Houston in Final Four: UH Cougars head to San Antonio with fan send-off

HOUSTON - The University of Houston Cougars men's basketball team left for San Antonio on Wednesday, receiving a spirited send-off from fans as they prepare for the Final Four.

Cougars are in the Final Four

What we know:

The UH men's basketball team has made it to the Final Four. They are set to face off against the University of Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team on Saturday.

No fear for fans 

What they're saying:

Jonathan Cummins, a freshman at UH, expressed his enthusiasm: "It’s absolutely amazing; it feels great. I’ve been to almost every home game. Great fans here."

Madeline Rodriguez, in her first semester at UH, shared her hopes for the team: "I’m just so pumped for our basketball team. They better take home the ring."

Jodi Nelms, a UH alum, added, "We can’t wait, and we want them to get our brackets right too. Let’s go guys!"

Fans had the opportunity to collect signatures from players on memorabilia. The crowd erupted when Coach Kelvin Sampson appeared, capturing the moment on his phone.

Alex Fernandez, another UH student, noted, "I’m happy to see them make it all the way. This is the second time in five years."

Blane Burns declared, "It’s exciting. I know we’re going to win it all. Coogs for life."

Students are eagerly counting down the days until the weekend, with many securing tickets to the game. Elijah Zimel said, "We’ll be there. We got tickets. I’m excited to explore San Antonio, but most of all, to watch the Coogs. We’re underdogs, and that’s what’s exciting about this Duke game."

Christopher Reyna added, "I’m super excited. I hope we beat Duke. We need to get our get back from last year."

Cougars revenge against the Blue Devils

Dig deeper:

This will not be the first time the Cougars face off against the Blue Devils in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. Last year, the two teams faced off in the Sweet Sixteen and the Blue Devils advanced and ended the Cougars' season with a 54-51 win.

‘We need to stand on business’

"The other team is big and tall. Duke, they score a lot. That conference seems to score so much. There’s no defense. So just like Tennessee, I hope we come out there and put them in a bad spot and just take advantage of it," Edward Wong, a University of Houston alum, said.

New year, New Coogs

"New point guard. New system. New things going on. I’m pretty optimistic this year," Sara Luna, a student, said.

"We can’t wait and we want them to get our brackets right too. Let’s go guys!" Jodi Nelms, an alum, said.

What's next:

Semi-final game between the Cougars and Blue Devils on April 5.

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