NCAA Tournament: Houston coach talks Florida loss

The Houston Cougars‘ final possession in the NCAA Tournament final on Monday night against the Florida Gators was a head-scratcher to put it lightly. 

Down 65-63 with a chance to tie it, or better yet, end the game, the Cougars were unable to get a shot off. Emanuel Sharp looked like he was going to heave a three-pointer for the win, but he just dropped the ball instead as a Gators defender closed out to block the shot attempt. 

The Cougars had turnovers prior to that possession, but the fact that no shot went up near the final buzzer had many scratching their heads as to what Houston was thinking. 

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Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson reacts after a play against the Florida Gators during the Final Four game at the Alamodome. (Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)

Head coach Kelvin Sampson, trying to lead his great Cougars squad to the program’s first-ever national title, peered onto the court as the final buzzer blew and appeared dumbfounded by what had transpired. 

In his post-game interview, Sampson obviously knew the question that was coming: what was the play, and more importantly, why didn’t a shot go up?

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Sampson said Sharp should’ve shot-faked on that deep 3-point attempt instead of jumping and letting the ball go (he stood around it because a double-dribble would’ve been called if he had touched it first). 

“Both those guys, [Florida’s Will] Richard and [Alijah] Martin, both really good defensively,” Sampson said. “Clayton made a great play on that. But that’s why you’ve got to shot-fake and get in the paint.

“Two’s fine.”

But Sampson knows, no matter what the defense was, getting a ball to the net just had to happen. 

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson reacts during the Final Four game at the Alamodome. (Scott Wachter-Imagn Images)

“At the end, you’ve gotta get a shot,” he said. “You’ve gotta do better than that.”

Sampson, though, told ESPN that he wasn’t yelling at his players in the locker room after the game. They battled through the entire tournament, including taking down Duke in a come-from-behind victory in the Final Four. 

In this final, the Cougars saw their 12-point lead erased in the second half by the Gators.

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson said to his players after the game, “I told them be disappointed that they lost, but don’t be disappointed in their effort.” (Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)

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“I told them be disappointed that they lost, but don’t be disappointed in their effort,” Sampson explained, via ESPN. “These guys have played so hard for each other. And to get this far, get a minute, two minutes, a shot right there at the end of winning a national championship. They have so much to be proud of.”

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