The third spot in the Final Four of the men's NCAA Tournament has been clinched. And it belongs to Kelvin Sampson and Houston. The top-seeded Cougars, who have been college basketball's top defensive team for much of the season per KenPom, won the Midwest Region of the bracket in decisive fashion against No.
2 seed Tennessee on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. To get to the Final Four, Houston defeated No. 16 seed SIUE in the first round before winning back-to-back nail-biters against No.
8 seed Gonzaga and No. 4 seed Purdue in the second record and Sweet 16, respectively, and then Sunday's win vs. the Vols.
The Cougars' next opponent doesn't get much easier, as they will face No. 1 seed Duke and Cooper Flagg at the Final Four on Saturday, April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Duke, who has been playing as the best team in the NCAA Tournament, beat No.
2 seed Alabama on Saturday. Here's what you need to know about Houston's Final Four history: Has Houston basketball been to the Final Four before? Yes. Thanks to its 69-50 win over No.
2 seed Tennessee in Indianapolis on Sunday, Houston will be making its seventh Final Four appearance in program history. Though it is Houston's seventh trip to the Final Four, it is the first for the Cougars coming at the Power 4 conference level. When Houston made the Final Four in 2021, it was a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
The Cougars did not join the Big 12 until before the 2023-24 season. Houston's first t.
