Houston basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson broke down the shocking, game-winning inbounds play against Purdue. The last matchup of the Sweet 16 was a classic, and just when it looked like the Cougars were pulling away, the Boilermakers launched a furious rally to tie the game in the last minute. Fortunately, with 2.8 seconds left in the game, Sampson drew up an phenomenal play that saw the inbounder, Milos Uzan, get the ball immediately back from Joseph Tugler for a layup with just 0.9 left on the clock. The Cougars subsequently won 62-60, advancing to their first Elite Eight in three years.
Sampson gave a detailed response on this genius inbounds play and how it generated the open look.
Kelvin Sampson on the final #Houston inbounds play, which was 3-option read. He says it rarely gets to the third option except in practice.
“We don’t run it enough for a team to be sitting on it.”
He told me they practiced it one of the last 2 days.@KHOU pic.twitter.com/DU4LMLoMeQ— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) March 29, 2025
MILOS UZAN GETS THE BUCKET TO WIN THE GAME FOR HOUSTON
pic.twitter.com/TW8HaCfWDn
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 29, 2025
The Cougars gutted out a crucial win in a game that they were not at their best
Survive and advance. That’s the main takeaway Houston basketball can have from Friday night’s thriller. The Cougars got over a major mental hurdle in this clash against the Boilermakers. For two straight years, the program was a No. 1 seed and fell in the Sweet 16 against an underdog. And, at times against the Boilermakers, it looked like this game was trending in the same direction. The Cougars leading scorer, LJ Cryer, heavily struggled on Friday, scoring just 5 points on 2/13 shooting.
But, unlike past Houston basketball teams, this squad can make up for its best player struggling as it has way more depth and is way more explosive offensively. And fortunately, other players picked up the slack for Cryer, such as Milos Uzan. The junior transfer from Oklahoma has been a game-changer for the Cougars and grown into the season as it has gone on. Uzan finished this game with 22 points and 6 assists, including the viral game-winning bucket.
Overall, while Kelvin Sampson’s program should cherish this incredible result, this group has to be a lot better in the Elite Eight. Second seeded Tennessee is an absolute juggernaut and very confident after the 78-65 win against Kentucky. The Cougars will have to play their best game of the tournament to eliminate what is so far Rick Barnes’ best team in Knoxville.
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