Kelvin Sampson Reveals Houston's Critical Secret Weapon in the NCAA Tournament
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The Houston Cougars have become one of the most well-known brands in college basketball and, more recently, have become synonymous with finding ways to achieve consistent success in the NCAA Tournament.
Built on the back of elite-level recruiting, tough defense, and clean games, head coach Kelvin Sampson has turned his program into a household name during the college basketball season.
Despite that, though, no one ever mentions the Cougars' fan base, which is often viewed as limited in other sports. For Sampson and his program, though, they play a big role in their success, and their mental fortitude in games, especially during March Madness.
Small but Mighty
The Cougars used to be a school built on pride among current students and alumni who stayed in the Houston area, returning to athletic events to show their pride in their school. After a drop-off in sports results, that number dwindled further. Still, Sampson, in his effort to revitalize the basketball program, has also rekindled the fan base's enthusiasm.
"One of my biggest thrills, one of the things that makes my heart burst with pride and happiness, has been the growth of our fan base," Sampson said of the Cougars' fan base traveling to Oklahoma City for the opening rounds, "and how excited they are to support this program."
The Cougars dominated their first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, taking down the Idaho Vandals and the Texas A&M Aggies in dominant fashion, winning both games by 31 points exactly. While none of their games have been exciting, exactly how Sampson enjoys them to be because they are dominating, the Cougars faithful enjoyed the result regardless.
"Look at Indianapolis last year. That was driving distance for Purdue. I mean, you know, they had 20,000 fans there. So great for Purdue," Sampson continued on. "Purdue's got a known quantity, been one of the best programs in America for a long time. Um whereas we were wandering in the wilderness for decades. But here um we we've shown that we can compete with anybody uh on the court and I think we can compete with anybody off the court uh regionally. Uh, now we may not have the same amount of fans that certain schools would have if we flew to Buffalo, New York or if we flew to Seattle. Maybe not, but I would hear them. I'd know they were there."
Now, the Cougars and the fan base don't have to worry about any travel, at least for the next round, and potentially the one after that, since those games will be played at the Toyota Center in Houston.
However, if the program gets to where it wants to go, they will hit the road once again, and Sampson will call on his fan base to be there in support, battling it out for potentially another National Championship appearance, and this time, with a different result.
