No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self has nothing but respect for No. 5 Houston Cougars counterpart Kelvin Sampson.
After the Jayhawks defeated Houston on Monday, 69-56, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., Self made his thoughts clear on where he stands regarding Sampson’s candidacy for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
“I’m not an expert on judging. But I do know this – there’s not a better ball coach in America than Kelvin Sampson,” Self told reporters during the postgame press conference, via Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Magazine.
“So you don’t have to be in the Hall to be one of the best..I hope he gets in. Because I think he’s terrific.”
Sampson has yet to win a national championship, but his longevity and overall body of work certainly warrant at least serious consideration for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The 70-year-old Sampson has twice been named the Associated Press Coach of the Year and has over 700 wins as a head coach in college basketball.
If anything, Self’s endorsement speaks a lot about Sampson’s legacy. For one, Self is a Basketball Hall of Famer, having been enshrined in Springfield in 2017.
As for the game, Sampson’s Cougars failed to arrest their skid, as their loss to Self’s team was their third in a row — all against ranked opponents.
Nevertheless, Houston is widely expected to earn a spot in the looming NCAA Tournament.
