Bracketology 2023: 5 key games that could impact No. 1 seeds

No. 3 Houston vs. No. 21 Oregon, Nov. 20, 9:30 pm ET, ESPN

The last game of the week takes place on Sunday with No. 3 Houston traveling to Eugene to battle Dana Altman’s Oregon Ducks. As successful as Houston has been over the last three seasons with Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four appearances under their belt, the only thing that has eluded them outside of a national title has been a no. 1 seed. The Cougars have been dominant over the last three years compiling an 83-18 record by being elite on both ends of the floor. They are one of just two teams to rank in the top 22 in both offensive and defensive efficiency in that span according to Kenpom, the other is Baylor.

The Cougars got a lift when Marcus Sasser returned to school and Kelvin Sampson landed highly-touted recruit Jararce Walker, giving them in the eyes of some, the best team in the country and so far they have yet to disappoint. In their first two games, they’ve handled Northern Colorado and St. Joseph’s with ease and face off against Max Abmas and Oral Roberts, and Texas Southern before their meeting with the Ducks.

Houston needs to be careful here because the ducks will be looking for a marquee non-conference win of their own and are more than capable of pulling it off. The Ducks have a balanced attack led by Will Richardson and N’faly Dante, but Quincy Guerrier and newcomers Keyshawn Barthelemy and Nick Bittle have played key roles so far this season.

For Houston, this is a key game in their quest to earn a no. 1 seed because they don’t have many non-conference opportunities outside of this game and meetings with Saint Mary’s and Alabama. As has played out in recent years, no matter how dominant the Cougars have been, the lack of strength of the AAC compared to the other power conferences has been a factor in their seeding. So, if Houston wants to finally earn that top seed, a win over Oregon on the road would go a long way.