#2/2 (1) Men’s Basketball Set for NCAA Tournament

HOUSTON – After sweeping the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament championships, the #2/2 University of Houston Men's Basketball program will compete in the NCAA Tournament for its school-record seventh straight season later this week.

The Cougars will compete as the No. 1 seed – the school-record third straight reason to earn that distinction – in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region First Round and will meet No. 16 seed SIUE at 1 p.m., Thursday, inside Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan.

Under the leadership of two-time defending Big 12 Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson, #2/2 (1) Houston earned its postseason berth with a remarkable 2024-25 campaign.

After starting the season 4-3, the Cougars won 26 of their next 27 games to win the Big 12 regular-season championship. Houston became the first team in more than a century to win a major conference regular-season title in its first two years in the new league and did so by winning all 10 conference road games in a 20-game schedule.

The Cougars have won each of their last 14 road games, dating back to last season, for the longest nation's active streak but have still enjoyed tremendous success during home games, winning 38 of their last 39 games inside Fertitta Center.

At 30-4, Sampson has led Houston to its fourth straight 30-win season, another school record, the nation's longest active streak and the second-longest streak in NCAA Division I history per ESPN research.

The Cougars own the nation's third best winning percentage (.882) and behind the nation's second-best defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com, rank among the country's Top-10 leaders in scoring defense (58.5, 2^nd), field goal percentage defense (38.3, 4^th) and scoring margin (+15.7, 5^th).

In addition to its defense, the Cougars post a top offensive squad and rank among the nation's Top 10 in 3-point field goal percentage (39.8, 4^th), turnovers per game (9.3, 9^th) and turnover margin (4.5, 9^th).

NCAA. Tournament First Round opponent information

NCAA. Tournament First Round opponent information

Houston is one of only three teams to rank among the KenPom.com Top-11 leaders in both offensive (123.3, 11^th) and defensive (87.8, 2^nd) efficiencies. Duke and Florida join the Cougars in that exclusive group.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Thursday's game on TBS with Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Deb Antonelli (analyst), Steve Smith (analyst) and AJ Ross (reporter) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Thursday's game on 950 AM KPRC with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes calling the action. The pregame show begins at 12:45 p.m., Thursday.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• The Cougars are competing in the 26^th NCAA Tournament in school history in 2025.
• This marks the first time in school history that Houston will compete in seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
• This marks the third consecutive season in which the Cougars will play as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Houston is 40-30 all-time at the NCAA Tournament with Final Four appearances in 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 2021.
• The Cougars advanced to the NCAA National Championship Game in 1983 before bowing out to NC State (in one of the most memorable games in NCAA Tournament history) and in 1984 against Georgetown, respectively.
• Houston has advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 or farther in each of the last five years. That is the nation's second longest active streak and trails only Gonzaga.

SERIES HISTORY vs. SIUE
• Thursday's game will be the first time Houston has faced SIUE on the hardwood.

UP NEXT
• With a win against SIUE, the Cougars advance to the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
• There, Houston would face the winner of (8) Gonzaga-(9) Georgia on Saturday inside Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan. Game time and broadcasting network would be announced later this week.

BUY 2024-25 TICKETS
Current season-ticket holders can renew their season tickets now through April 30 by clicking here and logging into their accounts.

Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by supporting Linking Coogs – UH's NIL collective – and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.

Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.

– UHCougars.com –

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