Coach Sampson's Homecoming: Houston Cougars in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 20th, the Houston Cougars man's basketball team heads to Oklahoma City as the number two seed in the South region for the NCAA tournament. They'll face the number 15 seed Idaho on Thursday at 910 pm in the Pay Com Center with a possible second round game there too. Coach Kelvin Samson is thrilled about the trip since it's a return to a place full of history for him. Samson coached the Oklahoma Sooners from 1994 to 2006, building a powerhouse program. He took them to the final four in 2002, reached the sweet 16 three times and earned 11 NCAA bids, including a nine year streak. For Samson and his family, Norman feels like home. His kids, Kelvin and Lauren grew up there. Kelvin now assists him at Houston, went to school, made lifelong friends, and still visit often. It's where they built so many memories during those 12 years. This week, the Cougars practice at Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center, right where Samson coached for over a decade.

1:01Old friends from his Sooners days, like former athletic director, Joe Castellioni and football coach Bob Stoops, have reached out, showing the strong bonds that remain. As the tournament kicks off, Samson's homecoming adds extra emotion to Houston's run, blending past successes with their current top tier status in the Big 12.