First Look: Purdue’s next opponent: Houston

Purdue advanced to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the past eight NCAA Tournaments following a 75-63 win over High Point and a 76-62 win over McNeese State in the opening weekend. After traveling out to Providence for the first two rounds, Purdue gets a much shorter commute to the second weekend.

Purdue will play in a familiar city, Indianapolis, but in a less familiar location. In preparation for next year’s Final Four, the Midwest Regional will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium. Purdue went 1-2 in the Circle City this season, defeating USC and falling to Texas A&M and Michigan at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Houston Cougars, the Midwest Region’s top seed, await Purdue. Houston hung on late to defeat Gonzaga and advance to this point. We take a first look at the squad Purdue will face on Friday night.

HOUSTON COUGARS

Record: 31-4, (19-1 Big 12); Big 12 regular season and tournament champions. Houston now holds the nation’s longest winning streak at 14 games. The Cougars dominate on the defensive end, leading the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency entering the Sweet 16. LJ Cryer, a Baylor transfer, leads a veteran squad with 15 points per game. Four Cougars average in double figures, as Houston shoots north of 39% from three-point range. It takes care of the basketball, too, turning it over on less than 15% of its possessions. After beginning the season 4-3, Houston has lost just once since the month of November.
Roster | Stats | Results
NCAA appearances: 26
Coach: Kelvin Sampson; 10th season at Houston, 34th overall. Purdue last faced Sampson on February 19, 2008, when he coached Indiana. The Hoosiers downed Purdue 77-69 in Bloomington just three days before he resigned due to NCAA violations. Sampson went 2-1 against Matt Painter while at Indiana. During his time at Oklahoma, Sampson squared off with Purdue five times, taking three of them. All of those matchups came against former Purdue coach Gene Keady.
Location: Houston, Texas
Series: Purdue leads the all-time series vs. the Cougars 2-1. Houston won the first-ever matchup in 1981, while Purdue came away victorious in 1993 and 1998. The game in 1993 took place in Indianapolis.
Purdue at Lucas Oil Stadium: The 2021 Big Ten Tournament took place at Lucas Oil Stadium. Purdue, the four seed, fell in 87-78 in overtime to fifth-seeded Ohio State. The stadium had the same configuration for that game as it will on Friday, where just half the stadium is used.
Odds: Houston -6.5

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