Houston earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year Sunday and will open against first-time qualifier SIU-Edwardsville in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday. The Big 12’s Cougars (30-4) have advanced to at least the second weekend of five straight NCAAs but were knocked out in the Sweet 16 the last two years. Assuming they beat the Ohio Valley Conference champion Cougars (22-11), they would face a big challenge in the second round against the winner of an 8-9 Midwest Region matchup between Gonzaga (25-8) and Georgia (20-12).

Thursday games in Providence, Rhode Island, pit No. 5 seed Clemson (27-6) against No. 12 McNeese (27-6) and No. 4 Purdue (22-11) against No. 13 High Point (29-5).

Xavier got past Texas 86-80 in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, and now will play No. 6 Illinois (21-12) on Friday in Milwaukee, where No. 3 Kentucky (22-11) meets No. 14 Troy (23-10).

In Thursday games in Lexington, Kentucky, No. 7 UCLA (22-10) meets No. 10 Utah State (26-7) and No. 2 Tennessee (27-7) faces No. 15 Wofford (19-15).

Houston 11th-year coach Kelvin Sampson has built the winningest program in the country the last seven seasons. Their 211 wins since 2018-19 lead the nation; they’re a top-three seed for the fifth time in six tournaments; and they’re only the third team since 2009 to be a No. 1 three straight years.

For all the success, the program standard remains the Phi Slama Jama era of the early 1980s. Guy Lewis’ Cougars appeared in three straight Final Fours with Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Michael Young leading the way.

Sampson’s Cougars aren’t nearly as flashy, but the wins have come in bunches. They’ve won at least 30 games in four straight seasons. They enter the tournament having won 13 straight games and 26 of 27 and with a sweep of the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships.

The Cougars, who rank first in the nation in defensive efficiency and give up 58.5 points per game, are the only team in the nation to have allowed fewer than 60 per game for five straight seasons. LJ Cryer is among four players averaging in double figures and is shooting a Big 12-best 42.8% on 3s. Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan also shoot better than 40% from distance, and the Cougars lead the Big 12 and are fourth nationally at 39.8%.

Leading rebounder J’Wan Roberts has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle. Sampson has not updated Roberts’ status.

Be careful, Purdue

Look for first-time qualifier High Point to be a trendy pick to upset Purdue in the first round.

The 13th-seeded Panthers, who swept the Big South regular-season and tournament titles, will go into Thursday’s game in Providence, Rhode Island, on a 14-game win streak.

Purdue has lost six of its last nine games. The Boilermakers dropped four straight in February and lost by 18 points to Michigan in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Another coach, another tournament

Utah State will make its third straight appearance with a third different coach.

The 10th-seeded Aggies are 26-7 under Jerrod Calhoun and will faced UCLA. They got to the second round last year under Danny Sprinkle, who left after a year to take the Washington job. Ryan Odom took Utah State to the tournament in 2023 and then went to VCU.

Zags going for Sweet 16 mark

No. 8 Gonzaga has its lowest seed since it was an 11 in 2016 and faces an uphill battle to make a record 10th-straight appearance in the Sweet 16. The Zags would have to knock off No. 8 Georgia and more than likely No. 1 Houston to get there.

The Zags rank second in scoring at 86.6 points per game and feature Ryan Nembhard, who leads the nation with 9.8 assists per game.

Players to watch

LJ Cryer, Houston: Uzan has grown in confidence, and Sharp’s 3-pointers are daggers. But Cryer is the heartbeat of Houston’s team. The former Baylor guard, who shoots 42% from beyond the arc and can finish at the rim, has been as clutch as they come all season long.

Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga: I don’t know if it’s because he’s in his fourth year or it’s because his brother also played Gonzaga, but it feels like Nembhard has been around for a decade. He plays like it, too, as one of the best orchestrators in the country.

Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee: Chaz Lanier is Tennessee’s leading scorer, but Zeigler embodies the Vols’ defensive identity. The two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year is a pest. He’s also one of the best distributors in the tournament.

Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois: The Illini are an impossible team to nail down. But when the No. 6 seed Illini are playing like a top-tier team, which they’ve shown the ability to do, it’s because the 6-foot-5 Jakucionis is on his game. The European pro could be an NBA lottery pick.

Upset special

No. 13 High Point vs. No. 4 Purdue: The Boilermakers can score with anyone. But without Zach Edey, they’ve proven to be vulnerable on defense. Insert High Point, a team that ranks second among all NCAA teams in raw offensive efficiency (121.3 points per 100 possessions). This game could get into the high 80s on both sides. Who wins is anyone’s guess.

Who wins?

Even with Gonzaga looming in the second round, we have faith Cryer, Sharp and Co. will lead the Cougs to an Elite Eight matchup against Tennessee. We have Houston advancing to the Final Four — and ultimately cutting down the nets in San Antonio.