The victory on Saturday night against the Arizona Wildcats and the subsequent Big 12 Championship for the Houston Cougars carry extra significance: Kelvin Sampson‘s team secured the title without their star player, J’Wan Roberts, on the court. His ankle injury casts doubt on his availability for the NCAA Championship, which is why the HC addressed the situation.
Once the title was secured against Tommy Lloyd’s team, one of the questions that was naturally directed at Sampson was about the potential return of Roberts to the court, who missed the final stretch of the tournament due to his ankle injury.
CBB insider Jon Rothstein revealed through his official X (formerly Twitter) account the message from the Cougars‘ HC, who stated that there are still no certainties regarding J’Wan Roberts’ possible participation this week.
“Houston’s J’Wan Roberts (ankle) is receiving treatment and will be re-evaluated tomorrow in terms of his status for the Cougars’ first NCAA Tournament game this week, per Kelvin Sampson. DNP in last two games. Averages 10.8 PPG and 6.3 RPG,” Rothstein reported via @JonRothstein.
J’Wan Roberts #13 of the Houston Cougars shoots the ball as Eduardo Andre #0 of the West Virginia Mountaineers defends during the first half at Fertitta Center on January 15, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Roberts is one of the most experienced and talented players on the Houston team. If he is unable to participate in the upcoming games, it will undoubtedly be a significant loss for Sampson’s squad.
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Wildcats HC Tommy Lloyd makes major admission after losing the Big 12 Championship Game
What will be the future of the Cougars in the NCAA Championship?
Although their future is still undecided, winning the Big 12 Championship has allowed Kelvin Sampson’s team to secure one of the top seeds in the league.
According to reports shared by Joseph Duarte through his official X (formerly Twitter) account, it seems that the Cougars requested to participate in the West Region, which means they would play their games in San Francisco.
“For what it’s worth as Selection Sunday approaches, I was told by two different people today that Houston has requested the West Region, which plays second weekend in San Francisco,” Duarte reported via @Joseph_Duarte.
