SAN ANTONIO (AP) — It took years for Kelvin Sampson to turn Houston into one of the NCAA's top programs once again, built on defense, toughness and rebounding.
It wasn't quite enough to secure the first national championship for Sampson and the Cougars, at least not this season. And Sampson, who has rehabilitated his image from his days as a pariah to an almost-lovable coaching lifer, could only watch as his team struggled to score in the agonizing final moments of Monday night's 65-63 loss to Florida in the title game.
It ended with Houston unable to get up a shot, with Emanuel Sharp forced to let the ball bounce after jumping to take a 3-pointer and instead being forced to dribble while airborne to avoid a turnover thanks to a hard closeout by Florida's Walter Clayton Jr.