The nation's longest winning streak once again will have to go up against the Purdue Boilermakers in the NCAA Tournament.

This time, the winning streak belongs to Houston, a Kelvin Sampson coached juggernaut that has won its last 15 games including running through the Big 12 with just one loss. In doing so, Houston has earned the #1 seed in the Midwest region, but now has to play what might be a de facto road game against the #4 seeded Boilers whose campus in West Lafayette is just sixty miles north of Indianapolis, Indiana, host of the Midwest region Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games.

Houston is coming off back to back defeats in the Sweet 16 in the prior two seasons while Purdue made its way to the Final Four and National Title game for the first time under Matt Painter last season.

But Houston enters the game as an 8.5 point favorite despite Purdue's proximity advantage.

Houston has the nation's best defense, a top-10 offense, and features the best collection of three-point shooting guards in the country.

Purdue features two of the best players in the country in Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn but there's been growing pains that's led to inconsistent defensive efforts and struggles against defenses that force a lot of turnovers. Houston presents problems that have plagued Purdue teams in the past.

But Purdue appears to be playing its best basketball of the season since the NCAA Tournament and will get homefield advantage for the late night game on Friday as it tries to repeat its run to the Final Four.

It's not the first time head coaches Matt Painter and Kelvin Sampson have squared off, but the last time it happened, Painter and Sampson were the head coaches for Purdue and IU, respectively. That rivalry between two of college basketball's best coaches never had time to marinate as Sampson was fired from IU shortly into Painter's tenure at Purdue.

Painter was asked about what he remembered about those games that took place nearly two decades ago

"They won two out of three," Painter said. "They manhandled us at their place on time. The other time we played at their place they won again, but the game was closer. We missed some free throws down the stretch. Eric Gordon played well in the game. That's what I remember about that."

Painter would go on to describe winning its game at home against Sampson and IU, one featuring a 32 point effort from David Teague, mentioning Teague's ability to get a lot of action from the baseline. With Houston's defensive prowess and ability to keep the ball out of the paint, that might be as much a prophetic memory as game notes with Purdue having to face Houston's #1 defense in the country on Friday.

Sampson was fired for NCAA violations at IU in the middle of the 2008 season.

It would take seven years before Sampson got another head coaching position when Houston offered him the job in 2015. Sampson has turned the program into one of college basketball's most dominating including joining the Big 12 during the time and making it to one Final Four.

Will the football stadium backdrop strike again?

It would be out of character for either team to struggle from three. Houston is the country's leading three-point shooting team, with three guards shooting over 40% in its starting lineup and 39.8% as a team.

Purdue isn't far behind Houston, knocking down 38.5% of its threes, 9th best rate in the country.

But both teams will be playing in Lucas Oil Stadium, usually reserved for football games, the stadium has been fitted to host a weekend of basketball, using half the field and seats with a giant curtain to one side of the court to block off the view of the rest of the inside of the arena.

Historically, moving away from basketball arenas has been detrimental for jump shooting in NCAA Tournament's during the Final Four.

Purdue was 10-25 last season in the Final Four against NC State, and just 1 of 7 against UConn in the title game in the Arizona Cardinal's football stadium.

LJ Cryer was part of a national title winning team at Baylor his freshman season, but has yet to lead Houston to a Final Four. In his fifth and final college basketball season, Cryer is coming a 30 point performance against Gonzaga that ties his career-high in points.

Cryer knocked down 6 of his 11 three-pointers and knocked down all 8 of his free throws.

The fifth year guard will be one of Purdue's biggest priorities defensively, but Cryer is one of just three guards for Houston making more than 40% of his three-point attempts.

Purdue has been as tested as any program over the last three years when it comes to its non-conference schedule. This season Purdue has taken on heavy hitters like Alabama, title favorites like Auburn, and defensive monsters like Texas A&M.

Matt Painter wants to make sure his players are prepared for games like this against teams like Houston, but he also knows, there might not be other teams as good as Houston.

A lot of that pressure, both figurative and literal, will fall on Painter's do everything point guard, Braden Smith. Houston's defense is all about trapping the ball, including hedging high on pick and rolls. Smith runs as many pick and rolls as anyone in the country.

"We didn't play Houston," Painter said Thursday about his offense and Braden Smith having to go up against it. "But playing Auburn, playing Texas A&M, playing Ole Miss, playing Marquette... But this might be the biggest challenge he's had. This is the No.1 defense in the country. This is a big challenge for our team."

This stage isn't new for Smith who has taken on the best of the best in his career at Purdue.

"Auburn's so good. Texas A&M is so good. Shaka Smart and what they do. Christ Beard and how they operate," Painter continued. "That's difficult to go against. He's had those experiences. He's been in the Final Four. He's won two Big Ten Championships. He's had a lot of different experiences."

Still, Houston looms as a team and defense that might stand out amongst the best of the last few seasons.

"But with all that being said," Painter finished. "Houston's defense could be the best out of all those people I've mentioned."

Purdue and Houston has drawn one of the latest tip-offs, set to start the game at 10:09 EST.

Here's a spoiler alert - the game won't be tipping off at 10:09. More likely, after Kentuck-Tennessee's 7:39 tip-off, Purdue and Houston will be looking closer to starting it's game around 11 pm and finishing well after midnight.

That's a little different than Purdue's first two games in the tournament which were both around noon in the afternoon.

"Honestly, it's different," Smith said who has been notably better in late games this season. "You wake up, you eat breakfast and you get ready to go. Now, we'll have time - I think we get to come in here, have a shoot-around, stuff like that."

Painter, players, and coaching staff spoke highly of having the early tip-off time last weekend, a change up from a few year run of getting prime time slots during the early rounds of the tournament. Despite being a bit of a night owl, Smith isn't looking forward to the long wait.

"It kind of sucks," Smith said. "Because for a competitor you've got to wait all day to go compete late at night. So I think that part sucks. But at the end of the day, you've got to be ready. I think playing in a game like this, the Sweet 16, that will get you amped up enough where you're ready by game time."

Despite the late start, it should be one heck of a show in Indianapolis on Friday night.

Relive Illinois's breakout stars from this past season.