NCAA Basketball: Biggest Winners and Losers from the 2018-19 non-conference
By Adam Childs
No. 10 Loser – Loyola-Chicago Ramblers
While Houston had a crushing defeat in the tournament (more on that in a minute), Loyola Chicago was on the other side as they rode a storybook tale to the Final Four before also losing to Michigan. They were returning a lot of their top players and looked to maybe be even better this year. Could they repeat their Cinderella run?
With losses to Furman, Ball State, and Saint Joseph’s the answer would have to be a definite no. Yes, they struggled early last year before rolling through their conference so it is possible again this year, but they are losing games they just shouldn’t so far. The shine on their program quickly went away and they have gone back into the level of just an ok mid-major team. In a year where it looked like they could become the next household name, nobody is talking about them anymore.
No. 10 Winner – Houston Cougars
Houston had a resurgence last year under Kelvin Sampson and had the eventual national runner-up Michigan Wolverines all but dead in their second-round game last year. Then they missed a couple of free throws and gave up a buzzer-beating three-pointer that crushed their dreams of the sweet 16. Combine that with the loss of their top player Rob Gray and it would have been easy for the Cougars to take a step back this year.
Instead, they have been one of the hottest teams in basketball and are currently one of just four teams left undefeated. Their season has been headlined by wins against Oregon, Oklahoma State, and LSU, but they have also beat good teams in Utah State and Saint Louis. They will have some tough games when they get into the conference schedule, but so far they look like a team that has taken a step forward instead of back. This team is will give anyone fits come tournament time.