“Elite 8 or disappointment season”: College hoops fans react to Kelvin Sampson’s reloaded Houston roster

The Houston Cougars, coached by Kelvin Sampson, have reloaded their roster for the 2024-25 season. On Monday, June 2, @br_hoops on Instagram uploaded a carousel post that showcased the potential roster that the Cougars could have in the next campaign.

They will have the likes of Milos Uzan, Joseph Tulger, Emmanuel Sharp and Ramon Walker Jr., all returning from last year's NCAA Final Four squad. Houston will also be joined by incoming prospects such as Chris Cenac Jr., Bryce Jackson and Kalifa Sakho as they bolster their chances for the upcoming campaign.

College basketball fans and spectators then reacted by setting their expectations for the 2025-26 Cougars squad.

"Elite 8 or disappointment season," one user said.

"2026 Natty incoming," another fan wrote with a couple of emojis.

"NATTY OR BUST 2026 H-TOWN, LET'S GET IT RIGHT," a fan exclaimed with several emojis.

"Another top 5 season for them," another user shared.

Other users all over the comment section then dropped their takes on how this team could fare next season.

"And, they are going to run a 10-man rotation," one user claimed.

"Only question is that inexperience outside of the starting five," another user pointed out.

"They could have won the championship if Kelvin Sampson spreads the offense on the floor. At times then they need a basket, it's too congested in the paint area. That eventually led to their downfall. I hope he opens up that offense next season," a fan explained.

Sampson and the Cougars went all the way this year to the 2025 NCAA national championship game. The game went down the wire but they ultimately lost to the Florida Gators by just two points, 65-63, on April 7.

Kelvin Sampson puts a heavy emphasis on building relationships with his players

The post by @br_hoops on Instagram also had a clip of Kelvin Sampson discussing how he aimed to make both his current and incoming players mesh well together for the 2025-26 season. The tenured tactitian said that relationship-building is of utmost importance in his program as he pinpointed each of his player's roles for next year.

"We work so hard at relationships. One of the things I talk about in our coaches' meetings constantly is relationships and no surprises. The better relationship you have with your individual players, the less likely you are to have a surprise at the end ... The best thing to do with these kids is just be honest with them," Sampson shared.

In the 2024-25 season, Sampson and the Cougars finished with an overall record of 35-5. They ended 19-1 during Big 12 conference play earlier this year in which they won the regular season title and the conference tournament championship.

About the author

Koby del Rosario is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda who took up BS in Advertising Management at De La Salle University, one of the big "four" universities in the Philippines. Koby has over four years of experience with Complex PH, M2.0 Communications, The LaSallian, Daily Tribune, and Time Attack Manila.

Koby's favorite college team would have to be the North Carolina Tar Heels. Apart from being MJ's alma mater, Koby has always been fond of the Jordan silhouettes that release in the school's colors (being a sneakerhead himself).

His past favorite college players would have to be Russell Westbrook (UCLA) and Markelle Fultz (Washington). With Russ, his 1-2 punch with Kevin Love during their UCLA days was something Koby marveled at as Russ became his favorite player to watch post-Kobe.

Besides playing basketball, Koby enjoys nightlife, collecting sneakers, and playing video games. Apart from hosting parties and taking pictures for parties/bars/clubs, Koby is learning to DJ as a hobby with all sorts of house and hip-hop as the main genres.

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Edited by Debasish