Kelvin Sampson provided a heartwarming moment Saturday night after Houston’s second-round win over Gonzaga in March Madness 2025.
After his No. 1-seeded Cougars beat the No. 8-seeded Bulldogs, Sampson hugged an emotional Khalif Battle and consoled him.
Battle had his face in his hands and tears in his eyes and was hunched over before Sampson embraced him.
Battle’s college career is over after six seasons between Butler, Temple, Arkansas and finally Gonzaga this year.
He recorded 17 points in Saturday’s loss along with six rebounds.
Gonzaga made a lade comeback bid after trailing by nine points with just over two minutes remaining in the game, but it wasn’t enough as they fell, 81-76.
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Sampson also had high praise for Gonzaga coach Mark Few.
“Let’s stop and congratulate Mark Few and Gonzaga for what they’ve accomplished,” Sampson after the game. “They’ve been such a shining light for basketball programs and basketball coaches for a long, long time. There’s nobody I respect more than Mark Few, and there’s not a basketball program I respect more than Gonzaga. We beat a hell of a program tonight. That makes it even more significant.
“Gonzaga was somebody we’ve always looked up to. When they start rolling with [Dan Monson] and Mons left and took the Minnesota job, right? Then Mark came in. Now all these years later, it’s one of the – he is not one of the best coaches in our game, he’s one of the best coaches our game has ever seen. Mark is a Hall of Famer. Not just Hall of Fame coach. He’s a Hall of Fame everything: Father, husband, friend. He’s one of those guys that makes our profession look good. Mark is a great guy.”
