Houston coach Kelvin Sampson embraces forward J’Wan Roberts after the team advances to the Final Four, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Indianapolis, Ind. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
INDIANAPOLIS — Graduate forward J’Wan Roberts and graduate guard L.J. Cryer are the only Cougars with Final Four experience — but not for long. The veteran duo will lead the charge as Houston eyes its first elusive national title.
The pair secured top-seeded Houston a ticket to continue its mission with a 69-50 win over No. 2 seed Tennessee at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, clinching Houston’s seventh-ever trip to the Final Four and first since 2021.
“To be able to do it in my last year is definitely special,” Cryer said. “Going out with a bang.”
The 2021 Final Four included Cryer and Roberts’ clash in the national semifinals, where Cryer’s Baylor squad eliminated Houston before claiming the title at the very site where red and white confetti fell this year. Now, they return to the Final Four, this time on the same side.
Their leadership is just one of the team’s strengths. Behind them is a united group ready to fight for a shared goal.
The Cougars were tested, taking the toughest road to the Final Four and becoming the first team since the 2017 national champion North Carolina to face the highest possible seed in each round.
“It’s special because you’re doing it with guys that you love, and it’s always good being on the right side of history,” Cryer said.
It isn’t just about talent. It’s about the countless Cougars who buy into the program and choose to stay rather than flee to the transfer portal. Thanks to extended eligibility and the “Run It Back” campaign, the Cougars retained Roberts, Cryer and graduate guard Mylik Wilson after injuries derailed their 2024 run in the Sweet 16 vs. Duke.
Only two players moved through Houston’s transfer portal after the season: junior guard Milos Uzan arrived, while graduate guard Damian Dunn departed.
With nearly the same cast, aside from former guard Jamal Shead, who left for the NBA.
Houston got a rare shot at redemption.
“We are the most committed team in college basketball,” legendary broadcaster and UH alum Jim Nantz said. “People don’t want to leave Camp Sampson.”
Coach Kelvin Sampson’s leadership established the framework for Houston’s success, but the players bring that foundation to life, embodying a relentless commitment to defense, discipline and selflessness.
That commitment to excellence was on full display as Houston dominated Tennessee in what many thought was going to be an even match.
The Cougars’ relentless defense set the tone early on, crushing the Vols’ dreams of advancing to their first-ever Final Four.
The Cougars, who earned their 34th win to set a school single-season record, held Tennessee to 15 points in the first half. Houston became the first team in history to hold a No. 2 seed to fewer than 16 points in a half.
The Cougars led by as much as 22, but the Vols cut it to 10 after going on a 10-4 run late in the second half. Still, they never cracked 30% from the field.
Redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp, named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region, finished with 16 points and nailed back-to-back Houston scores from 3-point range.
Wilson, a game-time decision, then hit a three for his first points to push the lead to 17.
“I came back for these moments,” Wilson said. “We were so close last year. We have the opportunity again to be a national champion.”
The Midwest Regional champion Cougars played more than 1,000 miles from home.
Now, they will travel just under 200 miles to San Antonio to face the East Region’s No. 1 seed Duke in Saturday’s national semifinal at 7:49 p.m.
“We’ll jump on the interstate and head down to San Antonio,” Sampson said. “That’s why you don’t complain because it can flip the other way.”
The Cougars, who have won 30 of their last 31 games, aim to bring home a championship trophy on the return trip.
That trophy would be a gift for generations.
“It’s been building for decades,” Nantz said. “Some year for all those players for Guy v. (Lewis)… some year we are going to win that championship. And you know what? It might be this year.”
