You don’t need a NCAA championship to excel, according to Lisa Leslie
A former USC Trojan, Lisa Leslie never won a NCAA tournament championship herself, and believes players don’t need it to be great in the WNBA.
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Houston basketball hasn’t had the easiest path to the Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament, if it makes it there. That tough road doesn’t stop in the Sweet 16.
The Cougars must play 4-seed Purdue for a spot in the Elite Eight, a tough matchup in itself. Houston will also be playing the game in Indianapolis as well, which is just over an hour drive from Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.
For comparison, Houston’s campus is nearly a 15-hour drive from Indianapolis, despite the Cougars being the 1-seed of the Midwest Regional.
While any and all paths to the Final Four are difficult, Houston has certainly had one of the toughest paths to the Elite Eight of any team in March Madness this season. And it doesn’t get any better with a win over Purdue on Friday.
Here’s a look at Houston’s NCAA Tournament path this season, including why it’s playing Purdue in essentially a road game for the Cougars:
Why is Houston-Purdue playing at Lucas Oil Stadium?
Houston has embraced being the road team this season, evident by its 10-0 record in true road games this season. The Cougars’ Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis won’t be a true road game, but Boilermaker fans are certain to show out for the matchup located about an hour drive from Purdue’s campus.
Lucas Oil Stadium, where the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts play, has hosted plenty of basketball games before, although the setup is a bit odd given the size of the stadium compared to basketball arenas. The stadium will be split down the middle, with the court being surrounded by seats on the field, along with the seats already built into the stadium.
Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted the Final Four in 2010, 2015 and 2021, the year where all games were held in Indiana with no fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are expected to be 35,000 fans at the game, according to Fox59.
The short answer is more fans can attend the games in person, even if it plays against Houston’s favor, given the proximity to Purdue.
Houston’s NCAA Tournament path
Houston hasn’t had the easiest road to the Sweet 16, even for a 1 seed.
The Cougars had no issues with 16-seed SIU Edwardsville in the first round, winning 78-40. Houston had to play 8-seed Gonzaga in the second round, though, despite the Bulldogs being much better than the seed they were given according to analytics.
Gonzaga is the No. 8 team nationally according to KenPom, which ranks the Bulldogs No. 6 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 32 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Gonzaga played Houston close, but the Cougars were able to advance to the Sweet 16 with an 81-76 win.
Should Houston beat Purdue on Friday, the Cougars will play the winner of 2-seed Tennessee and 3-seed Kentucky, a pair of SEC teams, in the Elite Eight. The Midwest Regional final will also be played in Indianapolis.
If Houston reaches the Final Four, it’ll be paired against the winner of Duke and Alabama, who will face off on Saturday for the East Regional final in Newark, New Jersey.
The men’s NCAA Tournament gets noticeably tougher as the bracket advances, of course, and it’s quite the accomplishment to reach the Final Four, regardless of matchups. Houston’s matchups, paired with where it has played its game, has made the road to the Final Four quite difficult this season, however.
