March 19, 2026Updated 9:45 pm EDT
The No. 2 seed Houston Cougars (28-6) and the No. 15 seed Idaho Vandals (21-14) will meet on Thursday at 10:10 p.m. ET in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The contest airs on truTV.
How to watch Idaho Vandals vs. Houston CougarsIdaho vs. Houston odds
Stats to know
Houston is outscoring opponents by 14.2 points per game with a +486 scoring differential overall. It puts up 77.1 points per game (148th in college basketball) and gives up 62.9 per outing (second in college basketball).
Houston makes 1.9 more threes per game than the opposition, 8.8 (101st in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 6.9.
Idaho outscores opponents by 6.1 points per game (posting 78.7 points per game, 106th in college basketball, and allowing 72.6 per contest, 139th in college basketball) and has a +213 scoring differential.
Idaho connects on 2.7 more threes per game than the opposition, 10.0 (33rd in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 7.3.
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Photo: Patrick Smith, Andy Lyons, Steph Chambers, Jamie Squire / Getty Images
Mar 20, 2026
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