No Escape for Kelvin Sampson From the NCAA Community as National Reporter Exposes Major Blunder Behind Houston’s Finals Collapse

In the last 7 seasons, Kelvin Sampson has the best overall record with the most wins in Division I (216). But when it mattered the most, his Houston team faltered under pressure to Florida. The win would have made him the oldest coach with the championship, but those dreams remain crushed for now. During the game, the Gators trailed by as many as 12, were finally ahead at 64-63 — its first lead since 8-6 in the first half. Throughout the game, Todd Golden’s side led only for a minute and 4 seconds. But more stats explain how the Cougars lost it at the end!

“Houston had four turnovers in the first 36:35,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello added on X. “Houston turned it over five times in the final 3:24, including three times in the final minute.” It was Emanuel Sharp, who not only gave away a turnover but also his hesitation cost the game for Kelvin Sampson and co. Earlier in the game, on Houston’s penultimate offensive possession, Sharp lost control of the ball while trying to drive through three Gators defenders, turning it over to Florida.

Knowing this, a fan wrote, “Sampson meltdown again.” The sentiment is not wrong, as the head coach did call out his player Sharp in the post-game press conference. “At the end, you’ve gotta get a shot. You’ve gotta do better than that.” With under five seconds remaining, he had a chance to take a long-range 3-pointer, but instead, he hesitated and pulled the ball down, opting not to take the shot. This decision meant he couldn’t touch the ball, or it would be a turnover, causing the clock to run out and sealing the loss for Houston.

Houston had four turnovers in the first 36:35.

Houston turned it over five times in the final 3:24, including three times in the final minute.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 8, 2025

One fan would question the defensive culture of Houston as that narrative dominated the headlines. “All those “culture vultures” are going to have a difficult time explaining this.” Frankly, Houston was the top defensive team in the tournament. They managed to keep out the consensus number 1 2025 NBA draft pick, Cooper Flagg, during the Final Four.

This is a developing story…

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