Houston basketball left 2025 March Madness with a sour taste in its mouth. Emmanuel Sharp avoided the double dribble, but time melted and Florida won the national title. Now UH earns a big chance to erase the memories of last season's missed championship attempt starting with Idaho.
The Cougars are at an immense advantage on paper. Thursday's game against the Vandals will feel like a home contest with the game at Oklahoma City. UH fans will travel in droves.
Houston is also a massive favorite here, with FanDuel Sportsbook handing the Cougars a 23.5-point line as of Wednesday.
However, we must present why Houston is on upset alert before tipoff against the Big Sky representative.
‘Home' feel could doom Houston
While UH earns the luxury of staying close to home, that feeling potentially becomes a distraction per longtime basketball analyst Clark Kellogg.
“There is obviously some benefit to being close to home — travel, familiarity,” Kellogg said, via The Houston Chronicle. “But there are some challenges with being close to home. The pressure, the expectation that because you are a really good team and you’ve earned the right to be where you are, that it’s an automatic win for you because you’re home.”
Though Kellogg believes Houston is in great hands with Kelvin Sampson once again leading this team.
Still though, the “home” feel could apply new pressure for the Cougars. But that's not the only element to worry about here.
Offense inconsistency rises as a flaw
Sampson creates stout defenses on the hardwood each season. This season's Cougars are no different in forcing turnovers (21.5% of opponent possessions) and forcing bad, timely shot attempts.
Yet the last thing they want is to lock into a defensive battle with Idaho.
Houston tends to go on lengthy scoring droughts. Not a good omen to have when facing a dangerous three-point team like the Vandals. Idaho averages 78.7 points per game offensively with 35.6% of its baskets coming from behind the arc.
Long range shooting isn't the only strength out of Moscow, Id. Idaho reels in 36.1 rebounds per night, placing the Vandals first among Big Sky teams. Idaho may face the size dilemma, but its players are the basketball version of ballhawks when it comes to grabbing the rebound. The Vandals noticeably get at least two or three players near the basketball when it's up for a rebound.
Sampson must find a way to get UH to crowd the paint or outside the key when the ball is in the air. Houston brings its own strong rebounding presence to the floor and can counter Idaho there off size.
How Houston avoids the upset
Freshman sensation Kingston Flemings going off on the scoring end obviously helps. All eyes will be on him during his first NCAA Tournament. He's among the intriguing NBA Draft prospects in averaging 16.4 points a night.
The second-leading scorer Sharp (15.3 points per game) will be ready to redeem himself after last season's mistake versus the Gators. Milos Uzan completes a deep backcourt for Sampson in averaging 11.1 PPG.
But the Big 12 representative needs more than just this trio to advance. Houston's bench needs to come through and take pressure off the guards.
This first round game is winnable for UH. But avoiding the home distraction, out-rebounding the Vandals and burying them with its reserves prevents the upset.
