How Idaho men respond to slow pace will determine Vandals’ ability to upset Cougars | Key matchup

OKLAHOMA CITY – When looking at stats like shooting percentages and rebounding, there’s not much of a difference between the Idaho men’s basketball team and its first-round NCAA Tournament opponent, Houston.

But what sets the second-seeded Cougars apart from not only the 15th-seeded Vandals, but most everyone else in college basketball, as well, is the pace Kelvin Sampson’s team plays at.

As college basketball teams continue to score more and look for more opportunities, Houston (28-6) plays at one of the slowest paces in the country. The Cougars average just 67.2 offensive possessions per game, ranking 328th out of 365 Division I teams.

Idaho (21-14), on the other hand, ranks 129th in that same metric, averaging 71.5 trips down the floor per game.

“We’re always trying to play our brand of basketball,” Idaho guard Isaiah Brickner said during Wednesday’s media availability. “We like to push the pace, play fast, earn early advantages. So I think we’re going to try and do that same thing tomorrow – go out, play fast, and just do what we do.”

How efficient the Vandals are scoring against a Houston team that has the second-best scoring defense in the nation – just 62.9 points per game allowed – along with avoiding turnovers is something Idaho coach Alex Pribble has preached to his team in the past few days.

“It’s going to come down to a possession game, in my opinion,” Pribble said. “We have to first and foremost take care of the basketball. So regardless of pace, valuing the ball, playing fundamentally sound offense, making sure we have the right spacing – that’s going to be the priority.”

If Idaho can make timely shots, while also forcing the Cougars into tough looks, there is a chance for the Vandals to pull off the fourth No. 15-over-No. 2 upset since 2021 on Thursday night (7:10 p.m., truTV).