Welcome to the dance, SIU Edwardsville! For the first time in program history, the Cougars are in the NCAA Tournament, matched up as the No. 16 seed in the Midwest region, slated to face No. 1 seed Houston Cougars.

BOTTOM LINE: No. 2 Houston plays SIU-Edwardsville in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Houston Cougars have gone 22-1 against Big 12 opponents, with an 8-3 record in non-conference play. Houston is third in the Big 12 with 10.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Joseph Tugler averaging 2.5.

Although the Cinderella story of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville men’s basketball came to an end today, the community is proud of the team’s success in the 2024-2025 season.