Houston’s Kelvin Sampson shares plan for players after brutal 0-3 stretch appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
For the third straight time, Houston faced a ranked team, and the wear and tear of battling strong opponents showed, as the team lost to Kansas, 69-56, at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday.
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The No. 5 Cougars had a strong start against the No. 14 Jayhawks. But they tapered off in the second half, with Kansas pouncing on the opportunity to complete the upset victory.
Houston suffered its third straight loss and fell to 23-5, including 11-4 in the Big 12. The Cougars also bowed to No. 4 Iowa State and No. 2 Arizona, marking the first time they suffered a three-game skid since 2017.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson tipped his hat to Kansas’ performance and did not offer big excuses. He, however, noted that his players are now banged up after going through a gauntlet, as reported by Houston Chronicle’s Joseph Duarte.
“What they need right now is rest. Our guys are beat up,” said Sampson.
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The 70-year-old Sampson pointed out that he is proud of the efforts of his players during their hectic schedule and remained unfazed about the impact of their losing streak.
“These three games, even though we lost them, it’s not the end of the world,” added Sampson.
Houston only shot 38% from the field against Kansas, with Kingston Flemings the only player to score in double digits with 16 points on 6-of-18 marksmanship.
While there could be concerns about the Cougars’ spiraling performance ahead of the NCAA Tournament, it would be foolish to count them out, especially with a seasoned mentor like Sampson at the helm.
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He has seen it all in his decades of coaching, and a three-game slide won’t deter the Cougars, who are looking to return to the national championship game.
Houston will have a few days to recover before returning to action against Colorado on Saturday.
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