NCAAB News: Cougars HC Kelvin Sampson makes major admission about Purdue star Braden Smith

The NCAA Tournament is on the brink of a major showdown between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Houston Cougars. Kelvin Sampson knows he’ll face a tough opponent led by Braden Smith, a player he must stay highly alert to in order to come out on top in this matchup.

In recent statements to the press, the experienced Houston Cougars head coach acknowledged that Purdue has, without a doubt, one of the best players in the league in Braden Smith, a player who can make a difference at any moment.

“Basketball IQ off the charts,” Kelvin Sampson said via Joseph Duarte on X (formerly Twitter). “Arguably the best point guard in the nation,” he also added.

Smith leads Matt Painter’s team in several statistics. He is averaging 16 points per game and also tops the Big Ten in total minutes played, assists, and steals.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars looks on against the SIU Edwardsville Cougars during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at INTRUST Arena on March 20, 2025 in Wichita, Kansas.

The geographical disadvantage for Houston

Next Friday, March 28th, the Cougars and Boilermakers will go head-to-head to determine who advances to the next stage in this thrilling March Madness. The game will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which some analysts view as a geographical disadvantage for Sampson’s team.

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Popular college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein made his stance clear regarding the significant disadvantage the Cougars face heading into this crucial Sweet 16 matchup.

“This is as ridiculous of a geographic situation that I have ever seen for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament in almost 20 years of covering the sport at the national level,” Rothstein said. “Houston is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and all we hear about is that the top seeds should be in a situation, as frequently as possible, where they are protected geographically. Well, the Cougars are not protected geographically.”