The No. 15 Idaho Vandals meet the No. 2 Houston Cougars in this NCAA Tournament South Region first‑round contest. Houston enters as a No. 2 seed after a dominant Big 12 run, while Idaho was an automatic qualifier with its Big Sky Tournament victory.

Iowa basketball has punched its ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987.

The Huskers and Hawkeyes split the season series, with each of them winning on thier home floors.