Why Houston Fans Shouldn't Push Panic Button After Loss To Texas Tech

There is no reason, if you are a Houston Cougars fan, to be concerned with the loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, despite wanting to defeat them for a second time this season.

It’s hard enough to beat an elite team once. It’s even harder to beat a team twice. There just wasn’t enough gas in the tank for coach Kelvin Sampson’s group to get past coach Grant McCasland's troops.

Going into the game, it was a ranked matchup, and one of the keys was to stay ahead for most of the game, but that didn't happen against a gritty Red Raiders offense that knew it had to put the ball in the hoop or it wouldn't walk out satisfied. Unfortunately, the Cougars suffered their first Big 12 loss and their second of the season.

Even though there were thousands of fans who consider themselves part of the “Raider Riot” and were yelling overrated, they didn’t think about what they were yelling because this Houston team is coming out of a year that it was in the national championship game, and was Texas Tech? No.

And Houston already defeated Texas Tech this season. So if Houston is “overrated,” that means Tech is too. But neither team is. Both are two of the biggest basketball brands in the sport.

This Cougars team has so many reasons to hold its head up high, even after going through adversity and hitting bumps along the way. They have proven to get up even tougher after a loss, and the schedule ahead will give them motivation and confidence to play better.

Offensive and Defensive Success

FINAL
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— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) January 24, 2026

Going into the weekend, when College Gameday was in town to feature both schools, the Cougars knew how to stick to their identity, but they ultimately fell just short of the road win.

As a program that prides itself on being a defensive unit that paves the way for the offense to get to the rack, the Houston defense thrives in the points against and blocks and steals categories, but it also thrives on offense as a top 10 unit.

Statistics don’t lie, and being No. 2 in scoring defense, No. 3 in turnover margin, No. 10 in scoring margin, No. 16 in field goal percentage, as well as No. 17 in turnovers forced per game, indicate that something is brewing special, especially when a freshman posted 42 points in a road game.

As a team, they are shooting 34.2 percent from behind the arc, 44.9 percent from the field, and 76.3 percent from the free-throw line. There have also been seven players who have appeared in all 18 games and have stayed healthy and in shape.

All signs point to an upward trend, even after losing a Quad 1 game on the road. Houston is now 5-2 in Quad 1 with wins against No. 22 Auburn, No. 14 Arkansas, No. 12 Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Baylor, and losses against No. 17 Tennessee and Texas Tech.

Quad 2, Quad 3, and Quad 4 games for Houston are all without a loss this season. Credit should be given to the players for having chemistry on and off the court, as well as to the coaching staff that has pushed the roster to be its best version.

There are still 12 games left before the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, and with a 17-2 record, people should be asking why this is a tight-knit group that has dropped only two games.

It’s because of the unselfishness and willingness to play fearlessly without any doubts down the stretch.

This group responds after a loss, which it did after losing to the Volunteers, when it won 11 straight games. Lots can happen between here and the end of the season. Perhaps that happens again, which would get the Cougars to the final regular-season game of the year.

Trust the process.