Why Ramon Walker Jr. Still Embodies Houston Basketball in the Eyes of Kelvin Sampson
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In No. 1 Houston men's basketball's 78-45 win over Oakland on Wednesday at Fertitta Center, the Cougars posted 46 rebounds on the night in a collective effort across the rotation in response to finishing tied on the boards Saturday against Towson.
In that collective effort, redshirt fifth-year guard Ramon Walker Jr. grabbed a team-leading six rebounds off the bench, proving that scoring isn't a requirement for everybody to put together a complete team effort.
In his postgame press conference on Wednesday, coach Kelvin Sampson brought up a talking point on Walker he mentioned many times before on how he embodies the culture of Houston basketball as a whole, and how it still stands the test of time in his playing career.
"I thought Ramon's injection of toughness in Cougar basketball helps the other guys do it," Sampson said. "Because it rubs off."
The "injection" and its impact
This "injection of toughness" has stuck with the Pearland, Texas-native and former four-star prospect out of Shadow Creek High School as he matured in his career at Houston, overcoming multiple injuries and personal setbacks that sidelined him from team activity at various points over time.
After posting a career-high four makes from the floor in a game against Jackson State on Nov. 4, 2024, he suffered a right-hand injury as a result of a collision during practice. The injury required hand surgery and sidelined him for the rest of the 2024-25 season, which saw the Cougars make a 31-1 run to the national championship game in San Antonio after starting 4-3.
When Houston announced his fifth-year return on April 18, a new window of opportunity to finish his career on a special note had begun while also welcoming the Cougars' highest-rated incoming freshman class. With such toughness rubbing off from a veteran presence towards them, it makes for the program culture immediately setting in while also being encouraged by Walker as an "energy giver" who leads by example.
"The younger guys, they only know so much and sometimes you've got to show them," Walker said. "I feel like that's my role when it comes to leadership is to show them how it's done. Getting on the floor after loose balls, going in there, crashing and playing hard, that's just something coach holds us accountable for and that's something I pride in bringing every day when we go to work."
This point only further illustrated how nobody's role is limited under Sampson's watch, even with different roles across the rotation, as it was only further proved with Walker's team-leading performance off the boards.
"If you're going to go in there and do nothing, go in there and impact the game," he said. "Go get on the fly and field a loose ball. Somebody else does something, go high-five them. Be an energy giver. I don't like energy takers. Some guys are, and those things don't work over here, not in this program."
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.