![\"NCAA](\"https:\/\/images.deadspin.com\/tr:w-900\/28497140.jpg\")
Mar 14, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson yells towards the court during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats during the men’s Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\nSecond-seeded Houston lost in the NCAA title game last season and is primed to make another deep run this year.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n But don’t dare ask Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson about a potential rematch against top-seeded Florida — last year’s champion — in the South Region final.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Sampson flat-out refuses to look past the opening contest, which is slated for Thursday night against No. 15 seed Idaho at Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “I don’t focus on what’s ahead of us,” Sampson said with an edge on Monday. “I focus on what’s in front of us. I don’t start coaching differently because we’re in this tournament. Our next game is Idaho.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Vandals (21-14), the winners of five straight games and seven of their past eight, certainly have Sampson’s attention.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Sampson is well-versed when it comes to Idaho as he coached approximately nine miles to the West at Washington State for seven seasons (1987-94) early in his career.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n He’s not willing to accept that the Cougars (28-6) are guaranteed an easy time in their opener.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “You’re playing a conference champion or a team that had a great year,” Sampson said of how first-round matchups work. “This isn’t an invitational tournament. You have to earn your way into this tournament. Whoever you play, whatever seed they are, you start with respect.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “We respect Idaho. To win four games in five days in the Big Sky tournament, you have to be tough.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Houston went just 5-4 down the stretch, including a 79-74 setback against Arizona in the Big 12 tournament title game.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n All six of the Cougars’ losses this season have come against ranked foes. They also have six victories by 30 or more points.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n Freshman point guard Kingston Flemings leads Houston in scoring (16.4 points per game), assists (5.3) and with 53 steals.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Senior guard Emanuel Sharp has knocked down a team-best 89 3-pointers while averaging 15.3 points per game. Sharp (301) is the only player in school history to top 300 career treys.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Idaho is part of the NCAA Tournament field for the first time since 1990. The Vandals have one all-time March Madness victory, that coming in 1982 in overtime against Iowa.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The team isn’t lacking for confidence after running through the Big Sky tourney as a No. 7 seed.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “To play Houston is honestly going to be so exciting and so fun,” Idaho guard Isaiah Brickner said. “I’m really excited to play a high-level team like that and show what we can do on the court.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Vandals didn’t appear to resemble a possible NCAA Tournament team for most of the season. They were 14-13 with six losses in eight games before the impressive finishing kick.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “The year was kind of up and down,” Idaho coach Alex Pribble said. “They had to be a resilient group, They had to stick together. They had to stay with the process and it clicked at the right time for us.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Forward Jackson Rasmussen agreed with his head coach.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “The tournament was the best we’ve played this season,” Rasmussen said, “but it’s not the best we can play and we know we can play better.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Rasmussen leads the Vandals with a 13.9 scoring average with Kolton Mitchell (team-best 70 3-pointers) right behind at 13.7. Biko Johnson (12.4) and Brickner (12.1) also average in double digits.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n This is the second meeting between the schools and the first was also held in Oklahoma City. Houston knocked off Idaho 76-61 on Dec. 27, 1963 in the All-College Tournament.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The winner of Thursday’s game will face either No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s or No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n