It appears to be getting better and better. It seems that UH’s reputation for developing hoops talent is probably rated somewhere around #1 in the U.S.A.
[NOTE: Now you just have to wonder if there isn’t another young Olajuwon running around out there.]
I’ve never seen UH basketball recruiting like CKS is doing, meaning researching and extending offers over 2 years out. The quality of incoming talent has catapulted from 5 years ago.
That’s what makes Sampson such a great coach. He excels in so many platforms. Being genuine and having the kids’ best interest helps.
He and the staff know how to evaluate talent. They know what they are looking for in a player and they do a great job of recruiting. Then they excel in player development.
And Sampson teaches the game during practices, emphasizing defense and rebounding, which wins games. On top of that he’s a great game coach, understanding the situation, when to sub, when to change up zones and man to man, who to focus offense around, etc. Not all coaches are good game coaches.
And as we can see with the recruiting offers, Sampson plans ahead 3-4 years.
After Lewis. Yeoman, Dave Williams (16 NCAA championships in golf) and Tom Tellez in track and field retired, I wonder where over the last 30 years or so where Sampson ranks among UH coaching hires?
Top 5
I can’t put anyone ahead of Sampson and he would be my #1. He pushed and made sure the facilities got addressed and has a program that was as irrelevant as any could be now being paid attention to on national level. He wins at high rate, he graduates players and is a God send to this athletic department. Some complain of how much his family is involved but hell I would let him hire 3 times as many family members with these results.
You can make an argument for Briles but his competition in CUSA wasn’t near what Sampson faces in AAC to claim conference championship and Sampson has won 2 of those to Briles’ 1 in same 6 year span. Noble and Leroy deserve lots of credit in resurrecting way down programs as well but to me Kelvin has performed miracles here and what I never thought would see again after Admin left basketball to rot for over 2 decades.
Hopefully Sampson finishes here strong…Yeoman, Lewis and Dave Williams were program builders for a long time here.
Remember Lewis had to recruit against the big boys when we were playing at Delmar and Jeppesen!
His success also led to the building of Hofheinz which at the time was as good as any facility in the country. He also recruited and coached up Hall of famers like Hayes, Hakeem and Clyde…not to mention many other great players along with making it to five final fours.
Not taking anything away from Sampson, because he has been a great coach here. We are lucky that he got banned from college basketball for a few years, and then we were able to pluck him to our campus.
I love Sampson and do believe he has the potential to get us to a final four…and when that happens there is always a chance to can win the big prize.
I cannot think of a better coach we have had here since Lewis retired…
Sampson is great, but until he takes us to 5 final fours or a NC, he will be my #2.
Sampson and Leroy Burrell. Both are fantastic coaches.
Just curious who do you have ahead of him in last 30 years? I don’t see why he would have to go to 5 (maybe 1 I could see) final fours to outrank Briles or whomever you have at #1.
They certainly are…so is Carl Lewis…
I am talking Basketball and I have, and will probably always have, Guy V Lewis ahead of him. That’s strictly from my heart and nothing else matters. Guy built UH from nothing and put UH on the map against all odds.
I really appreciate CKS and recognize all he has done. But he has had 5 years, Guy had 30.
OK I was just answering the question above about where he would rank in last 30 years not overall. Poster said after Lewis, Tellez and Yoeman what did we think.
If compared to Lewis then yes that is different story.
I try to separate sports because of apples and oranges. Obviously it would be hard to go against a guy with 16 National Championships, and bunches of top 5 finishes when not winning the NC, as being the greatest coach when comparing records.
OK, after those guys, CKS is #1 hands down our best coach in basketball, and I think all sports except maybe track where Burell is a really great coach in my opinion. There again, we have the apples and oranges bit. Penders is in 2nd place in BB.
Same here I have Sampson number #1
Even though we have history it can be said Sampson has built this program from nothing against all odds.
Exactly.
Nothing against Guy Lewis but he was coaching in an era where recruiting was easier and had Hakeem fall in his lap.
Coach Sampson took over a program that was dead and made it into one of the best programs in the nation.
Exactly. What Sampson has done is unprecedented in the modern era of college hoops!
whoa, just stumbled on this convo…recruiting was easier?? hakeem fell in his lap?
i am the biggest sampson fan…but some of what yall are saying about lewis are just wrong…
UH was actually dead when lewis took over, he took a program that had no history and had them finish #1 in the nation in 10 years (200 d1 at that time) …and he did it with lower touted recruits…elvin hayes was not touted coming in
you cant claim “easier” recruiting when we werent regularly getting the elite recruits. in the phi slamma documentary they noted the top players didnt want to play fo UH, rob had to pave a way…phi slamma was the end of of his tenure
UH was seen as a sleeping giant to everyone when samspon took over…the coach before sampson had teams with 5-6 espn 100 4/5stars , and he got those rosters despite playing in a 1bid league, no recent success and horrific facilities…
you cant claim hakeem felll in his lap, when akeem was only average as a freshman, the fact that he drastically improved AFTER seasons under lewis is a sign of development by the coach
i love sampon he is not our “hands down” best coach
Can we just say we are very lucky to have Coach Sampson and his family here at UH. I feel like he got a coaching MBA when he went to the pro game those years before arriving at UH. Hats off to alums funding the Tillman Fertitta Center and the basketball facility. All of these things plus success with attendance will help us make a nice run in the next few years.
Wow, simply wow. You have no idea the things and people Guy V had to overcome. Coach Lewis will always be the University of Houston.
Coach Sampson is a great coach but he took over the right program at the right time and got the facilities upgraded and got us back to the dance.
But also remember his last few gigs were at established programs like OU and Indiana.
Glad we have him but he isn’t Coach Lewis
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