INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly 20 years have passed since Kelvin Sampson last climbed a ladder at an NCAA tournament regional and snipped a net to go to a Final Four.
Over those two decades, Sampson has been atop the coaching profession, shrouded in NCAA infamy and rejuvenated by a hitch in the NBA. He bristles at the notion of his journey being some kind of redemption story, but his full circle from 2002 Final Four to 2021 Final Four encapsulates a dizzying gamut of emotions.
In the wake of No. 2 Houston’s 67-61 clubbing of No. 12 Oregon State to clinch that Final Four bid, Sampson’s 19-year coda is complete.