Houston Outmuscles Tennessee in Elite Eight, Showcases Big 12 Prowess

The 2024-25 college basketball season has been marked by the overwhelming success of the SEC, which set a record with 14 NCAA tournament bids, pushed seven teams into the Sweet 16, and became the first conference to have four squads in each regional final. However, the University of Houston reminded Tennessee and the SEC that the Big 12 still has plenty of fight left. In the Elite Eight on Sunday, Houston delivered a punishing defensive performance that left Tennessee’s offense floundering, securing a convincing 69-50 victory.

Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars have dominated the Big 12 since joining the conference two years ago. Much of their success stems from the defensive mastery Sampson began honing at Montana Tech in the early 1980s. On Sunday, Sampson’s long-time friend, Rick Barnes, witnessed his Tennessee team become the latest victim to Houston’s relentless defense. Tennessee missed its first 14 attempts from beyond the arc, lagged by as many as 22 points in the first half, and at moments resembled a university lined up for a “buy game” against a powerhouse.

L.J. Cryer rebounded from a rough shooting night against Purdue to lead Houston with 17 points. The Cougars dominated near the basket, outscoring Tennessee 30-14 in the paint. Overall, Tennessee shot a dismal 17.2% from the three-point line and 28.8% from the field. Despite managing to trim Houston’s lead to 10 points in the second half, Tennessee couldn’t sustain its momentum. Emanuel Sharp extinguished any hopes of a comeback with two crucial three-pointers and finished with 16 points, ensuring Houston’s lead remained comfortable.

With their 34-4 record, the Cougars are set to take on No. 1 Duke, the champion of the East Regional, in the Final Four. This marks Houston’s seventh appearance in the Final Four, the most for any program without a national title. For Sampson, it will be his third career Final Four and the second with Houston. After a thrilling win against Purdue through a last-second inbounds play on Friday, Houston extinguished any potential drama on Sunday with their stifling defense.

The Final Four offers another spotlight for Sampson’s impressive run with the Cougars. They are currently riding the nation’s longest Sweet 16 streak, reaching the round for six consecutive years. Sunday’s victory also denied Barnes his second Final Four appearance and kept Tennessee from reaching the first Final Four in their history. This was Tennessee’s 10th Sweet 16, the most for a school yet to reach a Final Four.

With Florida already in the Final Four, the SEC had hoped to match the Big East’s 1985 record of three teams in the Final Four. Yet, Tennessee’s defeat ensures this won’t happen. Should Auburn defeat Michigan State in the South Regional final on Sunday, they could still join No. 1 Houston in making this the first Final Four with all top four seeds since 2008.

The game started disastrously for Tennessee, as Houston disrupted 10 of the Vols’ initial 11 attempts and denied their first 14 shots from outside. Zakai Zeigler eventually landed Tennessee’s first three-pointer with only 39 seconds remaining in the first half, cutting Houston’s lead down to 34-15.

The Vols never found their rhythm, beginning 9-2, falling behind 22-6 in the first half, and taking over 16 minutes to reach double digits, by which point they trailed 29-10. Rick Barnes was visibly frustrated, with his hands not leaving his pockets.

Tennessee’s offensive missteps, coupled with Houston’s defensive excellence, forced NCAA officials to look up records for all-time lows in tournament performances. It was the worst first-half scoring by a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in NCAA history, and the 15 points marked the second-lowest half for a top-two seed, surpassed only by Kentucky’s 11 points against Georgetown in the 1984 national semifinal.