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Sunday, March 30
Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis
1:20 PM CDT
University of Houston
vs
#6/6 (2) Tennessee
PREVIEW: #2/2 (1) Men’s Basketball Faces Tennessee in Elite Eight Showdown
3/29/2025 5:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NCAA Tournament HubWatch (CBS)Listen (Varsity Network app)Listen (Westwood One)Live StatsHouston Game Notes (PDF)Tennessee Game Notes (PDF)Big 12 Notes (PDF)
Cougars meet Volunteers at 1:20 p.m. (CDT), Sunday, inside Lucas Oil Stadium
INDIANAPOLIS – Fresh off one of the most thrilling wins during the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the #2/2 (1) University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to action when it faces #6/6/ (2) Tennessee during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Elite Eight at 1:20 p.m. (CST), Sunday, inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Cougars (33-4 • 19-1 Big 12) earned their third trip to the Elite Eight in the last five years under Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, thanks to a 62-60 win over #22/22 (8) Purdue on Friday night/Saturday morning.
Trailing at halftime, the Cougars regained the lead in the second half before the Boilermakers rallied to tie the game with 35 seconds remaining.
After a missed Houston shot went out of bounds off Purdue, the Cougars inbounded the ball under the basket with just over two seconds left in the game. Junior point guard Milos Uzan fed sophomore forward Joseph Tugler, who immediately passed back to Uzan for the game-winning layup with under a second remaining.
Uzan led all players with 22 points and six 3-pointers and dished out a team-high six assists. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp finished with 17 points and a pair of treys while graduate forward J'Wan Roberts led all players with 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards.
With Friday's win, the 2024-25 Cougars tied the school single-season record with their 33rd win of the season. They equaled the total set by the 2022-23 and 2018-19 teams.
Sunday's game will be the first meeting against Tennessee in Men's Basketball since the 1995-96 season.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• The Cougars are competing in the 26th NCAA Tournament in school history in 2025.
• This is 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 play as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• With its win over #24/23 (8) Gonzaga, Houston is 42-30 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 six years. That is the nation's longest active streak.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on TBS and truTV with Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Steve Lappas (analyst) and Evan Washburn (reporter) calling.
• Fans can hear Sunday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst) calling. The pregame show begins at 1:05 p.m. (CDT), Sunday.
• Fans also can hear Sunday game on Westwood One and on Sirius XM Radio with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) calling.
• Fans can follow live stats from Sunday's game by clicking here.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HUB
For more information about pregame activities, hotel send-off, pregame meetups and more, fans can visit the Cougars' NCAA Tournament Hub by clicking here.
TEAM HOTEL SEND-OFF
• Fans can send the Cougars off from their team hotel beginning at Noon (EDT), Sunday.
• Fans can cheer for the Cougars as they make their way to the team bus from the lobby of The Westin Indianapolis (241 West Washington St.., Indianapolis, IN 46204).
PREGAME MEET-UP
• Following the hotel send off, fans are invited to prepare for tip off with fellow Cougar fans at the official Houston Cougars Elite Eight Pregame Meetup
• The fun begins at Ten Hands Social Bar & Eatery located inside The Westin Indianapolis (140 South Illinois St., Indianapolis, IN 46225), beginning at 11 a.m. (EDT) Sunday.
ABOUT TENNESSEE
• Tennessee brings a 30-7 overall record and 12-6 mark in Southeastern Conference play into Sunday's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game.
• The Volunteers finished fourth in the SEC regular-season standings and advanced to the SEC Championship Title Game before falling to Florida.
• Tennessee is ranked at #6 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls.
• Tennessee is 8-1 in neutral-site games and 14-6 in non-home games during the 2024-25 season.
• The Volunteers have won their last three games and six of the last seven. Only an 86-77 loss to Florida in the SEC Championship Title Game inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on March 16, prevents a longer streak.
• In its most recent action, Tennessee took a 78-65 win over Kentucky during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Sweet 16 inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday night.
• Guard Zakai Zeigler led the Volunteers with 18 points and two assists while guard Chaz Lanier totaled 17 points with four rebounds. Jordan Gainey came off the bench to post 16 points and three rebounds while center Felix Okpara added eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
• This season, Lanier leads Tennessee with 18.0 points per game. Zeigler stands with 13.9 points per game but leads the Volunteers with 7.5 assists and 1.94 steals per contest. Gainey ranks third on the team with 11.4 points per game. Igor Milicic Jr paces the Volunteers with 6.7 rebounds per game.
• Head Coach Rick Barnes is in his 10th season at Tennessee and his 38th year as a collegiate head coach.
• Barnes has built an 836-422 record during his career with a 232-108 record at Tennessee.
• He previously compiled a 402-180 record at Texas (1998-15); 74-48 mark with Clemson (1994-98), a 108-76 record with Providence (1988-1993) and a 20-10 mark with George Mason (1987-88)..
• Barnes has posted a 2-2 record against Houston during his career with all four previous meetings coming during his Houston tenure.
• Barnes is 8-12 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with all 20 previous meetings coming during Sampson's Oklahoma and Barnes' Texas tenures.
• 1977 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne.
SERIES HISTORY vs. TENNESSEE
• Tennessee holds a 3-2 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1970-71 season.
• The Volunteers have won the last two games in the series.
• In the most recent meeting, Tennessee claimed a 69-49 win inside Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 19, 1995.
• In the first meeting in the series, Tennessee took a 79-58 win in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 5, 1970.
at Neutral Site: Houston owns a 1-0 lead against Tennessee in games played at neutral sites during the series history.
• In the lone previous meeting, the Cougars enjoyed a 68-65 win at the Trojan Classic in Los Angeles on Dec. 29, 1970.
at NCAA Tournament: Sunday's game will be the first time Houston has faced Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT
• With a win over #6/6 (2) Tennessee on Sunday, Houston would advance to the NCAA Tournament Final Four for seventh time in school history and the first time since 2021.
• The Cougars would face the winner from #1/1 (1) Duke/#8/9 (2) Alabama inside Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, April 5
• That game will air on CBS at 5:09 p.m. CDT, or 7:49 p.m. (CDT) and can be heard on 950 AM KPRC, Varsity Network app and Westwood One.
BUY 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.
The Cougars (33-4 • 19-1 Big 12) earned their third trip to the Elite Eight in the last five years under Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, thanks to a 62-60 win over #22/22 (8) Purdue on Friday night/Saturday morning.
Trailing at halftime, the Cougars regained the lead in the second half before the Boilermakers rallied to tie the game with 35 seconds remaining.
After a missed Houston shot went out of bounds off Purdue, the Cougars inbounded the ball under the basket with just over two seconds left in the game. Junior point guard Milos Uzan fed sophomore forward Joseph Tugler, who immediately passed back to Uzan for the game-winning layup with under a second remaining.
Uzan led all players with 22 points and six 3-pointers and dished out a team-high six assists. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp finished with 17 points and a pair of treys while graduate forward J'Wan Roberts led all players with 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards.
With Friday's win, the 2024-25 Cougars tied the school single-season record with their 33rd win of the season. They equaled the total set by the 2022-23 and 2018-19 teams.
Sunday's game will be the first meeting against Tennessee in Men's Basketball since the 1995-96 season.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• The Cougars are competing in the 26th NCAA Tournament in school history in 2025.
• This is 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 play as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• With its win over #24/23 (8) Gonzaga, Houston is 42-30 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 six years. That is the nation's longest active streak.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on TBS and truTV with Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Steve Lappas (analyst) and Evan Washburn (reporter) calling.
• Fans can hear Sunday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst) calling. The pregame show begins at 1:05 p.m. (CDT), Sunday.
• Fans also can hear Sunday game on Westwood One and on Sirius XM Radio with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) calling.
• Fans can follow live stats from Sunday's game by clicking here.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HUB
For more information about pregame activities, hotel send-off, pregame meetups and more, fans can visit the Cougars' NCAA Tournament Hub by clicking here.
TEAM HOTEL SEND-OFF
• Fans can send the Cougars off from their team hotel beginning at Noon (EDT), Sunday.
• Fans can cheer for the Cougars as they make their way to the team bus from the lobby of The Westin Indianapolis (241 West Washington St.., Indianapolis, IN 46204).
PREGAME MEET-UP
• Following the hotel send off, fans are invited to prepare for tip off with fellow Cougar fans at the official Houston Cougars Elite Eight Pregame Meetup
• The fun begins at Ten Hands Social Bar & Eatery located inside The Westin Indianapolis (140 South Illinois St., Indianapolis, IN 46225), beginning at 11 a.m. (EDT) Sunday.
ABOUT TENNESSEE
• Tennessee brings a 30-7 overall record and 12-6 mark in Southeastern Conference play into Sunday's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game.
• The Volunteers finished fourth in the SEC regular-season standings and advanced to the SEC Championship Title Game before falling to Florida.
• Tennessee is ranked at #6 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls.
• Tennessee is 8-1 in neutral-site games and 14-6 in non-home games during the 2024-25 season.
• The Volunteers have won their last three games and six of the last seven. Only an 86-77 loss to Florida in the SEC Championship Title Game inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on March 16, prevents a longer streak.
• In its most recent action, Tennessee took a 78-65 win over Kentucky during the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Sweet 16 inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday night.
• Guard Zakai Zeigler led the Volunteers with 18 points and two assists while guard Chaz Lanier totaled 17 points with four rebounds. Jordan Gainey came off the bench to post 16 points and three rebounds while center Felix Okpara added eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
• This season, Lanier leads Tennessee with 18.0 points per game. Zeigler stands with 13.9 points per game but leads the Volunteers with 7.5 assists and 1.94 steals per contest. Gainey ranks third on the team with 11.4 points per game. Igor Milicic Jr paces the Volunteers with 6.7 rebounds per game.
• Head Coach Rick Barnes is in his 10th season at Tennessee and his 38th year as a collegiate head coach.
• Barnes has built an 836-422 record during his career with a 232-108 record at Tennessee.
• He previously compiled a 402-180 record at Texas (1998-15); 74-48 mark with Clemson (1994-98), a 108-76 record with Providence (1988-1993) and a 20-10 mark with George Mason (1987-88)..
• Barnes has posted a 2-2 record against Houston during his career with all four previous meetings coming during his Houston tenure.
• Barnes is 8-12 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers with all 20 previous meetings coming during Sampson's Oklahoma and Barnes' Texas tenures.
• 1977 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne.
SERIES HISTORY vs. TENNESSEE
• Tennessee holds a 3-2 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1970-71 season.
• The Volunteers have won the last two games in the series.
• In the most recent meeting, Tennessee claimed a 69-49 win inside Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 19, 1995.
• In the first meeting in the series, Tennessee took a 79-58 win in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 5, 1970.
at Neutral Site: Houston owns a 1-0 lead against Tennessee in games played at neutral sites during the series history.
• In the lone previous meeting, the Cougars enjoyed a 68-65 win at the Trojan Classic in Los Angeles on Dec. 29, 1970.
at NCAA Tournament: Sunday's game will be the first time Houston has faced Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT
• With a win over #6/6 (2) Tennessee on Sunday, Houston would advance to the NCAA Tournament Final Four for seventh time in school history and the first time since 2021.
• The Cougars would face the winner from #1/1 (1) Duke/#8/9 (2) Alabama inside Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, April 5
• That game will air on CBS at 5:09 p.m. CDT, or 7:49 p.m. (CDT) and can be heard on 950 AM KPRC, Varsity Network app and Westwood One.
BUY 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 –
Players Mentioned
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