Kelvin Sampson paused.
As Sampson sat behind the microphone and faced the reporters in the bright orange chairs, he wiped the tears from his eyes.
He had just coached his Houston men’s basketball team to victory in a venue where he historically wasn’t welcome. The Cougars toppled Oklahoma State 63-53 on Saturday afternoon in a game that bared the Cowboys’ youth and inexperience. Sampson’s squad advanced its record to 8-0, knocking OSU to 4-5.
He had reason to show emotion, and it didn’t involve anything that happened on the court.
Sampson, the former Oklahoma basketball coach, admitted that positive and negative memories greeted him when he stepped in Gallagher-Iba Arena.