Closer Look: Purdue's Sweet 16 matchup with Houston

Fourth-seeded Purdue will see a step up in competition when it takes the floor at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday night. After taking down a pair of double-digit seeds in the opening two rounds, top-seeded Houston awaits the Boilermakers.

The Cougars enter the second weekend with an impressive 32-4 record. The record becomes even more impressive when one considers that Houston started the season just 4-3, but it has lost just one game since November.

More on Houston: Roster | Stats | Results

Houston ran through Big 12 play, winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. It went 19-1 in regular season conference play, with the lone loss coming by one point in overtime at home to Texas Tech, a fellow Sweet 16 participant. Three of Houston’s four losses came in overtime, with the only regulation loss coming to number one overall seed Auburn.

After an uneasy end to the regular season and conference tournament, which saw the Boilermakers lose six of their final nine contests before Selection Sunday, a pair of strong performances feels like a regain of mojo, so to speak. Purdue has defeated four teams playing in the Sweet 16 (Alabama, Ole Miss, Maryland, Michigan), but Houston will present its tallest task.

PERSONNEL

One of the most veteran teams in the nation, Houston’s strength starts in the backcourt. Fifth-year senior LJ Cryer is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, having been a member of Baylor’s 2021 national championship team. He leads the way for the Cougars averaging 15.6 points per game. Over half of Cryer’s shot attempts come from beyond the arc, where he makes 42.8%. He shoots better from three-point range than overall from the field, but he’s a knockdown free throw shooter at over 90%.

Houston prioritizes three-point shooting for good reason. It leads the nation in three-point percentage, at 39.8%. In addition to Cryer, junior guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan shoot above 40% from deep. The three starting guards lead the Cougars in scoring.

Inside, Houston starts J’Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler, a pair of 6-8 players. Neither player presents a threat from deep, but they pose a threat on the inside, particularly on the offensive glass. Houston grabs offensive boards at one of the highest clips in the nation, helping contribute to its strong offensive efficiency numbers. Interestingly, neither frontcourt starter shoots well from the free throw stripe, but the Cougars don’t shoot many free throws. They rank just 317th out of 364 Division I teams in free throw rate.

Houston doesn’t substitute much but looks for guard Mylik Wilson and forward Ja’Vier Francis to provide contributions. Wilson scores most of his points driving to the basket, while Francis offers another strong body to attack the offensive glass.

SLOW TEMPO AND SUFFOCATING DEFENSE

A defining characteristic of Houston basketball games? Slow tempo. Houston runs a deliberate offense, working to get good shots deep into the shot clock. While opponents want to push the ball up the floor to prevent Houston from setting up its strong half-court defense, it’s easier said than done. Houston’s offense rarely turns the basketball over, averaging just nine per game, and with its offensive rebounding prowess, teams can’t hold players back from attacking the glass.

On the defensive end, Houston’s defense simply suffocates opponents. Houston leads the nation in defensive efficiency, allowing just 58.4 points per game. Opponents settle for threes at one of the highest rates in the nation against the Cougars, who rank fifth in the country in two-point defense. Although opponents shoot lots of threes, it doesn’t result in lots of makes. Cougar foes make just 30.6% of trifectas, ranking Houston’s three-point defense among the nation’s best, too.

In addition, Houston loves to pressure the ball, hard-hedging point guards off screens and keeping it far from the rim. Houston turns opponents over on 21.5% of possessions, giving the offense easy baskets and creating separation.

Theoretically, if Purdue can handle the initial surge of Houston’s defense, corner threes and opportunities in the short roll could present themselves.

COMMON OPPONENTS

Purdue and Houston faced off with four common opponents this season: Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Toledo.

The Boilermakers welcomed Alabama to Mackey Arena, where a big game from Trey Kaufman-Renn and a second-half explosion by CJ Cox fueled Purdue to an 87-78 victory. Meanwhile, in a non-conference MTE, homestanding Alabama outlasted the Cougars 85-80 (OT) despite a 30-point night from Cryer.

Both Houston and Purdue fell to Auburn, which stands as Houston’s lone loss in regulation of the season. While Sampson’s squad kept it close, Purdue fell behind early and lost a non-competitive contest to the Tigers.

On the flip side, both cruised past Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Toledo. Purdue’s season-opening win over the Islanders was the only time Purdue played a full game with Daniel Jacobsen in the 2024-25 season.

NO LACK OF EXPERIENCE

Neither side of Friday’s matchup will enter Lucas Oil Stadium with a shortage of NCAA Tournament experience. Houston will play in the Sweet 16 for the sixth-straight NCAA Tournament, while most of Purdue’s roster experienced a national championship game a season ago.

Sampson is coaching in the NCAA Tournament for the 21st time of his career, while Matt Painter is dancing for the 17th time. The lead guards, Cryer and Braden Smith, enter with plenty of March Madness sophistication.

Though both programs reached the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the last eight NCAA Tournaments, they both seek to punch a ticket to the Final Four for just the second time in that span. Furthermore, both programs aim to earn their first national championship.