Houston HC Kelvin Sampson Labels Kansas a National Title Contender

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has always been complimentary of Kansas and Bill Self. The Hall of Fame finalist has enjoyed incredible success since taking over the program in 2014 and was the runner-up in the national championship game last year.

The Cougars are in the midst of a rough stretch after losing two games in a row, the first to Iowa State on the road and the next to Arizona at home yesterday. In a matter of one week, UH has slipped from the top spot in the conference standings to second place.

Before his squad took on the Wildcats yesterday, Sampson spoke to the media about his team's upcoming stretch. He said that he was looking forward to it because it would make his team more resilient, and he added additional praise for Kansas, too.

"What a great opportunity. I'm excited," Sampson said. "I was excited to go play in Hilton. I wanted to see how they'd never been there before. And now we're coming home to play a team that could win it all. Iowa State could win it all. Certainly, Arizona can, and Kansas can. All three of those teams can win it."

It was a brief mention, but Sampson circled the Jayhawks as one of the teams that could win it all in April. That showed how much respect he has for the program and Self.

"[The conference] has always been really good, but when teams play Arizona or Houston or Texas Tech or Iowa State or Kansas, when those teams play two things are guaranteed: A really good team is going to win and a really good team is going to lose," Sampson added.

Kansas is viewed by many as a title contender, as it boasts one of the strongest resumes in the country with its conference slate alone. It was the first team to defeat Arizona and Iowa State all season and took down Texas Tech on the road.

Even after a tough home loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, Sampson knows that the Jayhawks are capable of competing with any given team on any night. That especially holds true when the game is taking place in Allen Fieldhouse, arguably the best home-court advantage in the country.

Houston has been excellent this season and remains one of the most disciplined and battle-tested teams in the nation despite its recent skid. The Cougars defend at an elite level and execute as well as any group in the sport.

Monday night will present another marquee contest for both programs with the Big 12 Tournament and March Madness quickly approaching. But if KU responds the way it typically does under Self after losses, the Jayhawks are in a good position to get back into the win column.