Houston blocks out talk of a potential South regional final rematch with Florida and zeroes in on first-round opponent Idaho, while Nebraska hopes to break a 0-8 tournament skid and Texas A&M revisits Oklahoma City magic.
Houston, the national runner-up from a season ago, finds itself on a collision course with Florida for a South regional final showdown that would be staged just miles from its home court at the Toyota Center. But the Cougars are blocking out the long-term vision, insistent on taking care of business first against Idaho.
“I mean, we got Idaho,” Houston guard Emanuel Sharp said, echoing the team’s one-game-at-a-time mantra. “We’re focused on what’s directly in front of us.”
The potential rematch of the 2025 national championship game—a game the Gators won—would create a road atmosphere for Florida if both teams advance, a detail confirmed by Associated Press. But both must navigate three games to get there, starting with Houston vs. Idaho on Thursday in Oklahoma City.
Houston guard Milos Uzan, drawing from last year’s tournament experience, emphasized the same approach that guided the Cougars’ run: “One thing I’ve learned from last year… was what the other guys did … they never looked ahead and took it one game at a time, and that’s the same approach we have to take it as.”
Florida, the South Region‘s top seed, opens on Friday in Tampa against Prairie View A&M, which earned its spot by defeating Lehigh in the First Four. Coach Todd Golden has already voiced his displeasure with the venue selection for a potential Houston matchup.
Idaho’s first trip since 1990
While Houston is a tournament staple, Idaho‘s appearance marks its first since 1990. The Vandals pulled off a stunning run through the Big Sky tournament, winning four games in five days as a seventh seed to clinch the automatic bid.
Nebraska’s 0-8 tournament drought
Another program seeking a historic breakthrough is Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, a fourth seed, are the only power conference team without a tournament victory. At 0-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, a record documented by Associated Press, Nebraska‘s players past and present are fully aware of what’s at stake. “I hear from them after games,” coach Fred Hoiberg said of former players. “I hear from them before games. I’ve heard from multiple former Huskers going into this one about what it would mean to get over the hump.”
Texas A&M’s Oklahoma City homecoming
Texas A&M also returns to a familiar setting: the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, where in 2016 the Aggies staged a remarkable comeback against Northern Iowa, forcing overtime with a 14-2 run in the final 33 seconds and eventually winning in double overtime to reach the Sweet 16. On Thursday, the 10th-seeded Aggies will try to summon that same magic against seventh-seeded Saint Mary’s.
Oklahoma City’s web of connections
Oklahoma City ties run deep in this tournament. Troy guard Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow is a cousin of Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort‘s brother, Payton, plays for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate that calls the Paycom Center home. And Thunder guard Alex Caruso was on Texas A&M‘s 2016 tournament team that played in Oklahoma City.
Scoring duels to watch
The South Region also features several compelling scoring matchups. Vanderbilt (5) brings guard Tyler Tanner, who averages 19.1 points and 5.6 assists, against McNeese (12) and its leading scorer Larry Johnson (17.5 ppg).
VCU believes it can upset UNC
VCU (11) vs. North Carolina (6) pits a confident Rams squad with a 27-7 record and a history of upsets against the Tar Heels. Forward Lazar Djokovic epitomized VCU’s mindset: “At the end of the day, we play against UNC, but we don’t play against the brand. We play against the players wearing those jerseys. I think we have a really great chance tomorrow to win it.”
Penn’s size disadvantage
Penn (14) faces a daunting size disadvantage against third-seeded Illinois. The Quakers start three guards with no starter taller than 6-foot-9 or heavier than 235 pounds. Illinois counters with 7-foot-1, 255-pound Tomislav Ivisic and 6-foot-9, 250-pound David Mirkovic, and the Illini rank seventh nationally in rebound margin (+9.6 per game).
Clemson’s key: containing Bennett Stirtz
Clemson (8) likely needs to contain Iowa (9) guard Bennett Stirtz to advance. Stirtz ranks fifth among active Division I players with 2,279 career points and averages 20 points per game on 49.2% shooting from the field and 37.2% from three. Clemson’s defense allows just 66.7 points per game, 28th in the nation.
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