The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Houston Cougars will put their season on the line as the two battle for a spot in the Sweet 16 on Saturday, March 22 at 5:45 p.m.
No. 8 seed Gonzaga and No. 1 seed Houston meet in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament in Wichita, Kan., in what will be the first-ever meeting between the Zags and Cougars.
Odds
Houston enters Saturday’s NCAA Tournament bout favored by -4.5 points over Gonzaga, with the over/under set at 140.5. The line opened as Cougars -5.5.
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Houston a 72.9% chance to beat GU and advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
How to Watch, Stream Gonzaga vs Houston NCAA Tournament
Gonzaga vs Houston will be televised on TNT, which is a popular channel carried in most satellite TV and cable TV packages.
Gonzaga vs Houston will also be streamed on TNT. TNT can be streamed on several digital platforms, like YouTube TV, Direct TV Stream, Sling TV, Max, Roku, and Apple TV.
Houston vs. Gonzaga Game Notes
– GU is making its 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearance and 27th overall. The 26 straight berths to the field ranks as the third-longest current streak in the nation.
– The Zags are 47-26 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, six trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game. Mark Few‘s 44 NCAA Tournament wins ranks fourth among active coaches Calipari (57), Self (56), and Izzo (54).
– Gonzaga is the only program to win its opening-round NCAA Tournament game each of the last 16 tournaments.
– The Zags’ nine consecutive Sweet 16 appearances is the longest active streak in the nation, with Houston next at five straight.
– Ryan Nembhard broke the West Coast Conference record for most assists in a single season (currently at 333, previous record was 284) and most assists in conference play, finishing at 181.
– Nembhard became the 51st player in NCAA Div. 1 history to reach 800 career assists, and is now at 871. His 333 assists are first in the nation, to only 81 turnovers. He broke his own single season assist program record. Nembhard’s 9.8 assists per game also tops the country. His 4.11 assist-to-turnover ratio is third.
– As a team, the Zags are first in the nation in assists per game at 19.8 and assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.08. The Bulldogs are nine assists from setting a new season program record. Gonzaga’s 366 assists were the most in conference play broke the league’s record of 341 set by Loyola Marymount in 1989-90.
– GU is 2nd in the country at 86.7 points per game, 2nd in field goal percentage (50.1), and 3rd in free-throw percentage (79.9).
– Khalif Battle is third in the nation from the free-throw line at 93 percent (1st in WCC). Graham Ike (59.8%) is second in the WCC, and 16th in the country, in field goal percentage.
– Since Jan. 24, Bart Torvik computer ratings ranks GU eighth in the nation, with the 13th best offense and 14th best defense.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
– Gonzaga is making its 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 27th overall.
– The Bulldogs also auto-qualified for the 2020 NCAA Tournament that was cancelled. GU was No. 2 in the NET with a 31-2 record.
– The 26 straight berths to the field are the third-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas and Michigan State), and the fourth-longest in NCAA Div. 1 history.
– The Zags are 47-26 all-time in their 26 NCAA Tournament appearances with 14 trips to the Sweet 16, six trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game.
– GU is 44-24 in the NCAA Tournament under Few with a berth in all 26 seasons of his head coaching career. Few’s 44 NCAA Tournament wins ranks fourth among active coaches Calipari (57), Self (56), and Izzo (54).
– The Bulldogs have the most wins in the NCAA Tournament since 2017, going 23-7, Kansas is next at 17-6. GU’s 28 wins in the tournament since 2015 is also the most, with Duke and North Carolina second at 24.
– Gonzaga has earned more NCAA Tournament “units” than any program in the country in the last seven seasons.
– Gonzaga is the only program to win its opening-round NCAA Tournament game each of the last 16 tournaments.
– The Zags are 38-20 all-time as a single-digit seed, with a 18-2 record in first round games.
– Gonzaga is the eight seed, for the third time in program history, in the Midwest Region. GU plays in Wichita in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
– In 2023-24, fifth-seeded GU defeated 12th-seeded McNeese State (86-65) and fourth-seeded Kansas (89-68) in Salt Lake City, Utah, advancing to the Sweet 16 in Detroit, where it fell to eventual national runner-up Purdue.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
– Houston advanced to its sixth straight Sweet 16 after easing to a 78-40 win over 16th-seeded SIU-Edwardsville Thursday. Milos Uzan led the Cougars with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. LJ Cryer added 15 points, while Ja’vier Francis and Terrance Arceneaux combined for 23 points off the bench. SIUE was limited to 30 percent shooting from the field, including 2-of-24 from behind-the-arc. Houston outrebounded SIUE 50-27.
– The Cougars are in their sixth straight NCAA Tournament, and 25th overall.
– LJ Cryer leads UH averaging 15.2 points per game, and has made a team-high 104 threes at 42.3 percent shooting from behind-the-arc.
– Emmanuel Sharp adds 12.5 points, and J’Wan Roberts chips in 10.7 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds.
– Milos Uzan is scoring 11.6 points per outing and dishing out a team-high 4.29 assists per game.
SERIES INFO
– This is the first-ever meeting between Gonzaga and Houston.
– Since 2017-18, Houston ranks as the nation’s second-winningest team with a 239-43 record. Only Gonzaga with a 240-38 record stands higher.
– The Bulldogs have two wins over Big 12 Conference members this season, Baylor and Arizona State. GU fell to West Virginia in overtime.
– Gonzaga has won its four of its last five games against current members from the Big 12, and 15 of the last 18. Two setbacks were to Baylor in 2021 and 2023.
UP NEXT
– With a victory, Gonzaga would advance to the program’s 10th straight, and 15th overall, Sweet 16.
– The Midwest Regional Semifinals and Finals are in Indianapolis in Lucas Oil Stadium next Friday and Sunday.
– The Zags would play fourth-seeded Purdue or 12th-seeded McNeese. GU faced both programs in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
