Idaho vs Houston: Pace Clash in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 19th, the 15th-seated Idaho Vandals face off against the second-seated Houston Cougars in the first round of the men's NCAA tournament. On paper, their shooting and rebounding stats live pretty even, but one big difference stands out, game pace. Houston plays in one of the slowest tempos in college basketball, averaging just 67.2 offensive possessions per game, which ranks, then 328th out of 365 Division I teams. Meanwhile, Idaho likes to speed things up with 71.5 possessions, placing them 129th nationally. Coaches and players from Idaho know they need to protect the ball and score efficiently against Houston's Stingy defense, which allows only 62.9 points per game, second best in the country, the Vandals plan to push the tempo early to gain an edge. Experts say it will boil down to possessions, with Idaho focusing on smart spacing, few turnovers, and timely shots to challenge the Cougars. This matchup could deliver another rare 15th-over-second upset if Idaho executes, tipping off Thursday

1:05at 710 p.m. on True TV in Oklahoma City.