How many consecutive Sweet 16s has Houston made? Cougars hope to get over the hump

Kelvin Sampson is not-so-quietly turning Houston into a powerhouse basketball program. The Cougars survived an upset to Gonzaga in the second round on Saturday to advance to their sixth straight Sweet 16. 

Yeah, that’s right, six-straight Sweet 16 appearances for Houston have resulted in at least reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Which means it’s officially time to start taking Houston seriously as a contender. 

What makes their run through the tournament so eye opening is that these last two NCAA Tournament appearances, they’ve been staring early exits directly in the face. Last year it was Texas A&M that tried to halt Houston’s tournament run. 

Saturday it was Gonzaga. Yet, Sampson proved just how good of a program he’s built in Houston with another close win to advance in the tournament. No team knows the importance of surviving the first weekend and advancing quite like the Cougars do. 

Is the 2025 NCAA Tournament the year the Houston Cougars will finally get over the hump?

As good as Houston is in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, they typically fizzle out in the Sweet 16. Since 2021, they’ve reached the Elite Eight just twice and the Final Four once in 2021. 

Why can’t the Cougars put together consecutive weekends of winning basketball? Well, for one, it’s always hard to win in March. But if you dive a little deeper, you’ll see their matchups haven’t been favorable at all. 

Despite being the No. 1 seed in three straight seasons, including this year, and having the No. 2 seed in 2021, they have had to play, arguably, the toughest team in the field. In 2021, the Cougars lost to eventual champion Baylor. 

Next weekend, they’ll play No. 4 seed Purdue. The Boilermakers, though they hit a mid-season lull in conference play, have looked every bit like a team looking to halt Houston in the Sweet 16 once again. 

If the Cougars want to be considered a contender in college basketball, they’ll need to make a run this year. Once you get to the Sweet 16, all the teams are either good or hot. Both are a dangerous recipe for any opponent. 

Houston has no excuses. They have been in this position many times before. In prior NCAA Tournaments maybe their expectations weren’t as high. This year, there’s no excuse.