PREVIEW: #5/5 Men’s Basketball Ready to Face Idaho in NCAA Tournament First Round

Thursday, March 19

Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, Okla.

9:10 p.m.

University of Houston

Idaho

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Team, NCAA Tournament First Round Media Day

PREVIEW: #5/5 Men’s Basketball Ready to Face Idaho in NCAA Tournament First Round

3/18/2026 5:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Preview – Coach Kelvin Sampson vs. (15) Idaho Watch (truTV)Listen (Varsity Network app)Listen (Sirius XM Ch. 209/Ch. 202)Listen (Westwood One/NCAA Radio)Houston Game Notes (PDF)Idaho Game Notes (PDF)Big 12 Notes (PDF)

(2) Cougars face (15) Idaho at 9:10 p.m., Thursday, inside Paycom Center

OKLAHOMA CITY – The #5/5 University of Houston Men's Basketball program opens play at the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive season when it meets (15) Idaho at 9:10 p.m., Thursday, inside Paycom Center.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, the 2025-26 Cougars will compete as the #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament South Region. This marks the fourth straight season in which the Cougars have earned a Top-Two seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

In 2025-26, Sampson and his Cougars have posted a 28-6 overall record and finished second in the Big 12 Conference with a 14-4 league mark. It marked the ninth straight Top-Two conference regular-season finish for the Cougars.

Houston has been ranked among the nation's Top-10 in both national polls for the entire season and for each of the last 125 weeks in the Associated Press poll, a school record and the nation's longest active streak.

On Wednesday, Sampson and the Cougars took part in Media Day activities inside Paycom Center with the other seven schools at the site before holding an open practice in front of fans in the afternoon.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Thursday's game on truTV with on Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Chris Webber (analyst) and Andy Katz (reporter).
• Fans can hear Thursday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst). The pregame show begins at 8:55 p.m., Thursday.
• Fans also can hear Thursday's game on Westwood One/NCAA Radio with Ted Emrich (play-by-play) and Casey Jacobsen (analyst).
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting marchmadness.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• The Cougars are competing in the 27th NCAA Tournament in school history in 2026.
• This marks the first time in school history that Houston will compete in eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
• Houston is 45-31 during the NCAA Tournament with Final Four appearances in 2025, 2021, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1968, 1968 and 1967.
• The Cougars advanced to the NCAA National Championship Game in 2025 (losing to Florida), in 1984 (losing to Georgetown) and in 1983 (losing to NC State).
• Houston has competed in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in each of the last six years, the nation's longest active streak.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY by SEEDING
as No. 2 – The 2025-26 season marks the third season in which Houston will as the #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament during the program's history. The 2025-26 team joined the 2020-21 and 1983-84 squads
• Houston has posted an 8-2 record as a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• This marks the fourth consecutive season in which the Cougars will play as a Top-Two seed in the NCAA Tournament (#2 in 2026, #1 in 2025, #1, in 2024, #1 in 2023).
• In both previous seasons in which the Cougars played as the #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Houston advanced to the NCAA Final Four.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY vs. SEEDING
vs. No. 15 – Houston is 1-0 against the #15 seed during its NCAA Tournament seeding.
• In its lone previous meeting, the Cougars claimed an 87-56 win over (15) Cleveland State inside Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind., on March 19, 2021.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY by REGIONS
• The 2026 NCAA Tournament marks the third time in which the Cougars will compete in the South Region.
• The Cougars previously competed in the South Region in 2024 and 2022, posting a 5-2 record in those games.
• Houston advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2024 and to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2022 from the South Region.
• They Cougars have competed in the Midwest Region 18 times (2025, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2010, 1992, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1978, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1968, 1967, 1965, 1961), including all seven NCAA Final Four berths in bold.
• Houston has also played in the West Region three times (2018, 1966, 1956), in the Southeast Region twice (1990, 1987), in the South Region twice (2024, 2022) and in the East Region once (1981).
• The Cougars have posted a 37-22 record in games played in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region. Houston also has compiled a 3-4 record in games played in the West Region, an 0-2 mark in the Southeast Region and an 0-1 record in the East Region.

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ABOUT IDAHO
• Idaho enters Thursday's First-Round game with a 21-14 overall record. The Vandals finished 9-9 in Big Sky Conference play to finish seventh.
• Idaho is playing as a #15 seed at in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Vandals won four games in five days to win the Big Sky Tournament crown and the league's automatic bid.
• Idaho is 5-1 in neutral-site games and 12-10 in non-home games in 2025-26.
• The Vandals have won their last five games and seven of the last eight. Only a 76-67 home loss to Northern Colorado on February 28 prevents a longer streak.
• In its most recent action, Idaho outscored Montana by 12 in the second half to take a 77-66 win inside Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, on March 11
• Against Montana, senior guard Isaiah Brickner led all players with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Brody Rowbury posted 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers while sophomore guard Kolton Mitchell totaled 11 points with five rebounds and three assists. Junior guard Trevon Blassingame added 10 points with three rebounds, an assist and steal in the win.
• This season, freshman forward Jackson Rasmussen leads the Vandals with 13.9 points per game. Mitchell is a close second with 13.9 points per game but leads the team with 3.9 assists per contest. Senior guard Biko Johnson is fourth with 12.4 points per game while Brickner is the fifth Vandal averaging double-digit points with 12.1 per contest. Rowbury paces Idaho with 5.2 rebounds per game.
• Head Coach Alex Pribble is in his third season at Idaho and his seventh year as a collegiate head coach.
• Pribble has built a 46-54 record with Idaho and is 129-95 during his career.
• He previously compiled an 83-41 record at NCAA Division II Saint Martin's from 2015 to 2019.
• Thursday's game will be the first time that Pribble has faced Houston during his career.
• Thursday's game will be the first time that Pribble has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• Pribble is a 2007 graduate of California.

SERIES HISTORY vs. IDAHO
• Houston owns a 1-0 lead against Idaho in the series, which began during the 1963-64 season.
• In the lone previous meeting, the Cougars took a 76-61 win over Idaho during the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City on December 27, 1963.
at Neutral Site: Houston owns a 1-0 lead in neutral site games against Idaho in the series
• In the lone previous meeting, the Cougars took a 76-61 win over Idaho during the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City on December 27, 1963.
at NCAA Tournament: Thursday's game will be the first time that Houston has faced Idaho during the NCAA Tournament.

UP NEXT
• With a win against Idaho in the NCAA Tournament First Round, the Cougars would face the winner from (7) Saint Mary's-(10) Texas A&M on Saturday. Game time would be announced following the First-Round games.
• All Houston Men's Basketball NCAA Tournament games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

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