The Houston Cougars scored the first basket of the game and never looked back as they went wire-to-wire in their dominant 69-50 Elite Eight win over the Tennesee Volunteers. This marks the second time in the last four years that the Cougars have reached the Final Four.
“I’m really proud of our kids,” said 11th-year Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson during the postgame press conference. “We play in a tough conference. I think going 19-1 in the Big 12 – 10-0 on the road – prepared us for this. The Purdue game was kinda like a road game. Tennessee – with their fans – [it was] a little bit like a road game, too. Our kids are kind of calloused to that. Kudos to them. I’m really proud of this bunch. I think the reason why we’ve been so good over the years is we’ve developed a great culture.”
Undoubtedly, the Cougars’ defense is what led them to victory. Normally, Tennessee shoots 45.5% from the field and 34% from the three-point line. Against Houston, the Vols were 28.8% from the field and 17.2% from beyond the arc.
“We start with our defense,” said Sampson. “Our kids understand how meticulous we are with our game plans. What we’re trying to take away. And our kids have a very high basketball IQ. We have a very smart team. We’re able to do some things that may be outside the box.”
Coming into the NCAA Tournament, Houston was the second-ranked defensive team in the country, allowing just 58.5 points per game. Heading into the Final Four, the Cougars are only giving up 58.3 points per game, the best mark in the NCAA.
WELCOME BACK TO THE #MFINALFOUR HOUSTON 🙌#MarchMadness @UHCougarMBK pic.twitter.com/lDPgVtESrJ
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“I mean, that’s what we do,” said junior guard Emanuel Sharp. “We’re a great defensive team. That’s how we like to set the tone of the game, is on the defensive end. And I think when we come out with the right intensity, we’re a hard team to beat. And we did a great job of that today.”
When asked about going up against Duke, junior guard Milos Uzan didn’t sound all that concerned about the Blue Devils.
“I feel like we always want to throw the first punch,” explained Uzan. “Eman (Emanuale Sharp), the way he guards, he was able to get a jump ball early. I feel like it shook those guys up a little bit. It’s super important to just keep our foot on their necks.”
Moments after he finished that sentence, Uzan could be heard saying to his teammates, “I ain’t worried about Duke.”
Whether Uzan is worried or not, the Cougars will have an incredibly tough test next Saturday when they take on the Blue Devils at 8:49 p.m. EST. The winner will go on to the National Championship, where they’ll play the victor of the Florida-Auburn game.
