After defeating No. 16 SIU Edwardsville, the Cougars beat No. 8 Gonzaga. Then, they upended No. 4 Purdue and No. 2 Tennessee to reach the Final Four. Houston became the first program since 2017 North Carolina to navigate the most difficult seed path possible for a No. 1 team.

All four No. 1 seeds, three No. 2s and one No. 3 remain in the men's NCAA Tournament, proving this season was all about the top teams in the sport.

It's been tough sledding for Ayoka Lee in the Sweet 16 matchup, as the 6-foot-6 center has struggled to counteract USC's two-headed center combo of Marshall and Clarice Akunwafo. Lee has 10 points with three minutes to play but has needed 13 shots to get there.