Confirmation for Houston coach Kelvin Sampson that his program is restoring its prominence nationally is the fact the No. 25 Cougars now have been nationally ranked for three consecutive seasons.

Saturday's upset victory at then-No. 16 Wichita State, forcing the Shockers to miss 18 straight shots in one 13-minute stretch, has placed the Cougars (14-4, 4-1 American Athletic Conference) into the rankings for the first time since the final poll last season.

Sampson, who commented that his players "played like grown men," in the win over Wichita State, believes the Cougars are still in the maturation process, which will lead toward a higher ranking and a deeper run in the NCAA tournament.