(1) Houston vs. (16) Longwood
William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
The No. 1 seed in the South Region draws Longwood, the winners of the Big South tournament. The Lancers started the season 12-1 but lost 12 of their last 18 games before the postseason. They knocked off the top team in the conference, High Point, twice in March, including an overtime win in the semifinal. Houston is loosely comparable to the Virginia team that lost to UMBC in 2018. Both are defensive-minded squads who could be susceptible to three-point variance. However, this Longwood team is not a threat from the outside. The Cougars make quick work of the Lancers en route to their 31st win of the year.
Prediction: Houston wins 74-52
