How to watch, stream Houston basketball vs. Tennessee in NCAA Elite 8: TV, prediction
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Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is quite familiar going up against his counterpart at Tennessee, Rick Barnes.
The two had several battles previously in the Big 12 Conference when Sampson was coaching at Oklahoma and Barnes at arch-rival Texas. Sampson holds a 12-8 edge all-time against Barnes.
But now the two longtime coaches square off once again on Sunday, with much bigger stakes. Houston, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, takes on No. 2 seed Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region title game at Indianapolis.
Game time, TV channel for Houston vs. Tennessee in NCAA Tournament Elite 8
Sampson is aiming to go to his third Final Four, and second after taking the Houston job in 2014. The Cougars are going for their seventh Final Four appearance in program history, and the first since 2021.
Kelvin Sampson still receiving support - and a gift - from one of his former bosses
Barnes also has taken a team to the Final Four, which he did when he was at Texas. But Tennessee has never made a Final Four in school history, though the Vols are making back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight, having lost in that round last year to Purdue.
Houston (33-4) brings a 16-game win streak into Sunday’s regional title tilt. The Cougars have also won 29 of their last 30 games after a 4-3 start.
Can Houston tap into its road mentality for at least one more weekend?
With a win on Sunday, the Cougars will set a new program record with 34 victories, breaking a record of 33 also set by the 2022-23 and 2018-19 squads.
Survive and Advance... ELITE EIGHT!
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 29, 2025
33-4
On to the next one#ForTheCity x #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/b97BJiVUOB
On Friday night in the Sweet 16 round, Houston pulled off a 62-60 win against Purdue on a basket from Milos Uzan with less than a second remaining. Uzan led the Cougars with 22 points, and the point guard made six 3-pointers and had six assists.
Emanuel Sharp added 17 points in the win for the Cougars, who are now in the Elite Eight for the third time over a five-season span.
Still dancing 🕺#ForTheCity x #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/bW3vry3gTF
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 29, 2025
Earlier on Friday, Tennessee (30-7) easily disposed of SEC rival Kentucky, 78-65, behind a combined 35 points from guards Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler. Lanier leads the Vols in scoring with 18 points per game, followed by Zeigler at 13.9.
Tennessee leads the all-time series, 3-2, and it’s the first time the Cougars have faced the Volunteers since 1995.
Sunday’s Midwest Region winner heads to San Antonio this coming Saturday to play in the Final Four. Either Houston or Tennessee will take on Duke, which defeated Alabama, 85-65, to capture the East Region championship.
The other Final Four game on Saturday pits Florida - which beat Texas Tech to win the West Region title - against the winner of the South Region between Auburn and Michigan State, which tips off Sunday after the Houston-Tennessee game is played.
Houston vs. Tennessee TV Channel, Live Stream, Predictions
Who: No. 1 seeded Houston (33-4) vs. No. 2 seeded Tennessee (30-7) in the Midwest Region championship game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
When: 1:20 p.m. CST | Sunday, March 30
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Indiana
ESPN FPI Prediction: Houston has a 67.0% chance to win
Our Prediction: Houston 63, Tennessee 59
TV Channel: CBS
Live Stream: The game will also be streamed on Paramount+.
Radio Station: Listen on SiriusXM channel 202 (Houston broadcast).
Live Audio Stream: Listen online on The Varsity Network App
