It was obvious early that Tennessee was in trouble against Houston's defense as the Volunteers had no one who could beat a Cougars defender one-on-one.

Houston’s relentless defense confused and harassed Tennessee and carried the Cougars into their seventh Final Four and first since 2021.

The Houston Cougars like mixing it up — and turning things ugly. Their hard-nosed defense has been a staple throughout coach Kelvin Sampson's 11-year tenure, and it served them well again in Indianapolis against two teams with much larger fan bases,

Tennessee veterans Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack were part of the Volunteers team that lost to Purdue in the Elite Eight last year. They could have left to explore their professional basketball opportunities, but decided to return to Tennessee for another opportunity like the one they have today.

Houston jumped to a big lead by limiting Tennessee, and the Cougars cruised past the Volunteers to advance to their Final Four since 2021.

A closer look at the Elite Eight matchup between Houston and Tennessee, with a final Four berth on the line Sunday.

What time is the Houston vs Tennessee NCAA Tournament game? What channel is it on? How to watch Volunteers vs Cougars March Madness Elite Eight game.

Tennessee and Houston will battle for a spot in the Final Four of the men's NCAA Tournament. Here's how to watch.