This Houston Cougar's Growth Has Captured Kelvin Sampson's Attention
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The Houston Cougars' blend of experienced veterans and young rising talent has made them one of college basketball's most feared teams over the past decade, and especially after head coach Kelvin Sampson was hired in 2014.
After coming up short in the national championship last year against the Florida Gators, the Cougars had plenty of young talent come aboard the team, most notably freshman guard Kingston Flemings, who set the program's freshman scoring record with ease.
But there's another underclassman under Coach Sampson's watch that has particularly surprised him in a good way during the 2025-26 season.
"It Means More When You Earn It"
Sophomore guard Mercy Miller was on that Houston team that faced the roughest patch of defeat in their careers when the Gators cut the nets at the conclusion of last year's national championship, and though he wasn't an everyday starter like Flemings or Emanuel Sharp, his growth did not go unnoticed, especially after he dropped 13 points on the Arizona Wildcats in the Big 12 Championship.
In an interview, Sampson highlighted just how much Miller has earned his time on the floor and how his work ethic has risen above the others.
"I don't think we have anybody in our program that has improved over the last year more than Mercy," the head coach said. "And I think it means more when you earn it. It means that you've had to make some changes."
Sampson would elaborate that improvement extended beyond the hardwood and beyond physical measures, how mental of a switch it is.
"Not just basketball-wise, but more so in your approach to practice. Your mentality. Being able to realize that there are nine other players on the court when you have the ball," Sampson continued. "There's a defense, and then there's teammates. There's movement. Just being able to go on the fly. If the game were one-on-one, a lot of kids would do better because they're good one-on-one players."
The Houston coach drove home that Miller's ability to cooperate in five-on-five ball is what has shone the brightest in his improvement.
"You put nine other players out there, and it's five-on-five, now it becomes that you've got to be a good basketball player, not a good one-on-one player. That's where Mercy has improved the most."
Miller and the No. 2-seeded Cougars begin their trek back to the national championship in the Round of 64 when they take on the No. 15 Idaho Vandals Thursday night at 9:10 PM at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
