yahoo - 3/26/2026 7:18:44 PM - GMT (+2 )
Tonight's Sweet 16 game between Houston and Illinois will be a home game for the Cougars, but UH players don't expect that to matter much.
"Last year we played Purdue in Indiana. It doesn't really give you too much of an advantage, honestly," Cougars guard Milos Uzan said. "Every team here is good, and, yeah, it doesn't really give you too much advantage. I think we just continue with the same preparation and live with the results."
March Madness: Sweet 16 games ranked
This could be the best game of the night. Illinois averages 85 points a game, while Houston is known for its defense. It will also feature two of the top freshmen in the country, Kingston Flemings for Houston and Keaton Wagler for Illinois, who both figure to go early in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The winner of tonight's game advances to Saturday's Elite Eight to face the winner of Nebraska vs. Iowa in the South Region's other Sweet 16 game.
Here's what you need to know about tonight's game, including predictions:
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Illinois vs Houston basketball live score| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Houston | — | — | — |
Tip-off is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET from Houston.
What channel is Illinois vs Houston game on? How to watch, streaming infoHouston vs. Illinois will air on TBS/truTV and stream via Fubo.
Houston vs Illinois predictionOdds provided by BetMGM, as of noon, Thursday, March 26.
- Blake Toppmeyer: Houston
- Paul Myerberg: Houston
- Jordan Mendoza: Houston
- John Brice: Houston
- Matt Glenesk: Houston
- Craig Meyer: Houston
- John Leuzzi: Illinois
- Austin Curtright: Houston
- Ehsan Kassim: Illinois
- Moneyline: Houston (-165); Illinois (+135)
- Spread: Houston (-2.5)
- Over/under total: 139.5
Yes, Peja is his dad. Peja Stojakovic played 13 seasons in the NBA, primarily for the Sacramento Kings, and was a three-time All-Star.
Andrej played at Cal and Stanford before transferring to Illinois.
How many Europeans are on Illinois' team?- David Mirkovic is from Montenegro
- Andrej Stojakovic lists Thessaloniki, Greece as his hometown
- Tomislav Ivisic is from Croatia
- Zvonimir Ivisic is from Croatia
- Mihailo Petrovic is from Serbia
- Toni Bilic is from Croatia
Utah Jazz at No. 5 overall.
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Jazz currently have the worst defensive rating in the league but could potentially improve that by selecting Houston freshman Kingston Flemings. The All-Big 12 guard has several games when he has recorded at least three steals, notching eight against Arizona State earlier this season. He scored 42 points against No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 24 and had a strong performance against Baylor, recording 21 points with seven assists and two steals on March 4. With highs as high as his thus far, it will not take long for him to hear his name called on draft night.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here.
Kingston Flemings stats(all stats as of March 15)
- 16.4 points per game
- 3.9 rebounds per game
- 5.3 assists per game
- 47.5% field goal percentage
- 39.2% three-point field goal percentage
- Appearances: 7
- Most recent appearance: 2025
- Games played: 27 (20-6)
- Highest seed: 1
- Lowest seed: 6
- Best finish: National Championship
Atlanta Hawks, pick No. 7.
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
After trading away Trae Young, the Hawks could find their point guard of the future in Illinois standout Keaton Wagler using a first-round pick they received from the Pelicans. The 19-year-old guard scored 46 points while shooting 9-of-11 on 3-pointers against No. 12 Purdue on Jan. 24. He projects as one of the best 3-point shooters in this class, shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman this year. The Big Ten Rookie of the Year is a cerebral basketball player who is also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season.
∎ Read more about Keaton Wagler's rise from unknown for freshman superstar.
Keaton Wagler stats(all stats as of March 15)
- 17.9 points per game
- 4.8 rebounds per game
- 4.4 assists per game
- 44.6% field goal percentage
- 40.2% three-point field goal percentage
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston vs Illinois news, live updates, prediction, how to watch Sweet 16
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