In a tense Final Four showdown on April 5, 2025, Houston’s relentless attention to detail proved decisive. Head coach Kelvin Sampson’s strict “150 free throws a day” routine—instilled to sharpen a once-vulnerable area—paid off at the perfect moment.
With 19.6 seconds left and Houston trailing, sixth-year senior J’Wan Roberts stepped to the line and calmly knocked down both free throws, giving the Cougars a 68-67 advantage over Duke.
J’Wan Roberts Sinks Clutch Shots as Kelvin Sampson’s 150-a-Day Rule Pays Off
Houston held on for a 70-67 upset victory, stunning a favored Blue Devils squad. The triumph punched Houston’s ticket to the national championship game and underscored how Sampson’s methodical approach transformed fundamentals into game-winning assets under pressure.
Sampson’s demand for perfection at the free-throw line had its roots in a painful loss. On March 29, 2024, Houston was bounced from the Sweet 16 after a narrow 54-51 defeat to Duke. The Cougars made just 9 of 17 free throws—an abysmal 52.9%.
Roberts, then a senior, missed five of his eight attempts. That night in Dallas ignited a program-wide change.
Sampson installed a mandatory routine: every player had to make 150 free throws a day. It wasn’t a suggestion—it was enforced. Graduate assistants tracked each player’s tally and slid daily reports under Sampson’s door.
Even with an estimated 100 days off between seasons, Roberts had likely made over 39,000 free throws since that loss. Entering 2024–25, Roberts had a 59.1% career average from the line. The rule was both a challenge and a second chance.
On April 5, 2025, inside the Alamodome, before 68,252 fans, the payoff came. Houston trailed Duke 67-61 with under a minute to play in the Final Four. But the Cougars—powered by the nation’s top-ranked defense and a plus-11 rebounding edge—clawed back.
Joseph Tugler’s putback dunk and an Emanuel Sharp 3-pointer cut the lead to one with 25 seconds left.
Then, with 20.3 seconds remaining, Duke’s Tyrese Proctor missed the front end of a one-and-one. On the rebound, Cooper Flagg was whistled for an over-the-back foul against Roberts. Duke fans labeled it “ticky-tack.” With 19.6 seconds to play, Roberts stood at the line—facing the same team that had ended his season a year ago.
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“I wasn’t even nervous,” Roberts said.
He kissed his wrist, sank the first to tie it at 67, signaled calm to the crowd, then hit the second for the lead. Flagg missed a contested jumper guarded by Roberts, and LJ Cryer’s late free throws sealed a 70-67 win. Sampson credited instinct over design:
“We score more unscripted points than we do off of set plays,” he said. “This ain’t a beauty contest. But that old mare knows how to navigate a basketball court for 40 minutes.”
