Kelvin Sampson Credits Attitude and Depth After Defeating New Orleans

"It’s all about attitude."

Those are the great words of the wise veteran coach of the Houston Cougars, Kelvin Sampson, who isn’t afraid to tell it how it is. When his roster faced the New Orleans Privateers, he knew he wanted to get his offense going by changing the rotation and substituting guys who weren’t seeing as much action.

“It’s all about attitude,” Sampson said. “Our guys don’t sit over there and pout because they aren’t in. No one's asking why this or why that. Our kids don’t care about that. That’s the great thing about our family here: everybody understands their role because I’ve defined it for them. It’s their job to play the role. There’s not going to be any discussion or negotiation about it. It’s who we are. It’s how we do things here. We have high-character kids, which is all we recruit.”

Offense’s Night

10-1
On to the next one

Presented by @Group1Auto #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/QTmKwc2EYr
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) December 15, 2025

For Sampson, there were a ton of great things to take away from the game against New Orleans with the depth of the roster.

“One of the things that really helped them tonight was that they were able to make 19 of 23 free throws. There for a while after we got the lead, I made a joke about how many fouls were being called. Every possession, there were two free throws.”

Leading the Cougars at the charity stripe with the most attempts was freshman Chris Cenac, but a trio of players who made the most points at the line, all with 4 points, were forwards Joseph Tugler and Chase McCarty, along with guard Kingston Flemings. Sampson credited McCarty for his hustle and the work he put in for the game after his 15-point night.

“I’ve said it many times,” Sampson said. “I’ve always thought Chase was the best shooter on this team, but he hadn’t shown anybody that. Tonight, you got a glimpse.”

Although the freshman forward knows he recorded the best night of his collegiate basketball career, he acknowledged that he is trying to build on what he has put in day and night, shooting 4 of 5 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and grabbing six boards.

“I’m just trying to keep building and keep stacking on good days. Just trying to improve every day. That’s what I was looking forward to doing.”

The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from Sherman Oaks, California, also earned 21 minutes of playing time and posted 15 points.

“Mercy is a really good scorer,” Sampson said.

He was perfect in the field goal department, going 5 of 5 to go along with his 4 of 4 night at the free throw line with two defensive steals.

“It’s a boost of confidence to see the ball go through the net,” Miller said. “Wanted an efficient shooting night, and it tells me my hard work is paying off.