One could argue No. 5 Houston had the harder path to the Elite Eight compared to its opponent, No. 2 Villanova. But the way Kelvin Sampson's team plays basketball, they probably prefer it that way.
For the Cougars, this is a chance to advance to the Final Four for the second year in a row and perhaps capture the school’s first-ever national title.
For Jay Wright’s Wildcats, they can return to the biggest stage in college basketball for the first time since 2018, when they last won it all.
These programs actually met in a regional final once before, all the way back in 1983.