No. 15 seed Vandals can’t find cracks in dominant Houston defense | Three takeways

Making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 36 years, the Idaho Vandals opened with a spirited stretch of play.

But after about seven minutes of game time, reality started to set in. The game got away from the 15th-seeded Vandals in a hurry. No. 2 seed Houston took control midway through the first half and cruised to a 78-47 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

The Cougars advance to face No. 10 seed Texas A&M on Saturday.

Vandals fade quickly after nice start

Idaho guards Kolton Mitchell, a Lake City High product, and Biko Johnson hit early 3-pointers, and the Vandals (21-15) led 12-9 at the 14:40 mark. Idaho was avoiding turnovers against one of the nation’s top defensive teams, and the Vandals were playing admirable defense themselves. Houston (29-6) started just 2 of 8 from the field.

But Cougars sharpshooter Emanuel Sharp, the program’s all-time leader in 3-pointers, sparked a game-changing run with three triples in a two-minute stretch. Houston’s defense, ranked second nationally in points per game allowed (62.9), clamped down on Idaho during a 24-3 Cougars run that spanned nearly seven minutes.

The Cougars shot 9 of 11 from the field during that surge. Idaho went about eight minutes without a field goal, and Houston built a 48-24 halftime lead.

The Vandals finished with their lowest scoring output in a game this season – by 16 points.

Sharp tallied 12 of his 16 points in the first half, and All-American freshman guard Kingston Flemings diced through Idaho’s defense for 14 of his 18 total points on 6 of 6 shooting. The Vandals trailed by at least 20 points throughout an uneventful second half.

National title hopefuls flex strong defense

Houston is the No. 5 favorite in March Madness, according to bracket-makers. The Cougars were picked to win the title in 5.88% of brackets, per NCAA.com. A few factors probably convinced hoops fans to pencil Houston in.

Houston has consistently made deep runs under coach Kelvin Sampson. His Cougars teams have advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in every tournament since 2019, and finished as the national runner-up last year.

The Cougars enjoy ample tournament experience, and they boast a defense that matches up well with any team in the nation. According to KenPom’s defensive efficiency ratings, Houston has the No. 5 defense in the NCAA. Idaho’s offense, ranked No. 179 by KenPom, didn’t have answers Thursday.

Clean looks were in short supply for the Vandals, who shot 8 of 30 (26.7%) from the field in the first half and fell into a deep hole. For the game, Idaho shot a season-worst 16 of 56 (28.6%). Two of its players had efficient shooting percentages – Mitchell shot 4 of 7 from the field, 3 of 6 from 3-point range and had a team-high 14 points, and guard Trevon Blassingame was 3 of 6 for eight points.

Idaho’s defense couldn’t compensate, and Houston shot an efficient 50% from the field and 8 of 15 (53.3%) from 3-point distance.

The Vandals committed only nine turnovers, but they struggled mightily to find open shots and often forced contested attempts.

The Big 12’s Cougars also exhibited their size and strength advantages underneath the basket, outrebounding Idaho 47-32 and outscoring the Vandals 36-16 in the paint.

For Vandals, a major building block

If Idaho can retain a few core players, the future could be bright.

Mitchell was the Vandals’ top player on Thursday. The Coeur d’Alene product is just a sophomore. Idaho will also look to bring back forward Jackson Rasmussen, who earned Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors. He tallied five points and four rebounds against Houston. Blassingame also has eligibility remaining.

Key seniors for Idaho this year include Johnson (eight points, six rebounds, 3 of 11 shooting against Houston), guard Isaiah Brickner (four points, 1 of 9) and post Brody Rowbury (three points, 1 of 3).

The Vandals have improved quickly under third-year coach Alex Pribble. They won 11 games in 2023-24, then went 14-19 last year before becoming a solid outfit in the Big Sky and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in their history. The Vandals played at their best late this season, sweeping through the conference tournament as a No. 7 seed and establishing themselves as a contender heading into next year.