Houston coach Kelvin Sampson invites Jim Nantz into Final Four celebration photo
03/30/2025 06:15 PM
For the second time in the last five seasons, Kelvin Sampson has led Houston back to the Final Four. While the Cougars have a crucial NCAA Tournament matchup with Duke on the horizon, that did not stop them from celebrating for the time being. Sampson made sure to open the celebration up to everyone involved, including CBS play-by-play commentator Jim Nantz.
As Houston took its Final Four celebratory photo in front of the big bracket, Sampson was seen calling Nantz over in a video from Paper City Magazine’s Chris Baldwin. The Cougars also got Nantz to wear one of their Final Four t-shirts.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson makes Jim Nantz get into the team photo. pic.twitter.com/cLuDCjnLmQ
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) March 30, 2025
Nantz was not calling the game, instead sitting in the bleachers as Andrew Catalon took the game’s play-by-play role with Steve Lappas as his analyst. Nantz was in the crowd as a fan, having graduated from Houston in 1981.
While Nantz no longer calls Houston games, he stopped working college basketball overall in 2023. After decades of being CBS’ lead March Madness broadcaster, the 65-year-old removed the sport from his schedule to spend more time with his family as he ages. Nantz still works NFL games and maintains his signature role with The Masters.
Regardless of his non-existent role in college basketball, Nantz remains an avid supporter of his alma mater. The school inducted him into its Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 and honored him with a banner in the Fertitta Center after his college basketball retirement in 2023.
Houston moves on to face Duke in Final Four
To advance to the Final Four, Houston stifled Tennessee in a defensive battle, picking up a dominant 69-50 win. The victory gave the Cougars their furthest NCAA Tournament advancement since Sampson led them to the semifinals in 2019.
Houston’s Final Four appearance comes after consecutive losses in the Sweet Sixteen. The Cougars have been an elite program for the better part of the last decade but continue to suffer heartbreaking losses in the NCAA Tournament. However, the team’s win over Tennessee gives them 34 wins on the year, the most in program history.
Already the best coach in school history, Sampson has a chance to give Houston its first national championship. The Cougars twice finished as runner-ups in 1983 and 1984 under Guy Lewis but have never made it to the pinnacle.
As close as Houston is in 2025, the team’s next game will be its stiffest test of the year. The Cougars face the daunting matchup with the Cooper Flagg-led Duke team that ranks top-three in offensive and defensive rating on the year. The Blue Devils have already opened as the betting favorites in what should be an all-time classic.
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