SAN ANTONIO -- Kelvin Sampson reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, scrolling through more than 400 congratulatory texts.
He took a few minutes to wade through all of the well-wishes, then when he came across the message from longtime Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Sampson's voice choked with emotion.
"I'm the happiest person in San Antonio today," Popovich wrote after Houston beat Tennessee in the Elite Eight to send Sampson to his second Final Four with the Cougars. "But not as happy as you, Karen and the family and your whole program built with grit, character and love.