KRISTIE RIEKEN
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson celebrates cutting the net after Houston became American Athletic Conference regular season champions after an NCAA college basketball game against Temple, Thursday, March 3, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Justin Rex)
Sampson transforms Houston from afterthought to contender

By Kristie Rieken Mar. 16, 2022 05:07 AM EDT
HOUSTON (AP) — When veteran coach Kelvin Sampson took over at Houston in 2014, the

Kentucky guard Davion Mintz (10) shoots next to Texas A&M guard Tyrece Radford (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Justin Rex)
No. 12 Kentucky withstands test from Aggies in 64-58 win

By Kristie Rieken Jan. 19, 2022 10:56 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Kentucky coach John Calipari would certainly prefer his

FILE - Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams talks to his team from the sideline as they play against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fayetteville, Ark., in this Saturday, March 6, 2021, file photo. Williams was expected to help the Aggies reach the next level when he was hired after guiding Virginia Tech to three straight NCAA tournaments, capped by a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2019. The Aggies went 16-14 in his first season before things fell apart last season. The Aggies finished 8-10 and 2-8 in Southeastern Conference play last year in a season with multiple stops and starts because of the coronavirus.(AP Photo/Michael Woods, File)
Buzz Williams hits reset in third season with Texas A&M

By Kristie Rieken Oct. 21, 2021 03:12 PM EDT
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Buzz Williams is entering his third season at

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2019, file photo, Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams calls a play as Texas A&M played Texas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fort Worth, Texas. As Williams enters Year 2 at Texas A&M, the former Virginia Tech coach knows that most outside his program aren’t expecting much from the Aggies this year--and he isn’t the least bit concerned about it. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins, File)
Williams looks for improvement from Aggies in second season

By Kristie Rieken Nov. 11, 2020 02:52 PM EST
Texas A&M was expected to be among the worst teams in the Southeastern

FILE - In this March 10, 2018, file photo, Stephen F. Austin head coach Kyle Keller reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Southeastern Louisiana in the Southland Conference's men's basketball tournament championship game in Houston. Stephen F. Austin had three teams on a list released Tuesday that could have faced bans because they posted a four-year score below 930. Stephen F. Austin avoided postseason bans because of low scores on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, by agreeing to several sanctions including probation, scholarship reductions and the forfeiture of wins. Stephen F. Austin's men's basketball team had the lowest score of any team in Division I. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke, File)
Stephen F. Austin gets postseason bans; agrees to sanctions

By Kristie Rieken May. 20, 2020 02:22 PM EDT
HOUSTON (AP) — Stephen F. Austin received postseason bans and agreed to several

Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley (5) looks to pass the ball as Texas A&M guard Andre Gordon (20) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
Quickley scores 30 as No. 8 Kentucky downs Texas A&M 69-60

By Kristie Rieken Feb. 25, 2020 09:09 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Immanuel Quickley swears he had no idea he'd made

Nembhard scores 24 as Gators beat Aggies 78-61

By Kristie Rieken Feb. 12, 2020 10:52 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Florida coach Mike White raved about his team's

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019, file photo, Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams speaks during the Southeastern Conference NCAA college basketball media day in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)
Buzz Williams working to put mark on Aggies in 1st season

By Kristie Rieken Oct. 24, 2019 03:08 PM EDT
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — As Buzz Williams tried to put his stamp on the

Buzz Williams introduced as Texas A&M's new coach

By Kristie Rieken Apr. 04, 2019 08:29 PM EDT
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Buzz Williams valued his time as an assistant under

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson yells from the sidelines during the first half of a men's NCAA tournament college basketball Midwest Regional semifinal game against Kentucky Friday, March 29, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Coach Kelvin Sampson signs extension to stay with Houston

By Kristie Rieken Apr. 04, 2019 12:16 PM EDT
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston coach Kelvin Sampson has signed a contract extension through

Houston players celebrate after their second round men's college basketball game against Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament Sunday, March 24, 2019, in Tulsa, Okla. Houston won 74-59. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Cougars return to Sweet 16 for 1st time since days of Hakeem

By Kristie Rieken Mar. 27, 2019 06:36 PM EDT
HOUSTON (AP) — When the Houston Cougars were last in the Sweet 16 Hakeem Olajuwon

Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy leaves the court after losing to Mississippi State an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi State won 80-54. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Texas A&M fires basketball coach Kennedy after 14-18 season

By Kristie Rieken Mar. 15, 2019 06:50 PM EDT
HOUSTON (AP) — Texas A&M fired basketball coach Billy Kennedy on Friday.

Silva's 22 points lead South Carolina to 71-54 win over A&M

By Kristie Rieken Mar. 05, 2019 08:59 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — South Carolina coach Frank Martin was thrilled his team

FILE - In this March 11, 2018, file photo, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson and assistant coach Kellen Sampson, right, celebrate after a score during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game against Cincinnati, at the American Athletic Conference tournament, in Orlando, Fla. The entire team piles into coach Sampson's house before each home game to prepare for the next opponent, eat his wife Karen's delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies and bond like a family. The routine is something Sampson and his players agree has created an environment of closeness and trust that is an integral ingredient in the ninth-ranked Cougars' success this season. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
Sampson's family feel has No. 9 Houston soaring

By Kristie Rieken Feb. 22, 2019 04:21 PM EST
HOUSTON (AP) — When Kelvin Sampson coached at Washington State in the late 1980s his

Texas A&M overcomes big deficit for 65-56 win over Alabama

By Kristie Rieken Feb. 19, 2019 11:14 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — When Texas A&M fell behind by double digits in the

Starks and Chandler help lift Aggies over Georgia 73-56

By Kristie Rieken Feb. 12, 2019 09:36 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — When the Texas A&M Aggies were struggling through a

Tennessee forward Grant Williams (2) and guard Jordan Bone (0) talk as they head to the free throw line after a foul during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
No. 1 Tennessee gets 16th straight win, 93-76 against A&M

By Kristie Rieken Feb. 02, 2019 10:07 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Top-ranked Tennessee didn't take much time to celebrate

Texas A&M guard TJ Starks (2) and LSU guard Tremont Waters (3) chase the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Waters scores 36 to lead No. 19 LSU over Texas A&M, 72-57

By Kristie Rieken Jan. 30, 2019 11:25 PM EST
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — LSU coaches and players had been encouraging Tremont