Houston Coach Channels Spirit of Fallen Player in Thrilling NCAA Tournament Victory

Before the tip-off of Sunday’s clash against Texas A&M, Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson anticipated a tough battle for his Cougars. As the game unfolded, his premonition proved true, and by halftime, Sampson recognized the grueling nature of the contest would persist. It was the type of matchup where former Cougars forward Reggie Chaney, tragically lost to fentanyl toxicity in August 2023, would have excelled.

With his team trailing and needing a spark to overcome the Aggies (which they eventually did, clinching a 100-95 overtime victory to advance to the Sweet 16), Sampson turned to Chaney’s memory in the halftime locker room huddle.

“‘What would 32 do? Reggie Chaney (who wore No. 32 at Houston) would have fought his (expletive) off,'” recounted Houston All-American guard Jamal Shead during a postgame interview, reflecting on Sampson’s halftime message. “He mentioned Reggie, and I kind of didn’t really listen to the rest of the speech, kind of just started to tear up a little bit. So when he asked, what would Reggie do? Reggie would fight. And I think we did that the second half.”

Despite the Cougars’ second-half resilience, the Aggies matched or even surpassed their intensity. In the final 3:43 of regulation, Texas A&M mounted a fierce comeback, outscoring Houston 25-12, capped off by Andersson Garcia’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force overtime. Nevertheless, Sampson’s squad found the resolve to clinch the victory.

“I asked them about Reggie, and as soon as I said it, out of the corner of my eye I saw Jamal got really emotional,” Sampson reflected. “Ramon (Walker Jr.) got really emotional. So that one was for Big Reg.”

In an unexpected turn, Houston walk-on Ryan Elvin emerged as a hero, sinking a crucial free throw with 17 seconds remaining in overtime. Elvin, who had been Chaney’s teammate for three seasons, dedicated the victory to their fallen comrade.

“We play every game for Reggie,” Elvin remarked, acknowledging the No. 32 patch adorning the Cougars’ uniforms all season. “Tough games like this, you know, we know he’s with us. This was his type of game, for sure. Reggie was one of the toughest dudes, if not the toughest dude, I’ve ever been around. When it’s hard games like this, we think about him a little bit more. But he’s always with us.”

Now, as the No. 1 seed, Houston gears up to face Duke in the Sweet 16 on Friday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, the venue for the South Regional. The highly anticipated matchup is scheduled for approximately 9:15 p.m. CT, following the North Carolina State-Marquette game, slated to begin at 6:09 p.m. CT. Fans can catch both games on CBS.