NCAA Basketball: Buy or sell WTE consensus top-10 teams for 2023-24 season?

5. Houston Cougars – Buy

It was between Alabama and Houston for the best team in NCAA Basketball last season when it came to be most likely to make a Final Four. Yet neither did, showing how tough it is to win in March. It was more surprising that the Cougars lost a battle of the frontcourts with Miami, despite having an elite trio of its own.

But I could argue that Houston’s new trio will be just as good next year. Point guard Jamal Shead is back to run the offense and is joined by a pair of high-level scoring guards. Damian Dunn is a 6’5 guard from Temple that averaged 15.3 ppg and 3.0 apg, including a few 30+ point efforts. And LJ Cryer remains in the Big 12, coming over from Baylor after producing 15.0 ppg on 42% shooting from the field.

Although losing projected top-10 NBA Draft pick Jarace Walker stings, J’Wan Roberts may be one of the more underappreciated players in all of NCAA Basketball. The 6’7 forward averaged 10.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg and was the AAC Most Improved Player of the Year. And there’s a trio of four-star frontcourt freshmen joining to add depth, led by Joseph Tugler.

It’s a roster that isn’t as certain as past teams and they are moving to the Big 12 for next season. But while they’ll certainly have more losses, the Cougars also will have more signature wins to remain in the race for a top seed. And Coach Kelvin Sampson has more than enough talent to have them as Final Four threats once again.