Saturday night officially marked Kelvin Sampson’s second Final Four appearance as the head coach of the Houston Cougars. He’s built the program into one of the most consistently dominant in the country, even leading in total wins over the last five NCAA Tournaments, however, Sampson has yet to get over the hump and bad luck with injuries is a big reason why.
If there is a curse handing over the program, last season it manifested in a Jamal Shead Sweet 16 ankle injury against Duke. Without Shead for the entire second half, Houston fell short 54-51. Now, Sampson’s Cougars have a chance at revenge, once again facing Duke, this time in the Final Four, and once again a key ankle injury nearly derailed their national championship hopes.
jojo tuglerpic.twitter.com/URfsy7KEL5
— ◇ (@H00DH3R0) April 6, 2025
Houston defensive star Joseph Tugler has first-half injury scare vs. Duke
Just a minute into the Final Four, Joseph Tugler rolled his ankle as he landed on the foot of Duke center Khaman Maluach. Tugler left the floor and was seen on the exercise bike along the sidelines of the Alamodome.
Houston fans may have had a nightmarish flashback to Shead’s swollen ankle a season ago, but this time the Cougars got lucky. Tugler was able to return to the game with 11:51 remaining in the first half.
The Cougars have struggled to score through the first half against a dominant defensive team with overwhelming size at every position. So, it will be even more crucial for Sampson’s group to lean into its defensive identity which in many ways is centered around its 6-foot-8 sophomore defensive anchor.
Tugler was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Award winner as the nation’s best defender. With his remarkable wingspan, Tugler has averaged nearly two blocks and a steal in his 21.7 minutes a game. His presence will be necessary to slow down Wooden Award winner Cooper Flagg and the rest of the Blue Devils, so with his return to the floor, Houston fans can exhale.