Top-seeded Houston (32-4) got everything it wanted from No. 9-seeded Texas A&M (21-15) on Sunday night, but won a stunning 100-95 overtime victory. I was able to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Attrition began to take its toll on the game as A&M hit a game-tying three to send the game into overtime. In the end, four Cougars fouled out, but it wasn't just any player. UH will have to find a way to win without its top three guards as Jamal Shehead, LJ Cryer and Emmanuel Sharpe all fouled out.
Despite the odds, Houston became the first team since UTEP in 1987 to win an NCAA Tournament game while having four players fouled out.
The Cougars' performance was legendary, and one of their biggest legends was in the crowd playing one of the most memorable games in recent memory.
Houston alumnus Jim Nantz is one of the most honored and beloved television broadcast writers in all of sports, and he has given NCAA Tournament fans unforgettable calls during the Big Dance. .
However, the 2023 NCAA Tournament will be Nantz's final appearance as he stepped away from broadcasting March Madness to focus on his family and other broadcast duties. He's still a spokesperson for the Masters and serves as the lead play-by-play analyst for CBS' NFL coverage, but he'll now be involved in all activities as a fan.
On Sunday night, Nantz stood on the front lines of his alma mater's battered team in a surreal moment for college basketball fans.
There's something a little unsettling about seeing Jim Nantz wearing Houston Cougars gear and watching a game as a fan. But it's certainly fun to watch him take it all in and enjoy it with the people he loves most.
Are you sad that you can't hear the classic “Hello, friends”? From Nantz this year? This may cheer you up.
After the game, Nantz showed up in Houston's locker room and was stunned, having just witnessed Kelvin Sampson's team gut-check the Cougs to victory.
Nantz's Cougars will face No. 4 seed Duke in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday, March 29 in Dallas, Texas, with tipoff scheduled for approximately 8:39 p.m. PT.
