This Houston Cougars Player's Showing vs. Texas A&M Was No Coincidence

The Cougars' head coach revealed why the Houston center was more energized against the Aggies.

Mar 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Idaho Vandals guard Biko Johnson (3) dribbles the ball while Houston Cougars forward Kalifa Sakho (14) defends during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The No. 2-seed Houston Cougars cruised to a Sweet 16 appearance after a dominant showing against the No. 10-seed Texas A&M Aggies. Four Cougars reached double figures, with several others delivering in key stretches that helped put the game away.

Earlier this week, Kelvin Sampson was asked about Kalifa Sakho's impact on the game against Texas A&M. The Houston center scored just four points, but he played a major role on the glass, finishing with six rebounds. It was clear that Sakho was more active in the Round of 32 matchup against Texas A&M.

Sampson revealed that Sakho had been observing Ramadan throughout the month, resulting in the center losing 14 pounds. He also made it clear that respecting his players' beliefs is non-negotiable for him.

"That 30 days, he lost 14 pounds," Sampson said. "I respect all our kids' religions, who they are, what they are, how they live their lives. I have great respect for every human being. Whether they're on my team or not, I respect people."

Sakho's Energy Returns at the Right Time

Mar 21, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Cougars forward Kalifa Sakho (14) dunks during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Sakho has been a vital depth piece for the Cougars' success this season. While he's not on the court for 30 minutes a game, Sakho's defense and ability to rebound has shown up frequently for Houston over the course of the year.

The Houston center totaled just five rebounds across his last two appearances for the Cougars, but seems to be finding his footing at the right time of the year. Now playing against some of the best programs in college basketball, Sakho's burst of energy could play a role in Houston's presence on the boards.

"So with his Ramadan, he was on a set schedule," Sampson said. "What time he had to get up in the morning to eat, and when he could have his last meal at night. So he did that for 30 days and you could tell he was losing a lot of weight. But his last day was Thursday so it's no coincidence that he had his best game on Saturday."

Sampson also spoke on the difference between offensive rebounding against a team like Texas A&M vs a team like Arizona or Illinois. The Aggies were undersized for the most part, resulting in Sakho recording five offensive rebounds.

"You don't offensive rebound the same way every game...," Sampson said. "Texas A&M didn't really have a lot of size in front, one of their best shooters was Dominguez and he was their 4-man, so he had to block out one of our bigs."

"Offensive rebounding is going to be a little bit more pronounced vs them, where as against a team like Arizona or Illinois, your offensive rebounding is not going to be as effective because of their size."

Based on Sampson's statements, it's likely that Sakho will have an increased workload against Illinois on Thursday.