They enjoy seeing opponents colliding, sprawled across the floor. They thrive on rebounding and have used the relentlessly hard-nosed defense that has become their trademark during coach Kelvin Sampson’s 11-year career to take them places once considered unthinkable.

The University of Houston is entering the Final Four as a betting underdog and you won’t get much of a differing opinion from the college basketball experts on TV. ESPN’s Steve Coughlin, aka “Stanford Steve”,

Houston’s relentless defense confused and harassed the Volunteers and carried the Cougars into their first Final Four since 2021.