Houston Coach Sampson Praises Big 12 After Heartbreaking Loss to Arizona

Kelvin Sampson tips his cap to the competitive Big 12 conference after his Cougars fell short in the tournament championship game.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 3:57pm

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Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson spoke highly of the Big 12 conference after his team's 79-74 loss to Arizona in the tournament championship game. Sampson acknowledged the strength of the league, which has added several new teams in recent years, making it the best conference in America "top to bottom." Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Sampson praised his team's effort and resilience, noting that the game could have gone either way between the two evenly matched squads.

Why it matters

Sampson's comments highlight the growing reputation and competitiveness of the Big 12 conference, which has become one of the premier basketball leagues in the country. The addition of several new teams has bolstered the conference's depth and made it an extremely challenging environment for even the top programs. Houston's narrow loss to Arizona underscores the fine line between winning and losing at the highest levels of college basketball.

The details

In the Big 12 tournament championship game, Houston led Arizona 41-44 at halftime but ultimately fell 79-74. Sampson acknowledged that the game could have gone either way, with the outcome coming down to "a break... a whistle... a bounce" between the two evenly matched teams. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd praised his team's "unbreakable spirit" and resilience in the face of Houston's second-half surge.

  • The Big 12 tournament championship game was played on Saturday, March 15, 2026.

The players

Kelvin Sampson

The head coach of the Houston Cougars basketball team.

Tommy Lloyd

The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“Big 12 is a great league. Coaches are all conditioned to say their league is the best, but not everybody's league is the best.”

— Kelvin Sampson, Head Coach, Houston Cougars

“They're just resilient, you know? And they just have this unbreakable spirit. These guys do an amazing job of figuring it out in tough moments.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona Wildcats

What’s next

Houston now awaits its NCAA tournament seeding and opponent after falling short in the Big 12 championship game.

The takeaway

Kelvin Sampson's praise for the competitive Big 12 conference, even in defeat, underscores the league's growing reputation as one of the premier basketball environments in the country. Despite the heartbreaking loss, Houston proved it can compete with the best teams in the nation, setting the stage for an exciting NCAA tournament run.