NCAA Basketball: 8 bold predictions for conference play in 2019
By Brian Rauf
8) Houston will be the nation’s last undefeated team
Right now, there are currently four undefeated teams in the country – Michigan, Virginia, Nevada, and Houston.
Of those four, I’d expect the Cougars to be the last undefeated team standing. That doesn’t mean I think they’re the best of the group, but they have the perfect combination of talent and schedule.
Houston has one of the nation’s longest home winning streaks, a top 15 defense, and two star-caliber players in Corey Davis and Armoni Brooks. Their AAC schedule also sets up nicely to the point where they won’t play a KenPom top 70 team until February 7, which might be the first time they’ll be tested in conference play.
Michigan and Virginia are both really good teams but both will face quality competition in the Big Ten and ACC, respectively. They will both play four games against ranked teams before Feb. 7, giving them much better chances to suffer that first loss.
Nevada doesn’t have to worry about that in the Mountain West, but they haven’t looked as good as you’d think they would. They have single-digit wins over the likes of Akron, South Dakota State, and Grand Canyon and have struggled in several other games before pulling away late. Eventually, they’re bound to slip up if they keep playing that way.
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The road sets up perfectly for Houston to be the country’s final undefeated team. Some of the others are definitely better or more talented but the Cougars will be the last team with a zero in the loss column.