to remember where to be on the floor.

“They’re extremely athletic,” Sampson said. “We’ve got to be disciplined. Make sure that we’re where we should be off the ball, make sure we’re in the right spots.” 

Houston faces Florida State at Toyota Center on Sunday, Dec. 7, on Peacock at 7 p.m.