How Kelvin Sampson’s 21-2 Houston Team Forced Itself Into the No. 1 Seed Race (Again) — Snow Days, Future NBA Stars Finding Grit and JoJo Tugler Timeout Talks

SALT LAKE CITY —  Something changed in a ballroom in snowy Lubbock, with the University of Houston players and coaches left with little to do but stare at each other and face their own shortcomings on the screen. UH assistant coach Kellen Sampson sometimes felt like Jack Nicklaus during the Shining during winter storm forced extended stay in West Texas. But he sees how good the miserable pause turned out to be for Chris Cenac Jr., Kingston Flemings, Emanuel Sharp, Kalifa Sakho and the rest of the Cougars now. How it built everyone’s resolve. Made it more Cougar like, Kelvin Sampson worthy.

“We got stranded in a public ballroom and we certainly reinforced what Cougar toughness is,” Kellen Sampson tells PaperCity of those extended sessions after the 90-86 loss to Texas Tech. “To two weeks later, to be in a similar situation, a nip-and-tuck, back-and-forth game where toughness was going to be the factor, for our guys to respond — that shows their character.

“They’re learning to become Houston Cougars.”

The clutch close 77-66 win over BYU started another extended road trip for Kelvin Sampson’s team — this one planned. And much more pleasant, the tone set by a victory wrestled for by Houston grabbing six offensive rebounds in the final nine minutes of the game. Sampson’s Cougars would enjoy a team Super Bowl watch party at their hotel, a needed break before Tuesday night’s 8 pm game (ESPN2) at the University of Utah completes this five day road trip. They worked out at the Utah Jazz’s practice facility on Monday.

It took a defensive recovery play from the ages from unicorn difference maker JoJo Tugler, what’s becoming teenage point guard Kingston Flemings’ usual closing kick and one of lifeline shooting guard Emanuel Sharp’s most complete games to beat BYU and move UH back into the Top 3 in the AP College Basketball Top 25. It also took everyone, which may be the most important turn of all.

Houston assistant Kellen Sampson to @PaperCityMag on JoJo Tugler’s incredible 3-point challenge and recovery block at rim: “That’s what the National Defensive Player of the Year does. He erases bad moments… And that’s why he should be the National Defensive Player of the Year… https://t.co/AgGtiDbnWe pic.twitter.com/SJ6xQBexru

— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) February 8, 2026

This has long stood out as Kelvin Sampson’s most talented-packed team (having two potential NBA Lottery picks and multiple other potential future Association guys can do that). But in the win over BYU, these Cougars looked more connected than ever. They leaned on each other and got important contributions from nine different players on the roster (Mercy Miller grabbed a big offensive rebound in just four minutes of action),

There is JoJo Tugler excitedly talking in the huddles, sharing what his basketball savant mind sees on the court, urging on his teammates.

“JoJo’s always talking,” Kelvin Sampson when I ask him about the huddle animated Tugler. “. . . JoJo’s always talking. It’s just getting to where I can understand what he’s saying now. I’m growing.” Sampson laughs. This basketball lifer of a coach gives you glimpses of how much he enjoys coaching this team now and then. Even if he’ll still throw up his hands or shake his head on the sidelines after every Kingston Flemings turnover. This Hall of Fame nominated coach isn’t always as upset as he actually appears.

Sampson’s already kicked this team out of a few practices altogether this season, ordering his players to come back at 6 am the next morning. With the demand of showing better effort. Sometimes Kelvin Sampson just wants to see the response, what he gets back.

“You prepare for these moments when everybody’s watching when nobody’s watching,” Sampson says. “The days when I kick them out of practice and brought them in at 6’o’clock. And I walked on the court at 5:30 (am) and they’re all in there before 5:30. That’s how you built culture.

“As innocent and as outlandish as that sounds, that helps you win on the road. Is overcoming adversity.”

This is is how this Houston team just kept winning, partly under the national radar (certainly not standing out as one of the uber hyped teams like Arizona, Michigan, UConn and Duke most of this season), until college basketball’s pollsters (this is a five spot jump to No. 3 after the BYU win) and metrics (the Cougars are up to No. 5 in the KenPom rankings) finally catch up.

21-2 And Not Close To Done Yet With Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac

Don’t look now, but Kelvin Sampson’s team is still breathing down undefeated Arizona’s neck in the Big 12 title race, right in reach of another No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“What I love about this Houston team is — unlike last year when they had so many veterans — you have a good portion of guys who’ve been there, done that,” ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla tells PaperCity. “But you also have some young guys like (Isiah) Harwell, Flemings and Cenac that are growing up quickly. And they get coached hard every day. And have been since June. . .

“Those three freshmen chose to go to a place where they were going to be coached harder than anybody would ever expect a superstar to be coached. It’s paying off now. And the coaching’s not just done from Kelvin and his staff. The coaching’s coming from guys like Los Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and Jo Tugler.”

Tugler is in backup center Kalifa Sakho’s ear almost as much as assistant coach K.C. Beard. And often louder. Especially during those timeout huddles.

“He’s like ‘You’re doing a good job. You’re getting better,’ ” Sakho says of Tugler’s timeout talks. ” ‘We’re going to need you.’ And when he sees something on the court, he’ll tell me.”

“You prepare for these moments when everybody’s watching when nobody’s watching. The days when I kick them out of practice and brought them in at 6’o’clock. And I walked on the court at 5:30 (am) and they’re all in there before 5:30. That’s how you built culture. As innocent and as outlandish as that sounds, that helps you win on the road. Is overcoming adversity.” — UH coach Kelvin Sampson

One of the things that Sampson’s found with the tinkering and recalibrating that he does with every one of his teams is that this particular group works best when Tugler is given an early rest after about four minutes of all-out JoJo unbridled intensity. This is when Sakho first comes in now, which also seems to be helping this rare Sampson transfer portal addition be ready late too.

For there Sakho is outmuscling everyone inside to grab an offensive rebound and put it back in for arguably the single biggest basket of the game, stretching UH’s lead over BYU to six points with 4:39 remaining. That is just one of the six offensive rebounds that Kelvin Sampson’s team outfights the home team for down the stretch. Culture senior Ramon Walker Jr. also snares a huge one. Emanuel Sharp (14 points, four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a game-high plus 20 plus-minus rating) grabs one off his own miss. Cenac battles for one. Tugler second jumps for one before picking up his fourth foul. Sakho adds another while playing for Tugler.

This Houston team’s talent never leaves. But suddenly its grit is there too, as strong as ever. This is how a game featuring three of the top freshmen in the country (and three soon-to-be high NBA picks) in BYU’s AJ Dybantsa (28 points), Kingston Flemings (18 points, five assists, five rebounds) and Chris Cenac (16 points, five rebounds, a block and a steal) turns on hustle plays and fight. This is what happens when future superstars play like Kelvin Sampson Cougars.

“We got stranded in a public ballroom and we certainly reinforced what Cougar toughness is. To two weeks later, to be in a similar situation, a nip-and-tuck, back-and-forth game where toughness was going to be the factor, for our guys to respond — that shows their character.” — UH assistant Kellen Sampson

That quiet ballroom in Lubbock, with snow swirling outside the insulated windows and no way to leave, helped pushed this team to a new level too. With Sampson feeling his team had been punked on the boards by Texas Tech and JT Toppin. With the video clips unmerciful in their reality.

“Adversity’s important for all of us as human beings,” Kelvin Sampson says. “To be able to handle your adversity, And it can come in many different ways. But the way this team has responded. . .”

Other programs and fanbases around the country may laugh at the idea of Sampson’s program overcoming adversity. After all, this is the winningest program in college basketball since 2018 and almost any other time span you could cherry pick since then. These UH Cougars have lost a total of five, five, four, six and four games in the five seasons before this one.

Go ahead and chuckle. Then imagine yourself snowbound with a livid Kelvin Sampson.