What should be clear is that what some assumed before — some coaches only won because they broke the rules — wasn’t true.

The Houston Cougars are heading to the Final Four in San Antonio, where former IU coach Kelvin Sampson will reunite with a friend from the Hoosier State.

INDIANAPOLIS — A trip to the Final Four in San Antonio has special meaning for University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. It was there that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich offered a lifeline in 2008, just a day after Sampson was fired at Indiana,

Gregg Popovich's statement holds true. Houston Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson and company won't arrive in San Antonio until later this week. “I’m the happiest person in San Antonio today," Popovich Sampson said after Houston's 69-50 win over the Tennessee Volunteers.

Houston is on the doorstep of the Final Four once again, a scenario that only seemed like a dream before Kelvin Sampson came along.Since taking over the Cougars in 2014, Houston has ascended from an afterthought to a national powerhouse.

Tennessee's Rick Barnes and Houston's Kelvin Sampson have known each other since the 1970s. They are coaching against each other in the Elite Eight.

When it comes to college basketball, the name Kelvin Sampson rings loud and clear. The head coach of the Houston Cougars men’s basketball team has built a powerhouse program over the years that has reached at least the Sweet 16 in the last five NCAA Tournaments.

Houston HC Kelvin Sampson joins Colin Cowherd to discuss influencing Houston's culture and defensive mentality.

Kelvin Sampson has one a lot of games, even at IU, but the biggest win has eluded his teams. Houston, taking the toughest NCAA tournament path, wants to win it for him.