The No. 1 Houston Cougars men's basketball team is as ready as ever for Friday night's Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament matchup with the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers. Why it matters: A win advances the Coogs to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2022 and continues the road to their first national championship contention since the Phi Slama Jama era of the 1980s.

Both teams have AP All-Americans, which they'll lean on. Houston has fifth-year senior guard LJ Cryer, who’s averaging 15.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. On the other side, Purdue features junior guard Braden Smith, who’s putting up 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game.

The Cougars' perimeter defense has proven to be unmatched, and the Boilermakers are in for a rude awakening against Kelvin Sampson's squad.