As the Kansas Jayhawks continue to grab headlines because of the Darryn Peterson situation, head coach Bill Self can turn that attention to their advantage when they face Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars. Former College Basketball star Mike LaTulip believes Kansas can pull off an upset.
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The Darryn Peterson debate has caught fire after Stephen A. Smith’s public outburst. But Kansas head coach Bill Self could view the Houston game as an opportunity to improve the locker room atmosphere and give the team a much-needed push before the conference playoffs.
Mike LaTulip has pointed out on the Field of 68: After Dark podcast how Kansas can inflict a third straight loss on Houston on Monday night.
“I think Kansas wins this game. I really do, which is crazy to say because that would be three straight (losses) for Houston,” declared college basketball analyst Mike LaTulip before adding, “I think Houston is a title contender. But what my one concern with Houston, and you saw that in the game against Arizona, is if Kansas can play defense like they’re capable of.”
The Houston Cougars were a casualty of poor shooting against the Arizona Wildcats, making just 36% of their field goal attempts. The current Houston roster relies heavily on perimeter shooting and doesn’t drive into its opponents that often. They are one of the worst teams at getting shots at the rim, well below the league average of 31%, as LaTulip highlighted.
Kansas has not been consistent defensively this season. However, the Jayhawks have shown their ability to shut down quality offenses, restricting Iowa State to 63 points at home. Arizona has already displayed Houston’s offensive weakness, and it will now be up to Bill Self to devise a plan to exploit their inability to dominate the paint.
Houston is in the hunt for the top seeding on Selection Sunday, and it will be interesting to see whether Kansas can hurt Kelvin Sampson & co.’s chances.
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson sets the benchmark, says Tommy Lloyd
Even though Kelvin Sampson has yet to win the NCAA Tournament in his coaching career, the 70-year-old has the respect of his peers through his pedigree. We can now add Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd to the growing list of Sampson’s admirers after the Wildcats’ match against the Houston Cougars.
“I don’t know what my coaching career’s going to end up at. But I do know one thing. I’ve become a better coach by coaching against Kelvin Sampson. One hundred percent. You look at coaches that kind of set the benchmark,” Lloyd told the press after their 73-66 win over Houston.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd after win over Houston: “I don’t know what my coaching career’s going to end up at. But I do know one thing. I’ve become a better coach coaching against Kelvin Sampson. One hundred percent. You look at coaches that kind of set the benchmark.” pic.twitter.com/SYYTwfTyvo
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) February 21, 2026
Sampson’s career deserves every bit of the praise. For a head coach with over 800 wins, Kelvin Sampson is in a league of his own. The 70-year-old has etched his name in the history books at Houston and Oklahoma and holds the highest winning percentage at both college programs.
After he arrived in 2014, Houston has slowly grown into prominence and is now contesting to be the top seed come Selection Sunday. He has revamped the Houston program and instilled a winning habit within the team’s core.
While Kelvin Sampson may set the benchmark for fellow coaches, the Arizona defeat has brought their top-seed prospects into question, and a potential loss against Kansas could further dash its hopes of earning early bragging rights.