Houston basketball bold predictions for 2025 Final Four vs. Duke
Yesterday at 08:08 PM
Throughout the 2024-25 campaign, many expected an emphatic month of March, with several upsets and the typical powerhouse programs facing early elimination. But the dreamlike Final Four has arrived, and all of the No. 1 seeds selected by the committee remain. Houston basketball knows the job isn’t finished.
For the No. 1 seed Cougars, it's been business as usual since finishing the regular season with a 34-4 record and a Big 12 title. The Round of 64 in the Midwest region was a breeze, defeating No. 16 SIU Edwardsville 78-40 – and moving on to send No. 8 Gonzaga packing to close out the opening weekend.
Houston's path got tougher in the Sweet Sixteen, but a 62-60 result against a Big Ten surprise in Purdue was a confidence booster. Head coach Kelvin Sampson has put his team through the gauntlet since last summer – ensuring that his players' conditioning was top-notch, as he mentioned in the post-game interviews last Sunday after the 79-60 Elite Eight win over Tennessee.
“It’s all about journey to me,” Sampson said, per Jordan Mendoza of USA Today. “We always talk about prepare for the moment when nobody’s around for the moments when everybody is. And now everybody knows about Houston basketball.”
And the hard work is finally realized. The Cougars faced the SEC version of themselves in the Volunteers, and outmuscled them for two grueling halves at Lucas Oil Stadium. Off to San Antonio for the Final Four with a chip on its shoulder.
Houston basketball will be fired up for Duke revenge game
Last year’s Sweet Sixteen loss to Duke is still fresh in the heads of Houston basketball. In a similar situation, with a similar record, the team was minutes away from advancing to face NC State – who Duke wound up losing to in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
Now on a bigger stage, with a national championship appearance on the line, there will be a much different Cougars team showing up this time around.
Duke is coming off a dominant performance against Alabama, in a game that never really seemed close. Of course that is going to give the edge to the Blue Devils in the Final Four. That said, the Crimson Tide were powered solely by offense, which clearly got exposed in the Elite Eight.
Houston is more balanced, and plays enough tight-knit defense to keep the game close and low scoring.
Final Four will be won from behind the arc
Houston’s guards shot at a high clip against Tennessee. L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp combined for six threes, and they all came at the most crucial points of the game to thwart any Vols effort for a comeback.
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