Mr. Clutch Guts — Why Mylik Wilson Makes Houston Coach Kelvin Sampson Ignore the Numbers and Turn To Him When It Counts Most

INDIANAPOLIS — Kelvin Sampson’s University of Houston program is as versed in analytics as any elite college basketball program in the land. Sampson’s own NBA and international basketball experience, plus video wizard turned assistant coach K.C. Beard’s longtime tech embrace, ensures that. These 32-4 Cougars use plenty of numbers, diving deep into the analytics to search for any possible edge. But Sampson does not want to hear what the numbers are for Mylik Wilson.

When it comes to UH’s fifth-year senior guard, the guy who battled so hard to get here and then battled every day since, Sampson knows better than any analytics.

“I don’t care what the numbers say about Mylik,” Houston’s head coach tells PaperCity. “I don’t care what he shoots in the first five minutes he’s in the game. Because I know that kid is going to hit the shots late in the game.

“When we need something late in a game, Mylik’s going to be there. Mylik’s not pretty. But that kid is tough. He is not afraid.”

This is how Mylik Wilson, who came back for one last season at Houston guaranteed nothing, unsure what his role would be — or if he’d even have a regular one on a deep, talented UH team — has turned into one of Kelvin Sampson’s trusted closers heading into Friday night’s Sweet 16 showdown with Purdue (9:09 pm tip, TBS). Wilson doesn’t start. Super talent Terrance Arceneaux and shot swatting big man Ja’Vier Francis often come into games before he does on Houston’s regular second unit. But down the stretch of close games, No. 8 is in there a lot.

Sometimes Sampson will rotate Emanuel Sharp and Mylik Wilson in and out for offense and defense in the last few minutes of a tight game. This postseason, Sampson’s also been playing starting point guard Milos Uzan and Mylik Wilson together in lineups more, giving UH a chance to create defensive havoc and get out in transition a little more in something of a two point guard set.

The common theme? Kelvin Sampson is finding more ways to get Mylik Wilson on the floor more in the games that matter the most. The win-or-go-home NCAA Tournament games that can cruelly test the guts of even the most level-headed players. Sampson doesn’t worry about Wilson in those. Wilson’s logged at least 20 minutes of court time in all five of Houston’s postseason games. The coach knows this guard’s tough enough for the moment.

It shows again in that close second round win over Gonzaga’s own powerhouse program, the type of W that can propel a team’s NCAA Tournament run. Wilson flies in out of nowhere to grab a crucial offensive rebound with Houston clinging to a four point lead with 52 seconds left. Then he hits one of two free throws after getting fouled to push the Cougars’ advantage up to five points. Wilson is only shooting 71 percent from the free-throw line this season, but Sampson believes he will hit enough of them late. When Houston absolutely needs it.

Later with Gonzaga going for a game-tying three in the closing seconds, Wilson combines with Ja’Vier Francis to make sure Khalif Battle never even gets a prayer up.

“Huge, huge,” UH associate head coach Quannas White says, marveling at Wilson’s ability to consistently make a play, sometimes out of nothing. “Without that rebound, it makes it hard. So when you have a guy like that who’s not worried about his stats and not worried about shooting the ball, he shoots when it’s time, but he’s just a winner.

“A rebound like that at that time of the game is critical. But Mylik’s been doing that his entire career.”

Wilson pursues the basketball like a Bachelor contestant stalks the actual bachelor. It doesn’t matter that he’s only 6-foot-3, often one of the smaller guys on the court. He anticipates, makes his move first and uses his athletic ability and impressive (unguard-like) wingspan to get there. Mylik Wilson only needs to get there the same time as someone else. For no one’s out fighting him for the basketball.

Not on his last run. If more shots or more attention meant more to Wilson, he would have followed the advice of everyone in his orbit who urged him to transfer to a smaller program, a smaller stage, after last season. He’s still at Houston to win the big one — the natty — with his dudes.

Pity the fool who tries to get in-between Mylik Wilson and that.

“Just trying to do whatever it takes to win,” Wilson tells PaperCity. “When I’m on the floor, the last five minutes, it’s gut cutting up time now.

“It’s time to win.”

“I don’t care what the numbers say about Mylik. I don’t care what he shoots in the first five minutes he’s in the game. Because I know that kid is going to hit the shots late in the game.” — Houston coach Kelvin Sampson

Mylik Wilson’s Last Stand

For Wilson, the only time is now. This March is it, no chance for redos or running it back. Now or never.

After bouncing around college basketball a little, from University of Louisiana at Lafayette (the program Quannas White is taking over as head coach now) to Texas Tech amid coaching changes, Mylik Wilson found a coach and a program that appreciates his unique gifts in Kelvin Sampson and Houston.

In other places Wilson’s been that type of offensive rebound he snared against Gonzaga would not be as celebrated as it is at Houston. In Sampson’s program, almost every one of Wilson’s teammates came up to give him props for that chase down rebound in traffic at some point.

There are no little plays, only little players. While UH’s Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JoJo Tugler is college basketball’s ultimate unicorn, Mylik Wilson is something of a unique beast himself.

“Mylik is the ultimate role player,” White tells PaperCity. “Whatever we need from him, that’s what he wants to do. He loves his teammates. There’s not many guys across the country that’s like Mylik. He’s a really unique and special player. He’s a special person. He’s selfless.

“He cares only about winning.”

In an era when the transfer portal rules college basketball, and seemingly everyone jumps in to look for a better gig or more money, Mylik Wilson is unique too. He’s one of the guys who stayed. Even with little guaranteed.

“There’s not many guys across the country that’s like Mylik. He’s a really unique and special player.” — UH associate head coach Quannas White

On the court, this athletic guard is like the world’s most adjustable wrench, adaptable to fix a variety of problems. With the ever-present long sleeves under his jersey, his skinny looking (quick twitch long) arms covered, Wilson cuts a distinctive figure on the court.

In Houston’s wild double overtime win at Kansas, the game that absolutely broke Bill Self’s talented team and propelled Houston, Wilson hits the 3-pointer with two seconds left to force double overtime off a scramble when Milos Uzan somehow directs the ball to him. In the clutch, in the moment when UH needs it most, Wilson hits the shots, makes plays, finds a way to do something to swing the game.

“That’s my guy,” Uzan says of the 6-foot-3 guard who happens to be the best dunker on Houston. “When we play together, he makes things happen. He’s always getting into the other team, making it hard for them.

“He’s so athletic, he lets us get out and run a little more too.”

Mylik Wilson makes things happen. Especially in the clutch when Kelvin Sampson throws out the numbers and often decides to roll with 8.